Jump to content

Human After All

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Daft Punk album. For its title track, see Human After All (song).

Human After All
Studio album by
Daft Punk
Released14 March 2005
Recorded13 September – 9 November 2004
StudioDaft House (Paris)
GenreDance-rock[1]
Length45:38
LabelVirgin
Producer
Daft Punk chronology
Daft Club
(2003) 		Human After All
(2005) 		Human After All: Remixes
(2006)
Singles from Human After All
  1. "Robot Rock"
    Released: 11 April 2005
  2. "Technologic"
    Released: 14 June 2005
  3. "Human After All"
    Released: 21 October 2005
  4. "The Prime Time of Your Life"
    Released: 17 June 2006

Human After All is the third studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, first released on 14 March 2005 through Virgin Records. Unlike their previous studio album Discovery (2001), whose sound was inspired by disco and garage house and produced over the period of two years, Human After All was more minimalistic and improvisational with a mixture of heavier guitars and electronics, and was produced in six weeks.

Human After All received mixed reviews from critics, who were wary of its minimalistic, repetitive nature and considered the record to be inferior to their previous works. However, it did receive some favorable notices for the darker, experimental tone—unique from the duo's other records—and the moodier, more menacing direction. Some of the singles "Robot Rock" and "Technologic" charted in several countries, while the title track charted in France. Daft Punk incorporated the songs into their Alive 2006/2007 tour, which received critical acclaim. Human After All reached number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and was nominated for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album.

Recording

[edit]

An early press release stated that the record "[retained] their trademark Daft Punk sound, this time with a more spontaneous and direct quality to the recording".[2] Human After All's brief creation and minimal production had been decided upon beforehand as a counterpoint to Discovery, which had been produced in two years.[3] Thomas Bangalter said that they were "definitely seduced at the time by the idea of doing the opposite of" their previous studio album.[4] He compared the deliberately unpolished record to "a stone that's unworked".[5]

Human After All was created primarily with two guitars, two drum machines, a vocoder and one eight-track machine.[6] It was produced in six weeks[7] from September to November 2004,[8] with four of those weeks spent mixing.[9] A majority of the album's sound and timbre was crafted by using a DigiTech synth wah effect pedal.[10] Bangalter stated that the album was "about this feeling of either fear or paranoia" and "not something intended to make you feel good".[11] He said that both it and the 2006 film Daft Punk's Electroma are "extremely tormented and sad and terrifying looks at technology, but there can be some beauty and emoting from it".[12] He acknowledged the perceived mechanical quality of the record, but felt that it expressed "the dance between humanity and technology".[6]

At the time of Human After All's release, Daft Punk considered it their favourite of their albums, and described it as "pure improvisation".[4] Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo said that every album they made was "tightly linked with our lives" and that "the internal, personal stuff Thomas went through during Human After All made it closer to where he was at the time".[13]

Release and promotion

[edit]

Leading up to the release of Human After All, promotional CDs of the album were distributed with tamper-evident seals, as well as individual watermarks to identify each recipient.[14] Retail copies on CD also implemented Copy Control protection against unauthorized duplication. Nevertheless, the album leaked online several months before release. Fans confused by its radically different style initially speculated that it was a fake designed to foil online filesharing.[15][16]

In 2013, Spin wrote that the official release of the album had been ill-timed, as it occurred after the end of the "major-label electronica movement" of the 1990s, but before the rise of independent dance labels such as DFA Records and Ed Banger.[17] Daft Punk gave no interviews to promote the album, as they felt this would run contrary to the album's theme of the media as an oppressive force.[18] The only official statement given by Daft Punk at the time was: "We believe that Human After All speaks for itself".[19][14] De Homem-Christo later said that choosing to be silent was the biggest mistake they had ever made.[18]

Bangalter emphasized that their only promotion for the album would be through its music videos. To that end, Daft Punk directed the videos for "Robot Rock" and "Technologic", having previously directed the video for their song "Fresh".[20] Tony Gardner directed the video for "The Prime Time of Your Life", though Bangalter predicted that it would be impractical for promotional use due to its graphic content.[21][20] Daft Punk intended to make a video for the song "Human After All" as well, but the footage they shot for it was expanded to create the film Daft Punk's Electroma instead.[22] Songs from Human After All also appear in the Daft Punk compilation Musique Vol. 1 1993–2005[23] and the live album Alive 2007.[24]

The cover image of Human After All features the Daft Punk logo displayed on a television screen. Each single from the album features a cover with a different image on a similar screen. Bangalter cited the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell as an inspiration for the record.[18]

Sales

[edit]

The album topped the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart[25] and peaked at number 98 on the Billboard 200.[26] It peaked at number three in France[27] and received a double gold certification from the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) one month after its release.[28] It also received a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the United Kingdom,[29] where it peaked at number 10.[30] As of May 2013, the album has sold 127,000 copies in the US[31] and 80,838 copies in the UK.[32] The first single from the album, "Robot Rock", received moderate attention, reaching number 32 in the UK and number 15 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, but was not a major hit.[33][34] The second single, "Technologic", only hit number 40 in the UK but did considerably better in airplay[35] and was featured in an iPod commercial.[36] The title track "Human After All" reached number 93 in France.[37]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic57/100[38]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
Blender[1]
Entertainment WeeklyC[39]
The Guardian[16]
Mojo[40]
NME7/10[41]
Pitchfork4.9/10[42]
Q[43]
Rolling Stone[44]
SpinC−[45]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Human After All received an average score of 57, indicating "mixed or average reviews", based on 28 reviews.[38] In his review for Blender magazine, Simon Reynolds said that Discovery's blissful and "open-hearted" music had been replaced by "an archly ironic dance-rock that feels desultory and numb – verging on autistic".[1] Q felt that it lacked the "fun" of Daft Punk's previous work.[43] Barry Walters of Rolling Stone said that the duo generally "repeats rather than elaborates its riffs", and that they "exaggerate their band's own robotic tendencies here, much to the detriment of its grooves".[44] Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian called the album "a joyless collection of average ideas stretched desperately thin".[16] Robert Christgau from The Village Voice graded the album a "dud",[46] indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought".[47]

In a positive review, Matthew Weiner of 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".[48] Mojo magazine said that it "strips out the most flamboyant frills to create a more incisive sound".[40] Human After All was nominated for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album, but lost to the Chemical Brothers album Push the Button.[49]

Legacy

[edit]

The Alive 2006/2007 tour, which featured songs from Human After All, caused many to reassess the album.[50][51] 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."[52] Bangalter said that the album "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".[50]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Human After All" 5:20
2."The Prime Time of Your Life" 4:23
3."Robot Rock"Bangalter, de Homem-Christo, Kae Williams4:48
4."Steam Machine" 5:21
5."Make Love" 4:50
6."The Brainwasher" 4:08
7."On/Off" 0:19
8."Television Rules the Nation" 4:48
9."Technologic" 4:44
10."Emotion" 6:57
Total length:45:38

Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from the Human After All liner notes.[8]

  • Daft Punk – vocals, guitars, drum machines, synthesizers, piano, bass guitar, vocoder, programming, production
  • Cédric Hervet – production coordination
  • Gildas Loaëc – production coordination
  • Nilesh Patel – mastering

Remix album

[edit]
Human After All: Remixes
Remix album by
Daft Punk
Released29 March 2006
Length
  • 56:42 (original)
  • 84:34 (re-releases)
Label
ProducerVarious
Daft Punk chronology
Human After All
(2005) 		Human After All: Remixes
(2006) 		Musique Vol. 1 1993–2005
(2006)

Human After All: Remixes is an album consisting of various remixes of songs from Human After All by musicians such as Soulwax and Justice. It was originally released on 29 March 2006[54] exclusively in Japan.[55] On 17 June 2014, a reissue of the album was released, also exclusive to Japan. The new edition featured four additional bonus tracks.[56] On 9 August 2014, this version of the album was silently released internationally for the first time, containing an additional remix of "Technologic" by Le Knight Club.[55]

Track listing

[edit]
Human After All: Remixes (original release)
No.TitleLength
1."Robot Rock" (Soulwax remix)6:31
2."Human After All" (SebastiAn remix)4:47
3."Technologic" (Peaches No Logic remix)4:37
4."The Brainwasher" (Erol Alkan’s Horrorhouse dub)6:05
5."The Prime Time of Your Life" (Para One remix)3:51
6."Human After All" ("Guy-Man After All" Justice remix)4:00
7."Technologic" (Digitalism’s Highway to Paris remix)6:00
8."Human After All" (Alter Ego remix)9:25
9."Technologic" (Vitalic remix)5:26
10."Robot Rock" (Daft Punk Maximum Overdrive mix)5:57
Total length:56:42
Human After All: Remixes (2014 additional tracks)
No.TitleLength
11."Human After All" (The Juan MacLean remix)6:41
12."Technologic" (Basement Jaxx Kontrol Mixx)5:30
13."Technologic" (Liquid Twins remix)4:10
14."Human After All" (Emperor Machine version)6:03
Total length:1:19:06
Human After All: Remixes (2014 additional digital tracks)
No.TitleLength
15."Technologic" (Le Knight Club remix)5:28
Total length:1:24:34

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[28] 2× Gold 200,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Gold 100,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Reynolds, Simon (April 2005). "Review: Human After All". Blender. New York: 116.
  2. ^ "Daft Punk – Human After All". Rough Trade. Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  3. ^ "15 Things You Didn't Know About Daft Punk's Discovery". Ministry of Sound. 26 February 2017. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b Ely, Suzanne (6 August 2012). "Daft Punk: Return of the Cybermen". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  5. ^ Baron, Zach (May 2013). "Daft Punk Is (Finally!) Playing at Our House". GQ. 83 (5): 76–82. Archived from the original on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  6. ^ a b Doris, Jesse (21 May 2011). "Robocall: A Conversation with Daft Punk". Time. entertainment.time.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  7. ^ Smith, Jack (2005). "Daft Punk Human After All Review". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  8. ^ a b c Human After All (liner notes). Daft Punk. Virgin Records. 2005. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-05.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ "Daft Punk | French Touch Information". frenchtouchinfo.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2019. In fact we did it in 2 weeks, and it took us 4 weeks to mix it.
  10. ^ "Madeon: FL Studio is objectively the most advanced DAW". MusicRadar. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  11. ^ Ducker, Eric (July–August 2007). "The Creators". The Fader. No. 47. p. 116.
  12. ^ Nadeau, Cheyne and Nies, Jennifer (July–August 2013). "The Work of Art Is Controlling You". Anthem (29): 36–37. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Noakes, Tim (13 May 2013). "Daft Punk vs Giorgio Moroder". Dazed & Confused. Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  14. ^ a b Osborne, Ben; Hughes, Claire (March 2005). "Daft Punk's Human Rights". DJ Magazine. pp. 54–56.
  15. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Human After All – Daft Punk". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  16. ^ a b c Lynskey, Dorian (10 March 2005). "CD: Daft Punk, Human After All". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  17. ^ Kreps, Daniel (14 May 2013). "How Did Daft Punk Go From the Flop of 2005 to the Talk of 2013?". Spin. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  18. ^ a b c Perron, Erwan, and Gancel, Alice (7 April 2013). "Daft Punk, interview-fleuve pour la sortie de Random Access Memories". Telerama (in French). telerama.fr. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Human After All Japan edition (liner notes). Daft Punk. Virgin Records, a division of EMI Music France. 2005.
  20. ^ a b Cardew, Ben (19 October 2014). "Technological: Daft Punk – a rare interview on video making". Medium. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  21. ^ Pruner, Aaron (18 May 2013). "DAFT PUNK "Prime Time Of Your Life" – Music Video Review". Screen Invasion. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019. The low budget and slightly creepy music video for 'Prime Time Of Your Life' is directed by Tony Gardner.
  22. ^ Deahl, Dani (7 December 2007). "Interview with Electroma actor Peter Hurteau". danideahl.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  23. ^ Musique, Vol. 1 at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  24. ^ Alive 2007 at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  25. ^ a b "Daft Punk Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  26. ^ a b "Daft Punk Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  27. ^ a b "Lescharts.com – Daft Punk – Human After All". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  28. ^ a b "French album certifications – Daft Punk – Human After All" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  29. ^ a b "British album certifications – Daft Punk – Human After All". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  31. ^ Caulfield, Keith (17 May 2013). "Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories' Heading For Big Sales, Aiming For No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  32. ^ Jones, Alan (27 May 2013). "Official Charts Analysis: Daft Punk LP sells 165k to hit No.1". Music Week. Intent Media. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  33. ^ "Archive Chart" Archived 2017-10-16 at the Wayback Machine UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  34. ^ "Daft Punk Chart History" Archived 2022-01-11 at the Wayback Machine Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Daft Punk. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  35. ^ "10 July 2005 / Archive Chart" Archived 16 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  36. ^ Barbee, Brie (22 January 2018). "The best songs from Apple commercials". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  37. ^ "Lescharts.com – Daft Punk – Human After All" Archived 2019-12-02 at the Wayback Machine. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  38. ^ a b "Human After All Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  39. ^ Browne, David (15 March 2005). "EW Review: J. Lo's 'Rebirth' falls flat". CNN. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  40. ^ a b "Review: Human After All". Mojo. London: 89. April 2005.
  41. ^ Jam, James (12 September 2005). "Daft Punk : Human After All". NME. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  42. ^ Pytlik, Mark (14 March 2005). "Human After All". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  43. ^ a b "Review: Human After All". Q. London: 118. April 2005.
  44. ^ a b Walters, Barry (7 April 2005). "Human After All : Daft Punk". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  45. ^ Day, Adrienne (April 2005). "Reviews". Spin. New York: 105. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  46. ^ Christgau, Robert (3 May 2005). "Beguilement and Rage". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  47. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Key to Grades". robertchristgau.com. Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  48. ^ Weiner, Matthew (14 March 2005). "Daft Punk – Human After All". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  49. ^ "48th Grammy Awards – 2006". rockonthenet.com. Rock on the Net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  50. ^ a b Pytlik, Mark (2 October 2007). "Interview: Daft Punk". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 21 August 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  51. ^ Dombal, Ryan (20 November 2007). "Daft Punk: Alive 2007". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  52. ^ Durbin, Jonathan (2 November 2007). "Human After All". Paper. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  53. ^ "Human After All – 原点回帰 – Remixes" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  54. ^ a b "Human After All (Remixes) by Daft Punk". iTunes Store. 29 March 2006. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  55. ^ a b Opam, Kwame (9 August 2014). "Daft Punk gives elusive 'Human After All' remix album worldwide release after 8 years". The Verge. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  56. ^ Keeble, Ed (18 June 2014). "Daft Punk' Human After All remix album gets vinyl reissue – but only in Japan". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  57. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Daft Punk – Human After All". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  58. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Daft Punk – Human After All" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  59. ^ "Ultratop.be – Daft Punk – Human After All" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  60. ^ "Ultratop.be – Daft Punk – Human After All" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  61. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Daft Punk – Human After All" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  62. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Daft Punk – Human After All" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  63. ^ "Top 50 Ξένων Άλμπουμ - Εβδομάδα 10-16/4" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 19 April 2005. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  64. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Daft Punk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  65. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Daft Punk – Human After All". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  66. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Daft Punk – Human After All". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  67. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Daft Punk – Human After All". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  68. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Daft Punk – Human After All". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  69. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Daft Punk – Human After All". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  70. ^ "Lista prodaje 10. tjedan 2021. (01.03.2021. - 07.03.2021.)" (in Croatian). Top Lista HR. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  71. ^ "Tops de l'Année - Top Albums 2005" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  72. ^ "2005 Year-End Charts - Top Electronic Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Human_After_All&oldid=1254120524"
pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy