Daft Punk drummer says unreleased fifth album exists: "They’re working on it"
The album, which reportedly began work in 2018, is "coming out of the locker" according to 'RAM' drummer Quinn Smith
Daft Punk are sitting on a fifth album, according to former collaborator and session drummer Quinn.
In an interview with alt.news 26:46, Quinn shared that the French duo, aka Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, had begun work on a follow-up album from ‘Random Access Memories’ in 2018 — though the project is now in "limbo."
Quinn, aka Quinn Smith, who made the comments as part of a longer segment on Using DIY Instruments to Discover New Sounds, shared that the record is "coming out of the locker."
"I keep checking in. I’m told they’re working on it," he continued. Quinn details his introduction to Daft Punk, having been brought in as one of the "last" collaborators on 'Random Access Memories' — but the first to be brought onto the new album project, which never materialised.
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Having released just four studio albums since their debut 'Homework' in 1997, and one soundtrack album for Tron Legacy, this project would mark Daft Punk's fifth studio album.
Quinn claims to have seen Daft Punk work on the beginning stages of this album in 2018, he says: “Thomas had this keyboard, and actually had a computer program, and he was just experimenting. He was just hitting things. We were literally just trying to get vibes across."
Speaking on recording this unreleased work Quinn shares: “I remember playing this one thing — my piano board, the insides of a piano — I put my kick pedal on the strings and played it like a kick drum. I remember those guys really loving that. I don’t know if it’ll make the record. It was the craziest, weird-sounding things.”
In the interview Quinn recalls guitarist and long-standing Daft Punk collaborator Paul Jackson Jr. joining them in the session along with a wind musician. “That unnamed record, I think will be a lot of spontaneous things,” he shares.
Read this next: Daft Punk's 'Homework' and 'Discovery' were recorded in Thomas Bangalter's bedroom
Quinn says he hopes that Daft Punk will “do something with it” as it is currently in “limbo,” however he did ask the pair for permission to speak on this lost album which was allowed.
Last year, Daft Punk celebrated 10 years of ‘Random Access Memories’, sharing a docu-series of never-seen-before footage.
The docu-series named ‘Memory Tapes’ included interviews with the likes of The Strokes' Julian Casablanca, Pharrell Williams, Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon and Nile Rodgers.
The pair had also released a "drumless edition" of the 2013 record, to mark the anniversary.
Watch the full interview with Daft Punk collaborator Quinn below.
Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter