Human After All

Infobox Album
Name = Human After All
Type = studio
Artist = Daft Punk


Recorded = September 13, 2004 – November 9, 2004Liner notes of the "Human After All" album - "Paris, September 13, 2004 to November 9, 2004"]
Released = March 9, 2005 (Japan)
March 14, 2005 (UK)
March 15, 2005 (U.S.)
Genre = House
Length = 45:34
Label = Toshiba-EMI (Japan)
VJCP 68735 (CD)
Virgin
V2996 (UK 2LP)
CDV2996 (UK CD)
63562 (U.S. CD)
Producer = Daft Punk, Cédric Hervet, Gildas Loaëc
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3c2tk6rxykrw link]
*"The A.V. Club" [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/16129#comment_page_0 3/15/05]
*Drowned in Sound (6/10) [http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/11759.html link]
*"NME" (7/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/daft-punk/7641 link]
*"No Ripcord" (5/10) [http://www.noripcord.com/?q=node/140 link]
*Pitchfork Media (4.9/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/16834-human-after-all 03/15/05]
*PopMatters (7/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/d/daftpunk-human.shtml 04/11/05]
*Review-Christgau|dud|album=12882
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/7072263/daftpunk?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple1 04/07/05]
*"Stylus Magazine" (A-) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/daft-punk/human-after-all.htm 3/14/05]
Last album = "Daft Club"
(2003)
This album = "Human After All"
(2005)
Next album = "Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005"
(2006)
Misc = Singles
Name = Human After All
Type = studio
single 1 = Robot Rock
single 1 date = April 11, 2005
single 2 = Technologic
single 2 date = June 14, 2005
single 3 = Human After All
single 3 date = October 31, 2005
single 4 = The Prime Time of Your Life
single 4 date = June 17, 2006

"Human After All" is the third studio album by French duo Daft Punk, first released on March 14, 2005 internationally and a day later in the United States. With it, Daft Punk apply minimalism and rock music to their French house music style. It received mixed reviews noting its reported six-week creation, which is particularly short compared to previous albums "Discovery" and "Homework". It is the only Daft Punk album with a title track.

Conception

The Japan edition of the album artwork features a quote from Daft Punk stating: "We believe that "Human After All" speaks for itself." In a later statement, Daft Punk considered "Human After All" to be the favorite of their three studio albums and regard it as "pure improvisation." The album's brief creation and minimal production had been decided upon beforehand as counterpoint to their previous album. As Thomas Bangalter stated, "We were definitely seduced at the time by the idea of doing the opposite of "Discovery"." "Human After All" was created mainly with two guitars and without synthesizers. [Suzanne Ely, "Return of the Cybermen" "Mixmag" (July 2006)] Furthermore it was produced in two weeks and mixed in four, a session in sharp contrast to their older material. [ [http://frenchtouch.forumactif.com/viewtopic.forum?t=1333 Thomas Bangalter interview at French Touch Forum] ]

Bangalter has stated that the album is an attempt to discover where human feelings reside in music. [ [http://frenchtouch.forumactif.com/viewtopic.forum?t=1349 Belfort's After Show interview at French Touch Forum] ] He later commented that "we felt like the third album was about this feeling of either fear or paranoia... [The record is] not something intended to make you feel good". [Eric Ducker, "The Creators" (2007). "The Fader", [http://www.thefader.com/articles/2007/07/03/the-fader-issue-47-free-download issue 47] , pp. 116. Retrieved on February 17 2008.] When questioned on the positive reaction to the use of the tracks in Daft Punk's recent live performances, Bangalter expressed that, "Human After All" was the music we wanted to make at the time we did it. We have always strongly felt there was a logical connection between our three albums, and it's great to see that people seem to realize that when they listen now to the live show." [ [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/46039-interview-daft-punk Interview: Daft Punk] Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on October 2 2007.]

The cover image of "Human After All" features the Daft Punk logo displayed on a television screen. Each single from the album ("Robot Rock", "Technologic, "Human After All" and "The Prime Time of Your Life") features a cover with a different image on a similar screen. This television theme is also expressed with tracks from the album, including "On/Off" and "Television Rules the Nation".

Reception

When the album was leaked on the Internet several months before release, fans speculated that it was a fake designed to foil online filesharing. [Heather Phares, [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1pbyxdyb5oly "All Music Guide" Review] . Retrieved on November 3 2007.] Reviews noted that the album's tracks were overly repetitive and of primitive quality. Critics also felt that, despite the re-affirmation of humanity suggested in its title, the album remained overtly mechanical.Barry Walters, [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/7072263/human_after_all "Human After All" review] "Rolling Stone" (April 7 2005)] Mark Pytlik, [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/16834/Daft_Punk_Human_After_All "Human After All" review] Pitchfork Media (March 15 2005)] Daniel Incognito, [http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=2258 "Human After All" review] "Sputnikmusic". Retrieved on June 26 2007.]

Nevertheless, "Human After All" is seen as a strange and gutsy musical statement. One review in "Stylus Magazine" stated, "it's the same story, track after track, willfully mistaking alternation for variation, intensification for development and dynamics. In other words, a shining example of pop songcraft in the 21st century."Matthew Weiner, [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/daft-punk/human-after-all.htm "Human After All" review at "Stylus Magazine Online"] (March 14 2005)]

The recent live tour featuring tracks from "Human After All" caused people to reconsider what they felt about the album. Pedro Winter, Daft Punk's manager at the time, stated, "When we put out "Human After All", I got a lot of bad feedback, like, 'It's so repetitive. There's nothing new. Daft Punk used to be good.' Then they came back with the light show, and everyone shut their mouths... People even apologized, like, 'How could we have misjudged Daft Punk?' The live show changed everything. Even if I'm part of it, I like to step back and admire it. Me, I cried." [http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=2297&page=2 Daft Punk and the Rise of the New Parisian Nightlife] "Paper Magazine". Retrieved on November 3 2007.]

The first single "Robot Rock" received moderate attention, reaching #32 in the UK and #15 on the U.S. dance charts, but was not a major hit. The second single "Technologic" only hit #40 in the UK but did considerably better in airplay. The track has also been featured on "The O.C." and in an iPod commercial. A sample of the track has also been used as the chorus for Busta Rhymes' single "Touch It".

"Human After All" was nominated for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album.

Track listing

# "Human After All" – 5:19
# "The Prime Time of Your Life" – 4:23
# "Robot Rock" – 4:47
# "Steam Machine" – 5:22
# "Make Love" – 4:48
# "The Brainwasher" – 4:08
# "On/Off" – 0:19
# "Television Rules the Nation" – 4:47
# "Technologic" – 4:44
# "Emotion" – 6:57

Personnel

* Daft Punk – guitars, keyboards, sampling, vocoders, vocals, drum machines, programming, production
* Cédri Hervet – production coordination
* Gildas Loaëc – production coordination
* Nilesh "Nilz" Patel – mastering

Remix album

"Human After All: Remixes" was released on March 29, 2006 exclusively for Japan. It features numerous remixes previously unavailable on CD in a limited pressing of 3,000 copies. A limited edition of the album included a set of Daft Punk kubricks. The album implements a Copy Control system.
# "Robot Rock" (Soulwax remix) – 6:31
# "Human After All" (SebastiAn remix) – 4:48
# "Technologic" (Peaches No Logic remix) – 4:38
# "The Brainwasher" (Erol Alkan's Horrorhouse dub) – 6:05
# "The Prime Time of Your Life" (Para One remix) – 3:52
# "Human After All" ("Guy-Man After All" Justice remix) – 4:01
# "Technologic" (Digitalism's Highway to Paris remix) – 6:01
# "Human After All" (Alter Ego remix) – 9:26
# "Technologic" (Vitalic remix) – 5:27
# "Robot Rock" (Daft Punk Maximum Overdrive mix) – 5:54
#* This song was previously titled "Robot Rock (Maximum Overdrive)".

References

External links

*Discogs release|name=Human After All|id=417686
*Discogs release|name=Human After All: Remixes|id=656702