I figured since I mentioned it yesterday and in an effort of trying to keep consistent (January already has more posts than December!) I thought I would mention the one song I was familiar with off Discovery – albeit super popular!I first heard the mention of “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” off Kanye West’s “Stronger.” I loved the way the was able to slow it down and build it into a tremendous flowing of dynamics and thrills. The original version by Daft Punk is fueled by high-paced beats that sound both 80’s-inspired and entirely robotic. The inflection of their voices, the way the beats are layered on top of each other, the way it all seems to speed up as it passes by, is seamlessly rendered. The song continues to build and build off the original melody in magnificent effort: harder, better, faster, stronger. It has the perfect combination of utter pop and catchy dance while encompassing a greater reach for the dramatics of cymbals and snares, ha. There’s a back-paced slow section at the end that feeds off the glowing crescendo from before and with a timeless synthesizer, an obvious hit.
The West version is entirely a few 60 bps or so slower and much more altered – in terms of everything from speed, to flow, to vocals. Here the climbing melody from the Daft Punk original is twisted into a looping scale that supports around the verses that ‘Ye delivers. The sample comes in every form – through the counter melody, the robotic atmosphere, the synthesizers – there’s an obvious influence from the robotic state Daft Punk perfected on Discovery. It’s much more a back-drop to the chanting chorus on this song and the way West inflects it all with bite and grit but the sample is definitely Daft Punk. There’s a few parts where the music cuts away to reveal a few sections where a speed up seems possible and while this is probably mostly a nod to Daft Punk, “Stronger” ends up killing it on its very own right; while still showcasing the magic found on just one amazing song off Discovery. – Bryan
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