Discovery is Daft Punk’s sophomore album, following their ground breaking debut album, Homework. While Homework was a fantastic debut with incredible songs, Discovery cemented Daft Punk as a cultural staple for years to come.

Ethereal, rhythmic synths accentuated by masterfully mixed and mastered samples contribute to a listening experience wholly unique, one that makes you feel like you’re flying at light speed through the cosmos. There aren’t many albums that are able to convey a sense of adventure through music alone, and even fewer in the EDM genre. This is exactly what makes Discovery so special.

Part of what makes Daft Punk such geniuses is their ability to create not only dance music, but heartfelt, emotional tracks. This leads to a listening experience truly like no other. Synths, guitars, drum tracks, samples, and robotic voices all converge in energetic highs and soft, somber lows.  Prime examples of this are the 8th and 9th songs on the album, High Life and Something About Us. High Life is hyper and rhythmic, as well as entirely instrumental, with the exception of a single vocal sample repeating throughout the song. It’s the epitome of dance music. However, the song that follows, Something About Us, is completely different. Still containing Daft Punk’s signature electronic sound, it’s soft, warm, and romantic. High Life lifted you up through the clouds, while Something About Us pulls you right back down to earth. The same dynamic also occurs in the next two songs on the album. Voyager’s bass is deep, punchy, and rhythmic, and it captures the sense of adventure present throughout the album perfectly. Veridis Quo, the song right after, is another mysterious, contemplative, beautiful melody. It’s songs like these that show just how talented Daft Punk are, to be able to make all kinds of music and still have it sound incredible.

However, it’s not just Discovery as a cohesive album that’s special. Each song can stand on its own masterfully, which is an achievement in and of itself. For example, take the 2nd song on the album, Aerodynamic. It’s entirely instrumental, and with all the effects and distortion, the beat feels almost alien. A minute in, Daft Punk completely interrupts the beat they have going with a distorted guitar solo. Done poorly, this could feel like a strange departure from a song, but in Aerodynamic, it feels natural and almost climactic. Then, the rest of the instrumentals come back into play. The song reaches new highs before being interrupted once more, finding new life in a more solemn version of the main melody. The only other song that has a similarly entertaining evolution is Short Circuit, which starts off as a lighthearted, goofy beat before abruptly changing halfway through to a somber melody. The melody in question continues to evolve as it seems to become progressively more distorted, which culminates in the song fizzling out, as if running out of power. The ending of Short Circuit itself is wholly unique, and is a huge testament to the creativity and skill that Daft Punk holds.

Discovery is not only an incredible EDM album, it’s a celebration of human creativity. Synths, drum tracks, and samples create a robotic symphony that sounds and feels organic. With Discovery, Daft Punk captured lightning in a bottle. However, this is anything but a one-off. Daft Punk’s entire discography is an auditory experience like no other, and once you listen to it, you’ll wish there was more.