Daft Punk to release drumless edition of Random Access Memories

Daft Punk have announced the release of a drumless edition of Random Access Memories as part of the celebrations for the album’s 10th anniversary.

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The reworked version is set to arrive on 17 November, and will completely strip away all drum and percussive elements from the 13 tracks.

“Doing so brings out a timeless quality to the album, giving listeners the ability to dive deeper into the layers of each track,” a statement from the band reads.

Fans can also preview a percussion-free edition of Within, which is now out. The new version is said to highlight the track’s “timeless structure”, while lending Chilly Gonzales’ piano an even more “pensive, self-reflective quality”.

Random Access Memories (Drumless Edition) is now available to pre-order. The record will be released on CD, Double LP and digital formats including a Dolby Atmos spatial audio version.

As part of the 10 year anniversary of Random Access Memories, Daft Punk has also unveiled “Memory Tapes,” a look back at the album’s creation by collaborators including Julian Casablancas, Chilly Gonzales, DJ Falcon and most recently, producer Todd Edwards.

Discussing his experience working with the French duo, Edwards says that he wasn’t surprised when Daft Punk announced their split in 2021 due to creative differences between members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo.

“When they broke up, they were already going in different directions musically,” he says. “Guy-Man seems to be drawn more to the hip-hop realm. And Thomas was, you know, also a director.”

“It kind of felt like they weren’t on the same page anymore, anyway, so I wasn’t shocked.”