The Cold Cut

Rating: 'That't Hot!'
I've never been lucky enough to see them myself, but I'm told that their live shows are nothing short of sensational. After seeing them at the 02 Wireless Festival in London last year, my brother told me (in a tired voice) that they were one of the best acts he's ever seen. Whether he still feels that way remains to be seen, but that Daft Punk can have such an impact over one performance says something about them.

It was, with great fascination, then, that I picked up the new Daft Punk live album, 'Alive 2007', the first Daft Punk branded CD (other than mix album Musique) since the disappointing 'Human After All' in 2005. And don't even mention 'Electroma' the duo's first foray into film, which was met with mixed reviews: not surprising considering the plot, which concerns two robots'- essentially Daft Punk's- quest to become human, a la 'Human After All'. Stop wasting your time on films and make some more music!

I was hoping that this album would give me a small picture of what a Daft Punk performance is like, but I got way more than I bargained for. First off, this album is not just a spin-off to keep the die-hard fans happy- its a solid album which stands up on its own, and unless you've seen them live, you will never have heard Daft Punk in this way before. Listening to 'Homework' and 'Discovery' is all good, as they are both excellent albums, but 'Alive 2007' takes Daft Punk to a whole new level. The main difference is the way the music is performed- the 'Alive' set contains all the hits, blended together masterfully into a non-stop mash-up of all their best material, and the set doesn't let up once throughout their (give or take) hour long performance. After seeing Justice at Lowlands 2007, its easy for me (and any other Justice fans) to see where they get their live cues from. Another thing this live album has going for it is the great sound quality: you are able to witness the full Daft Punk sound in all its glory. You can hear the crowd going insane (at the Palais Omnisport, where this was recorded), which is a nice touch, but the quality of the music is untouched. The blending of the songs is such that I actually prefer some of the versions on this album to the originals. Take the 'Too Long- Steam Machine' mix- 'Steam Machine' is a pretty boring song on its lonesome, but when joined with 'Too Long' it becomes one of my favourites on this album.

Daft Punk are special, and I don't believe that Justice will ever measure up to their greatness. There is a lot of intrigue surrounding the two: from their names (the ludicrous Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter) to their robot suits and their day-glo pyramid-enhanced live shows, the mystery surrounding this band has always been one of their calling cards.

I now have another band to add to my ever-increasing list of must-see acts. Has anybody seen them recently? Were any of you lucky enough to be at the O2 Wireless festival? Alive 2007 is one of the best live albums I've heard, and its a good representation of why Daft Punk are still the most popular dance act in the world. Whilst on that topic, I think its right to mention that Daft Punk's music transcended the dance genre a while ago. Maybe thats why they're so bloody amazing...

Daft Punk- Robot Rock/Oh Yeah
Daft Punk- Too Long/Steam Machine
Daft Punk- One More Time/Aerodynamic

'Alive 2007' can be bought here. Discovery and Homework can be purchased here.