Daft Punk - Random Access Memories rumour roundup

Well after the somewhat anticlimactic change to Daft Punk's website late last year, which had then reverted back to its older logo before finally changing to its most recent incarnation, it is now clear that the French duo are set to release a new album after several years. In case you need a history lesson, the last true album they released was Human After All, with the rather lacklustre Tron Legacy soundtrack punctuating the gap. It's also great to note that Daft Punk continue to generate gossip and interest after quite so many years of silence, with no tours or solo albums for over three years. So what exactly do do we know about this new album?

The first indication that anyone had as to a new album from Daft Punk came as a clip released as a teaser during the advertising break for Saturday Night Live earlier this year. It immediately spread quickly through YouTube uploads and it goes to show that sometimes all you need is a short message somewhere where lots of people are going to see it while not giving much else else away and interest, hits and traffic generates itself. I know PR is something of an arcane art, but I think this news release worked perfectly.

Judging from the sparkling logo and vintage disco sound from even this relatively short 5 second loop, it's a safe bet to guess that the new album is going to be more Discovery rather than Human After All. To my mind, this can only be a good thing given how their second "difficult album" became even more successful than their first and its collection of jazzy and funky electronic beats remains a popular selection on my iPod. A second advertisement for the album and a reveal for the album name, Random Access Memories, also confirms this direction towards funk and disco that the album is following.

As for any indication of album length, it has recently been revealed that the album is going to be 13 tracks in all, according to this website that tracks what records are registered with music publishers. With any luck there won't be too many interludes, skits or intros and we will end up getting a full 13 track masterpiece. News sites and iTunes have managed to keep a tight lid on the track names, so it's all being kept very much under raps until release day.

As for when the album will be released, this was up until recently anyone's guess. Some time in late Spring or early Summer was the best idea I had managed to distill from news websites, however iTunes has helpfully revealed the release date as being 20th May 2013 in a recent press release not several hours ago from the time of writing. It's been timed pretty much brilliantly in time for the summer, Ibiza and holiday music and it's good to know that my guess was on target.

Either way, I'm definitely looking forward to a return to form for them and I am sure I am not the only one to do so. Roll on 20th May!