Fragments of Time
"Fragments of Time" is a song written, produced, and performed by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk in collaboration with American house music producer Todd Edwards, serving as the eleventh track on their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories, released on May 21, 2013.[1] The track blends soft rock elements with electronic influences, featuring Edwards' vocals and lyrics that reflect on the shared memories and creative process during its recording sessions in California.[1] This collaboration marked a reunion for Daft Punk and Edwards, who had previously worked together on the 2001 track "Face to Face" from the duo's album Discovery.[1] The song's production aimed to capture a "west coast vibe," drawing inspiration from 1970s acts such as Fleetwood Mac, the Doobie Brothers, and the Eagles, aligning with the album's broader theme of live instrumentation and retro-futuristic sounds.[1] Lyrically, Edwards describes driving to paradise, improvising plans, and cherishing fleeting moments, with the chorus emphasizing the desire to relive "these fragments of time" through repeated playback.[2] Although not released as a single, "Fragments of Time" contributed to the critical and commercial success of Random Access Memories, which won multiple Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year in 2014.[3] In 2023, for the album's 10th anniversary edition, Daft Punk released bonus content including "The Writing of Fragments of Time," an eight-minute audio recording of the song's studio creation process featuring Edwards.[3] The track remains a notable example of Daft Punk's exploration of nostalgia and human connection within electronic music.[1]Background
Collaboration history
Todd Edwards emerged as a prominent house music producer in the 1990s, drawing inspiration from Newark's club scene and figures like Tony Humphries and Todd Terry.[4] His breakthrough came with the 1996 single "Saved My Life," released on FFRR, which gained traction in both U.S. house circles and the emerging UK garage movement for its soulful, sample-driven energy.[4] Edwards' production signature—micro-editing and intricate vocal layering—revolutionized house music by chopping tiny samples into dense, otherworldly collages, often using limited equipment like the Ensoniq EPS sampler.[5] This technique profoundly shaped Daft Punk's early sound, infusing their work with fragmented house influences that emphasized rhythmic complexity and emotional depth.[5][4] Daft Punk first connected with Edwards in the mid-1990s, prior to their debut album Homework (1997), acknowledging him in the track "Teachers" as a key influence.[6] Their formal collaboration culminated in "Face to Face" from the 2001 album Discovery, where Edwards co-produced and delivered raw, raspy vocals in a style reminiscent of Foreigner, while integrating his cut-up sampling to create a synergetic blend of their aesthetics at 118 BPM.[6] The duo reconnected in 1999 at Edwards' family home in New Jersey, exchanging over 70 samples each before finalizing the track during Edwards' visits to Paris.[6]Concept and development
The development of "Fragments of Time" was deeply influenced by Daft Punk's desire to infuse their work with a "west coast vibe," drawing from the relaxed, sun-soaked atmosphere of their recording sessions in California studios such as Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. This aesthetic choice aimed to evoke the laid-back essence of 1970s American rock acts like Fleetwood Mac, the Doobie Brothers, and the Eagles, prioritizing organic, live-recorded elements over their earlier electronic-heavy productions.[7][1] Central to the track's conception was the decision to reunite with longtime collaborator Todd Edwards, whose previous work with the duo on "Face to Face" from the 2001 album Discovery had established a foundation of improvisational vocal layering. Edwards' involvement was specifically chosen to channel nostalgic themes of time and memory, with the lyrics inspired by the fleeting, cherished moments shared during his studio visits, capturing a sense of improvisational joy and reflection on passing experiences.[1][7] During early conceptual discussions in 2011 and 2012, as production intensified following the duo's work on Tron: Legacy, Daft Punk explored blending live instrumentation—such as drums, bass, and organ—with electronic elements to create a retro-futuristic feel that bridged past musical eras with contemporary innovation. This approach sought to humanize electronic music through analog warmth, using pre-recorded live sessions as a base for Edwards' sample-based contributions, resulting in a track that felt both timeless and forward-looking.[8][9]Composition and recording
Songwriting process
The songwriting for "Fragments of Time" took place during a collaborative session on February 29, 2012, at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, primarily involving Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter and vocalist Todd Edwards.[3][10] This five-hour encounter captured the initial development of the track's lyrics and structure on tape, reflecting the west coast creative environment that influenced the album's broader aesthetic.[8] Edwards drew the lyrics from his personal reflections during the session, incorporating phrases like "gold and silver dreams" and "random memories" to evoke themes of nostalgia and the ephemeral nature of cherished moments.[1][11] These elements stemmed from Edwards' perspective on the collaborative experience itself, aiming to preserve the fleeting joy of creation as if looking back from the future.[12] Bangalter contributed by providing musical cues on piano, guiding the lyrical flow while Edwards vocalized ideas in real time.[11] The process emphasized improvisation, with Edwards singing melodic phrases and lyrics spontaneously over Bangalter's accompaniment, which directly shaped the song's chorus through a "cut-up" vocal technique characteristic of Edwards' style.[8][13] This live experimentation allowed for rapid iteration, transforming raw vocal ideas into the track's fragmented, collage-like vocal arrangement without prior scripting.[11]Musical elements
"Fragments of Time" is composed in common time at a tempo of 130 beats per minute.[14] The song is written in the key of C major.[15] Todd Edwards's vocals span a range from G4 to A5.[16] The track follows a verse-chorus form, beginning with an instrumental intro that leads into the first verse, followed by a repeating chorus that emphasizes nostalgic reflection.[2] This structure builds gradually, incorporating layered harmonies and a bridge-like instrumental break before returning to the chorus for resolution. A distinctive feature is the pedal steel guitar solos performed by Greg Leisz, which add a shimmering, emotive texture reminiscent of 1970s and 1980s soft rock and country influences.[17] These solos, combined with the song's laid-back groove and gentle rhythms, evoke the openness and innocence of late-1970s pop radio.[18] Stylistically, "Fragments of Time" blends elements of soft rock and nostalgic pop, drawing comparisons to the effortless rhythms and choruses of Hall & Oates.[19] The inclusion of organic instrumentation, such as the sighing lap steel guitar, underscores its retro-futurist sound, prioritizing live-band warmth over electronic minimalism.[20]Production details
The recording of "Fragments of Time" occurred primarily in Los Angeles studios, including Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios), Conway Recording Studios, and Capitol Studios, selected to facilitate an organic, live-band aesthetic through analog workflows.[8] Production techniques prioritized analog capture, with live takes transferred to a Studer A827 24-track analog tape machine running at 15 ips and aligned to +3 dB, augmented by Dolby SR noise reduction for fidelity. Outboard analog gear, such as Teletronix LA-2A and Urei 1176 compressors, along with minimal EQ from Neve and API consoles, was employed to impart warmth and dynamism, eschewing digital plug-ins in favor of hardware that enhanced the track's lively texture.[8] Todd Edwards' lead vocals were captured using a Neumann U47 microphone, which he described as the historic unit previously used by Frank Sinatra during sessions at the same studio facilities and valued at more than the cost of his own car.[8][5] The track's hybrid sound blends live instrumentation—recorded in ensemble sessions with musicians improvising around Daft Punk's directives—with the duo's synthesizer elements, including modular systems like custom Modcan setups and vintage units such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, representing a deliberate evolution from their electronic-only production roots.[8]Release
Original release
"Fragments of Time" was released on May 21, 2013, as the eleventh track on Daft Punk's album Random Access Memories, issued by Columbia Records.[21][22] The track has a duration of 4:39.[23] Positioned as a deep cut, "Fragments of Time" exemplifies the album's emphasis on live instrumentation and collaborations with veteran artists, featuring vocals by house music producer Todd Edwards.[24] Its nostalgic lyrics and smooth, reflective arrangement align with Random Access Memories' retro aesthetic, drawing from 1970s and 1980s influences while incorporating the record's West Coast production style recorded primarily in Los Angeles studios.[25] The song received no standalone single release but was integrated into the album's promotional rollout, which featured cryptic teasers, iTunes previews starting in early May, and a high-profile launch event at London's Shard building on May 13, where select tracks were played for media and fans.[9][26]Tenth anniversary edition
The tenth anniversary edition of Daft Punk's album Random Access Memories was released on May 12, 2023, by Columbia Records, featuring expanded content including nine previously unreleased bonus tracks to commemorate the original 2013 album.[27] Among these, "The Writing of Fragments of Time" serves as a dedicated bonus track highlighting the creative process behind the original song, presented in a documentary-style format that captures unedited studio outtakes.[28] This 8:17-minute track, released digitally on March 22, 2023, as the first preview from the anniversary edition, compiles raw audio from a February 29, 2012, session at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, featuring Daft Punk members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo alongside collaborator Todd Edwards.[29][28] It includes improvisational vocal takes, musical experimentation, and candid spoken discussions between Bangalter and Edwards, offering insights into the song's development, such as lyric refinement and thematic exploration of nostalgia and time.[28] Edited by Florian Lagatta, the track emphasizes the human elements of the recording process, with minimal polish to preserve the authenticity of the session.[28] Accompanying the audio release is a video directed by Daft Punk's longtime creative director Cédric Hervet, which visually documents the studio interactions and enhances the archival presentation.[28] The material emerged following Daft Punk's February 2021 breakup announcement, providing fans with rare post-disbandment access to the duo's collaborative history.[30]Reception
Critical response
Upon its release, "Fragments of Time" received a mix of praise and criticism from music critics, who often evaluated it within the context of Daft Punk's broader return to live instrumentation and nostalgic influences on Random Access Memories. Pitchfork's review highlighted the track's evocative qualities, noting that it conveys "the openness and innocence that marked pop radio as the '70s ended," positioning it as a stylistic sequel to the duo's earlier album Discovery with its blend of retro pop sentiment and house elements.[18] In contrast, Northern Transmissions viewed the song more critically, labeling it the album's "only misstep" as it evokes "incredibly cheesy music" from a bygone era, despite featuring Todd Edwards.[31] Retrospective analyses following the tenth anniversary edition in 2023 offered renewed appreciation for the track's nostalgic depth, particularly Edwards' vocal delivery, which was seen as enhancing the song's timeless appeal and capturing the album's ethos of transforming everyday moments into melodic reflections. Cherwell praised this element, emphasizing how Edwards' contributions in the bonus track "The Writing of Fragments of Time"—a recording of the songwriting session—underscore the song's role as a "future classic" that revives lost sounds through innovative production.[32]Fan reception
Fan reactions to "Fragments of Time" upon its 2013 release were mixed, with some early listeners in online forums describing the track as slightly repetitive compared to other songs on Random Access Memories.[33] The 2023 tenth anniversary edition of Random Access Memories, featuring unreleased studio audio from the song's creation, renewed enthusiasm among audiences, offering intimate glimpses into its development with Todd Edwards.[3] Sustained streaming activity underscores its enduring appeal, with the song accumulating over 90 million plays on Spotify and nearly 10 million views on its official YouTube audio upload as of 2025.[34][35] The anniversary re-release further amplified engagement, as bonus materials like lyric-focused content and studio outtakes drew renewed plays on platforms like YouTube.[36]Commercial performance
Chart positions
"Fragments of Time" experienced limited commercial charting success as an album track from Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, released on May 21, 2013.[37] Following the album's launch, the song entered select international charts in late May and early June 2013, primarily driven by digital downloads and streaming activity. It did not secure any major top-40 positions globally, underscoring its role as a non-single release without dedicated promotion.| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP) [Top 200] | 100 |
| UK Streaming Chart (OCC) | 30 |
| US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard) | 28 |