It may appear that Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village and electronic duo Daft Punk (Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo) randomly collaborated on an “Aerodynamic” remix, but late legend J Dilla unintentionally brought the groups together with a 2000 record. [1]
After SV member and rapper/producer Dilla sampled “Extra Dry” by Thomas Bangalter for Slum Village’s “Raise It Up” without permission, Daft Punk took notice. [2]
Rather than seeking compensation for the unauthorized sample, their manager Pedro Winter suggested a different approach: asking Jay Dee to remix one of their songs instead.[3]
“Instead of losing our time and [reacting] as assholes and ask for money,” Winter explained. “I propose to the Daft boys to ask [for] a remix in exchange for the use of that sample. I met Dilla in Miami and he was of course up for it and was really friendly. He is from Detroit and electronic music never scared him. We were so happy with the result and the shout out. It was a simple and nice adventure. I feel really lucky to have met Jay Dee.”[4]
Although Dilla showed interest in producing the track, he was unable to do so, and had fellow Detroit producer Karriem Riggins create the remix in his place.[5]
The result was the Slum Village “Aerodynamic” remix, which was included on their 2003 remix album called Daft Club.[6]
Riggins spoke about the record’s conception in a 2017 Bonafide Magazine interview.[7]
“I did the remix,” he said. “Dilla was the first guy that sampled Daft Punk (actually one half of that act, Thomas Bangalter’s 1998 track Extra Dry). And that was on Raise It Up, on Fantastic Volume II. The sample wasn’t cleared, so when Daft Punk’s people heard it, they loved it. But they said this cat didn’t create the sample; so instead of a lawsuit let’s just get a remix from him. At the time, I don’t think Dilla was available to do it so he reached out to me, and that’s how that came about and I ended up doing it.”
[1]https://www.okayplayer.com/culture/daft-punk-j-dilla-remix.html
[2] https://www.stonesthrow.com/news/stones-throw-x-ed-banger/
[3] Ibid.
[4]Ibid.
[5]https://www.okayplayer.com/culture/daft-punk-j-dilla-remix.html
[6]https://www.discogs.com/master/27113-Daft-Punk-Daft-Club
[7]https://www.bonafidemag.com/karriem-riggins-stepping-shadows/
