I’m guessing the German disco kingpin Giorgio Moroder has gotten enough royalty checks in his life to know what they look like,and still the one from Daft Punk a coupla years ago really caught his attention, because he is readying the release of his first album in 30 years. That, and the urge to create, sent him back to the recording studio with a who’s who of EDM popsters and a new album in mind, Déjà Vu.
Which I haven’t heard… or at least haven’t heard all of. I’ve heard the five songs already released, Britney Spear’s Suzanne Vega cover, and a mega mix (see below) with snippets of the entire 12 song album. So half plus. Enough for a half informed opinion and here it is: I like it. If Daft Punk are Moroder inspired EDM monsters, Moroder has become a Daft Punk inspired update of himself.
With featured pleasures up the ying yang, he hits a coupla outta the ballpark and coupla not so far. “74 Is The New 24” is Kraftwerk inspired heavy colluded vocoded chantalong with a snappy sound -even if it is a mid-album fake out. Much better, and it may turn out to be the best on the album, is “Right Here, Right Now” -pure disco with the great disco diva Kylie Minogue who just about everywhere but the States is a living legend, with a light tight voice built to be simultaneously filled with feeling and filler.
Kylie is good but then again, maybe not the best. Helped by a great choice in both song, Suzanne Vega’s very popular “Tom’s Diner” slice of life observational track with a masterclass hook, those “didididis” were money in the bank was a smart choice. The Britney Spears sung Moroder version is perfection, rather than being obsessive, Britney sounds distracted, one of her greatest gifts and absolutely, whereas Moroder’s spoken word passage is too bizarre for words. The beats are strong and while the Vega version with DNA rapping is world class, this is just as good.
The rest of the the songs I’ve heard aren’t quite as good but they are close, I prefer Sia on “Wolf” but “Wolf” is back up howling, and “Déjà Vu” is her best lead vocal since “Titanium” -it is better than “Elastic Heart” I am less thrilled by the Charlie XCX and Mikky Ekko tracks, not bad but very average.
Meanwhile, this “Megamix” is mindblowing and if you weren’t excited before this wonderful pas de trois plus snippets segueing should make you very thrilled indeed.
Grade: B+
Déjà Vu track list:
1. “4 U with Love”
2. “Déjà Vu” (feat. Sia)
3. “Diamonds” (feat. Charli XCX)
4. “Don’t Let Go” (feat. Mikky Ekko)
5. “Right Here, Right Now” (feat. Kylie Minogue)
6. “Tempted” (feat. Matthew Koma)
7. “74 Is the New 24″
8. “Tom’s Diner” (feat. Britney Spears)
9. “Wildstar” (feat. Foxes)
10. “Back and Forth” (feat. Kelis)
11. “I Do This for You” (feat. Marlene)
12. “La Disco”
Actually he’s italian