On Tuesday I finished my final English Extension 1 exam, which consisted of a creative writing piece and an essay on a genre we had chosen to study over the course of the year. Myself and the two other girls in my class had become experts (in the HSC sense of the term) in the world of science fiction, and to be honest I would rather shoot myself than explain to you in an essay format the precise meaning of science fiction, but what I did want to write about was the opportunity I had to study music as part of that genre study. When studying an English module, often students will have to choose a few supplementary texts to compliment the prescribed ones (these ones being "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley and "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick) and me, taking every chance to put my useless music knowledge to work, chose "Random Access Memories" by Daft Punk, as well as their 2003 anime film "Interstella 5555."
Although throughout the entire year there was no shortage of complaining about essays or assignments, looking back, studying these two creations by Daft Punk was pretty damn cool.
For once I could fully immerse myself in these texts that I actually enjoy, and use the knowledge I had about the robotic duo to create proper arguments about the science fiction genre. And despite the fact I often over analysed the text to the point where the original meaning was completely lost, I got to think more about why Daft Punk had made these awesome texts, and especially with RAM, how concept albums can communicate more than just techno-pop ballads.
It was the first time I was allowed to be marked on my own interpretations on something I was genuinely interested in, and I am so happy that I chose Daft Punk to study. It makes me excited, now with only one exam until my high school life is 100% officially over, for the future when I can write whatever I want, hopefully as a career. This study has seriously made me appreciate the science fiction genre more, because when I started, I honestly thought science fiction was all Star-Trek and Alien, but it's so much more than that.
Have a look for yourself, this is an extract from one of my essays relating "Random Access Memories" to the way that composers wish to challenge their audience:
"This concept album deals with the struggles of two robots completing the process of becoming human (an idea briefly dealt with in their third album “Human After All”), only for them to fail due to the over dependence on science and technology. Once again, form is used to subvert the traditional techno-house genre of music, with Daft Punk taking on a more 70’s funk sound on the forefront. Each of these shifts attempt to symbolise a step in the process of “becoming human” or experiencing what it means to live a human life. Firstly, the album starts with an upbeat “Give Life Back to Music.” The crescendo of electric guitars and lighthearted bass are symbolic of the human driven elements of artistic expression as suggested by the name. Immediately after the 70s-esque introduction a “robotic melancholy voice”, as described by Thomas Bangalter, then sweetly chants “let the music in your life, just turn up the music,” representative of the robot’s association with the desire to become human. The second shift is then almost a limbo period, where frantic drums and full hearted ballads such as “Instant Crush” present a distressed and confused timbre. The synthesised distortion of Casablancas’ guest vocals on Instant Crush foreshadow the robots’ inevitable association with and the blurring of lines between technology and humanity, reminiscent of the tech-dominated music scene in which Daft Punk resides. Making a further comment on the relationship between technology and humanity is the third shift, which symbolises the downfall of “man” when an over reliance on technology occurs. Through the satirical representation of man through a robot, the voice encounters a self awakening, represented through eery sound effects and distorted piano found in “Within”, where the voice is almost wailing “there are so many things that I don’t understand / There is a world in me that I cannot explain.”As the organs continue to build then finally descend into an electric orchestra of drums and guitars, the listener is challenged to ponder the ramifications of the physical “contact” between technology and humanity, and the chaos that may come as a result."
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| (coolest robots to ever grace humankind) |
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