Cole Cuchna

The kick drum is deep and punchy.

The bass is round and buttery.

The guitars are silky, and the keyboard shimmers like liquid glass.

This is an audiophile's wet dream.

Now hopefully you recognize the signature style of the lead guitar we just heard.

That is, of course, the percussive Chucks of Nile Rodgers, one of the most important guitarists of the 20th century, known for his disco band Chic and collaborations with everyone from David Bowie to Diana Ross to Madonna to many, many, many more.

And that's just one of seven legendary musicians playing on the track.

You also have guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., who played on Michael Jackson's Thriller and worked extensively with Quincy Jones.

There's bassist Nathan East, a go-to session player for artists like Eric Clapton and George Harrison.

And there's legendary drummer Omar Hakim, whose credits include David Bowie's Let's Dance and Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms.

On keys, there's Chris Caswell, who's worked with legends like Smokey Robinson and Bill Withers, and pianist Chili Gonzalez, known for his solo piano work and collaborations with artists like Feist and Drake.

Rounding out the group is Greg Lise on pedal steel guitar, whose playing has appeared on records by artists like Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, and Brian Wilson, just to name a few.

This is a literal who's who of world-class session musicians, many of them appearing on the exact records Tomas and Guimon would have grown up listening to and obsessing over as kids.

In a remarkable full-circle moment, Daft Punk were no longer sampling the music they loved.

This vocoder at the center of the track repeats a mantra that is, in effect, the entire album's thesis statement.

Let the music in tonight.

Just turn on the music.

Let the music of your life give life back to music.

On one level, these lyrics are self-referential.

Random Access Memories is a love letter to the history of music, an album about music itself, built to showcase its power as an essential part of the human experience.