Instant Crush
Music changed forever when French recording legends Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo assembled some of the greatest songwriters and instrumentalists in the world to give birth to the timeless record, Random Access Memories (2013), before sailing off into the proverbial sunset, not officially announcing the end of Daft Punk until 2022. One such artist whom the robots memorably teamed up with was Julian Casablancas, prolific frontman of rock bands The Strokes and The Voidz. Casablancas and Daft Punk would collaborate on two songs in the studio, “Infinity Repeating,” which would go unheard until its inclusion as Daft Punk’s last song ever on the 10-year anniversary edition of RAM, and “Instant Crush,” officially the 4th single on their 5-Grammy-award-winning 4th studio album. “Instant Crush” was originally conceived with lyrics penned by Paul Williams, the genius behind tunes like “Rainbow Connection” and “Faust,” but according to Casablancas, “the way music works sometimes, it was almost like gibberish made more sense.”
“I used to imagine things that weren’t there that were frightening. Then I got sober and two robots called me and asked me to make an album.”
- Paul Williams speaking on behalf of team RAM at the 2014 Grammy Awards
One thousand lonely stars hiding in the cold…
The now classic disco-infused synth-rock power-ballad about, “a summer memory that just never dies,” “Instant Crush” was perhaps initially overshadowed by the ubiquitous reign of the Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers-graced phenomenon “Get Lucky.” “The “sleeper indie hit” from the record, may have ranked number 58 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Best Songs of 2013 list, compared to the 1st place “Get Lucky,” but it is now certified Platinum and widely recognized as iconic in its own right 10 years and some change later. Today, the track has over 650M streams on Spotify and its music video, directed by longtime Daft Punk collaborator Warren Fu, has over 750M views. It’s a song that has been covered many times, both by talented YouTubers showing off how faithfully they can duplicate the unduplicatably dazzling Daft Punk sheen and vocoder effect that became their signature, and by contemporary recording artists alike, including alt-rock mainstay Cage The Elephant and singer/songwriter Natalie Imbruglia, whose cover was lead single on her 5th album, Male (2015). It’s a song that invites limitless reinterpretation, perhaps because the secret magical ingredients that define the Daft Punk process can never be reproduced the same way.
“I don’t think I like dancing on any level […] I was just pretending.”
- Casablancas reflecting with a wry smile on his appearance in the iconic “Instant Crush” music video.
Because I know it unlocks like a door…
Though there are still no signs of a potential Daft Punk reunion, another reimagining of “Instant Crush” has emerged— this time by a new act in town, Nexus-9, the latest project by mysterious Boston-based songbird, Phantom, and his rag-tag band of classically-trained musicians and producers, combining a deep well of Rock n' Roll, Funk, and Electronic influences to bring you the sound of the spheres. Nexus-9 proudly presents their distinctive, gutsy cover of “Instant Crush” as their debut single, streaming now on Spotify and Apple Music. Collaborators Jared Magsino and Spencer Holmes (of Boy Mom fame), and Alexander Baker (better known in the upper echelon of the electronic music scene as Hyperlight) co-produced the single alongside Phantom, with Magsino playing every instrument you hear (Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Electric Bass Guitar, Drums, 808s), Holmes handling tracking and engineering, and Baker providing deft mixing, mastering, and further engineering for the final piece of the puzzle.
“I don’t want to sing anymoreeeeeee!”
- Phantom, belting the words to “Instant Crush” upon a stage of sparkling white pleasure
We will never be alone again…
Not one to pass up an opportunity for a dramatic introduction, Nexus-9’s Phantom sings “Instant Crush” sans vocoder and stars vibrantly in the accompanying official music video directed and edited by Boston-based filmmaker, Jack Young, and shot by his right-hand-man Alex Papadopoulos. Vividly captured on a crisp winter day painted by heavy snowfall and silver skies, Young’s iteration provocatively matches the fresh energy of Nexus-9’s cover and pays homage to Warren Fu’s classic video, centered on a familiar emotionally charged lip sync and interpretive dance performance by the track’s lead vocalist and taking clear inspiration from Casablancas’ “wild” vision for the original. Neon-red karaoke-style lyrics animate across the screen in real-time to guide the viewer through a journey of self-expression and heartbreak while the Phantom leaves it all on the stage. This statement piece will zap you onto your feet, making you ask as you dance in a trance— who is the man beneath the mask? And when will he return?
Album artwork by Jimbo Tron
‘Cause it doesn’t happen every day…
Stream Instant Crush cover by Nexus-9 on Spotify, Apple Music, and iHeartRadio
4 Phantoms emote together in a climactic scene…
