| "Robot Rock" | ||||
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| Single by Daft Punk | ||||
| from the album Human After All | ||||
| Released | April 11, 2005 | |||
| Format | CD, 12" | |||
| Recorded | 2004 | |||
| Genre | Alternative dance, electronic rock | |||
| Length | 4:47 (Album Version) 3:06 (Radio Edit) |
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| Label | Virgin | |||
| Writer(s) | Thomas Bangalter Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo Kae Williams |
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| Producer | Daft Punk, Cédric Hervet, Gildas Loaëc | |||
| Daft Punk singles chronology | ||||
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"Robot Rock" is the first single from Daft Punk's 2005 album Human After All. Whilst the single reached a moderately high chart position, many critics found the song overly repetitive.[1][2][3][4] It prominently features sampled portions of "Release the Beast" performed by Breakwater.
The song is featured on the game DJ Hero to mixed with band Queen's "We Will Rock You" and is called "We Will (Robot) Rock You".
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"Robot Rock" features a prominent riff, sampled from the Breakwater song "Release the Beast". In addition, Daft Punk incorporated other elements of the "Release the Beast" into the production, including percussion and power chords on an electric guitar. A talk box vocal phrase featuring the title of Daft Punk's single was also added to the recording. The Breakwater sample is credited on the single's sleeve and on the liner notes of the parent Human After All album. This was not the first time Daft Punk have sampled a song to create a new recording, as "Digital Love" would be a noted example.
The Breakwater sample 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/DVD. "Robot Rock" was also used in the film Iron Man 2, in a scene where James Rhodes fights Tony Stark while both wear versions of the Iron Man armour.
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 in a somewhat 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 double neck guitar shown on the "Robot Rock" single cover while de Homem-Christo performs on a single set of drums.
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."[1] 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'"[2] and Pitchfork Media noted that the single "is a poor man's 'Aerodynamic'."[3] However, a Sputnikmusic review noted that "although annoying in nature, [it] is also very rewarding to listen to."[4]
^a "Robot Rock (Maximum Overdrive)" was later titled "Robot Rock (Daft Punk Maximum Overdrive Mix)" in the album Human After All: Remixes.
| Charts (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Singles Chart | 12[5] |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 79[5] |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 17[5] |
| UK Dance Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 32[5] |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 15[6] |
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