Robot Rock (song)

"Robot Rock" is the lead single from Daft Punk's third studio album Human After All. The single was released initially on 11 April 2005 with a music video, directed by and featuring the duo, preceding the single's release. While the single reached a moderately high chart position, many critics found the song overly repetitive when compared to songs from their other studio albums at the time.[3][4][5][6] It features a sample of "Release the Beast" performed by Breakwater.[7]

"Robot Rock"
Single by Daft Punk
from the album Human After All
Released11 April 2005 (2005-04-11)[1]
Genre
Length
  • 4:47 (album version)
  • 3:06 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Daft Punk
  • Cédric Hervet
  • Gildas Loaëc
Daft Punk singles chronology
"Something About Us"
(2003)		 "Robot Rock"
(2005)		 "Technologic"
(2005)
Music video
"Robot Rock" on YouTube
Music video
"Robot Rock (Daft Punk Maximum Overdrive)" on YouTube

Composition

Musically, "Robot Rock" has been described as electronic rock[8][9] and dance-rock.[10] It contains a sample of the Breakwater song "Release the Beast".[7] The sample features a synthesizer riff with an oscillator sync timbre, as well as percussion and power chords on an electric guitar. Daft Punk incorporated a vocoder[11] into the production, repeating the title phrase of "Robot Rock". Aside from the sampling, Thomas Bangalter noted that the duo used a Moog synthesizer with guitar pedals for the song.[12]

The Breakwater sample is credited on the single's sleeve and on the liner notes of the parent Human After All album.[7][13] Bangalter explained that on his Roulé label, "we've been doing records that are 9 minutes with only [a single] one second loop, with even less foundation than there is on 'Robot Rock'. It's always been a way to reinterpret things—sometimes it's using [an] element from the past, or sometimes recreating them and fooling the eyes or the ears, which is just a fun thing to do."[14] He elaborated that the song "is a tribute to the power of heavy rock chords. In a way I think we were exploring if you can take the essence of rock—that power—and mix it with dance. But to take a riff and loop it is to explore the core of rock."[15]

The Breakwater synthesizer riff is absent from the "Maximum Overdrive" remix of "Robot Rock", which consists of the song's other elements for a duration of nearly six minutes. A music video for this remix has been shot and included on the Daft Punk Musique Vol. 1 1993–2005 compilation CD and DVD.

Music video

The music video for "Robot Rock" consists of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk performing the song on a stage decorated with several televisions and lights, and filmed on VHS, to achieve an aged look. This is the first video to feature the duo as themselves exclusively. This pattern continues for the rest of the Human After All videos except for "The Prime Time of Your Life", where they only make a cameo appearance. Bangalter plays the Gibson EDS-1275 double neck guitar shown on the "Robot Rock" single cover while de Homem-Christo performs on a drum set.

Critical reception

Though it reached moderate positions in UK and U.S. dance charts, the single encountered criticism for its general structure. A review in Stylus Magazine expressed that the track "does nothing, means nothing and goes nowhere for an unconscionably long time."[3] References to earlier Daft Punk singles were also mentioned, as Rolling Stone declared "nothing builds to achieve the prior glories of 'Da Funk' or 'One More Time'"[4] and Pitchfork Media noted that the single "is a poor man's 'Aerodynamic'."[5] However, a Sputnikmusic review noted that "although annoying in nature, [it] is also very rewarding to listen to."[6]

Track listings
CD promotional single (Virgin 7087 6 19214 2 7)[16]
No.TitleLength
1."Robot Rock"4:49
2."Robot Rock" (Edit)3:04
Total length:7:53
CD single (Virgin 7243 8 68769 0 4)[17]
No.TitleLength
1."Robot Rock" (Radio Edit)3:06
2."Robot Rock" (Soulwax remix)6:30
3."Robot Rock" (Maximum Overdrive[nb 1])5:56
4."Robot Rock"4:48
Total length:20:20
12-inch maxi single (Virgin 8687696)[18]
No.TitleLength
1."Robot Rock"4:47
2."Robot Rock" (Maximum Overdrive)12:04
3."Robot Rock" (Soulwax Remix)6:30
4."Rockapella"1:11
Total length:24:32

Personnel

Charts
Weekly chart performance for "Robot Rock"
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[19] 12
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[20] 21
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[21] 6
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Wallonia)[22] 21
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[23] 12
France (SNEP)[24] 79
Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 100
Greece (IFPI)[26] 26
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[27] 38
Ireland (IRMA)[28] 33
Ireland Dance (IRMA)[29] 2
Italy (FIMI)[30] 32
Scotland (OCC)[31] 33
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[32] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[33] 32
UK Dance (OCC)[34] 1
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[35] 15

Notes
  1. "Robot Rock (Maximum Overdrive)" was later titled "Robot Rock (Daft Punk Maximum Overdrive Mix)" in the album Human After All: Remixes.

References
  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 9 April 2005. p. 27.
  2. Discogs (7 March 2019). "Daft Punk - Robot Rock". Discogs. Retrieved 7 March 2019. "Daft Punk - Robot Rock Label: Astralwerks - ASW 68769 Format: Vinyl, 12 " Country: US Liberado: 2005 Genre: Electronic Estilo: House, Electro"
  3. Matthew Weiner, Human After All review at Stylus Magazine Online Archived 2015-11-04 at the Wayback Machine (March 14, 2005)
  4. Barry Walters, Human After All review Archived 2008-03-16 at the Wayback Machine Rolling Stone (April 7, 2005)
  5. Mark Pytlik, Human After All review Archived 2007-02-11 at the Wayback Machine Pitchfork Media (March 15, 2005)
  6. Daniel Incognito, Human After All review Sputnikmusic. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.
  7. "Robot Rock" (liner notes). Daft Punk. Virgin Records, a division of Universal Music Group. 2005.
  8. Kaitlin Nichols (25 October 2011). "Justice Audio Video Disco". Mind Equals Blown. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013. ""Ohio" is the least heavy of the rock-esque tracks, and has one of the highest potentials for being spun at clubs. It's also a bit reminiscent of Daft Punk's "Robot Rock.""
  9. Rolling Stones. "Daft Punk - Biography". Expand the Room. Retrieved 30 June 2013. "riff-heavy rock ("Robot Rock")"
  10. Brice (17 September 2014). "15 Essential Dance Rock Tracks From the 2000s". Complex. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  11. Doris, Jesse (May 21, 2011). "Robocall: A Conversation with Daft Punk". Time. entertainment.time.com. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  12. ""Technology cannot be trusted"". Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21. thedaftclub.com. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
  13. Human After All (liner notes). Daft Punk. Virgin Records, a division of Universal Music Group. 2005.
  14. Nadeau, Cheyne and Nies, Jennifer (July–August 2013). "The Work of Art Is Controlling You". Anthem (29): 36–37.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. "A Round with Daft Punk". Q, issue 257 (December 2007).
  16. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock (2005, CD)". Discogs. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  17. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock (2005, CD)". Discogs. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  18. "Daft Punk - Robot Rock". spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien.
  19. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  20. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  21. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  22. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock" (in French). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  23. "Daft Punk: Robot Rock" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  24. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  25. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  26. "Top 50 Singles Εβδομάδα 15–21/5" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on 22 May 2005. Retrieved 3 July 2020. See Best Position column.
  27. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  28. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Daft Punk". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  29. "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 14 April 2005". GfK Chart-Track. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  30. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  31. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  32. "Daft Punk – Robot Rock" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  33. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  34. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  35. "Daft Punk Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
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