Déjà Vu: Giorgio Moroder Returns With First Album in 30 Years

Dance music pioneer Giorgio Moroder has released Déjà vu, his first album since 1985, hoping to prove that the 75-year-old can still hold his own amid the current crop of electronic dance music pioneers inspired in his wake.

Moroder was coaxed back into the studio after Daft Punk paid tribute to him on “Giorgio by Moroder” — the centrepiece of the duo’s 2013 album, Random Access Memories.

“I was semi-retired and had a nice quiet life until Daft Punk got me back into work,” Moroder said about his experience working with the French pop act. “The experience changed quite a lot of things in my life. I got a manager and I got several offers to do albums.”

Déjà vu features guest vocals from the likes of Britney Spears, Sia, and Kylie Minogue. Singles from the album have been teased since January, with Sia singing the title track, Déjà vu, in a video that has been available on YouTube since April.

Moroder first came to prominence in the 1970s, producing the hit songs “I Feel Love” and “Love to Love You Baby” for Donna Summer. His other notable credits include “Call Me” by Blondie, “What a Feeling” by Irene Cara, and “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin.

However, his latest album, Déjà vu, has drawn sharp criticism, with one reviewer dismissing the work as having “all the grace of a granddad.” Others have said that the sound on Déjà vu is “strained” and “dulled by over-familiarity.”

“Sadly, despite Moroder’s impressive history, most of his latest effort does little to lift itself from mediocrity,” wrote Digital Spy‘s Harry Fletcher.

Not the kind of déjà vu Moroder was after. But when you’re Giorgio Moroder, it doesn’t really matter. The producer is already thinking about his follow up project to Déjà vu, which could be a collaboration with pop princess Lady Gaga.

“I’m talking to Lady Gaga right now,” he told Us Weekly. “She wanted me to help her out and work with her on some material for her album.”

Unfortunately for him, busy schedules kept the two apart during his time working on Déjà vu, and it’s uncertain if he’ll ever work with the artist. Indeed, he also expressed interest in wanting Rhianna to feature on Déjà vu, but the timing never worked out.

“I noticed the singers [at] the top are so busy, so to get them on a certain date in the same studio is not easy,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “A lot of stuff is done at the convenience of the singer. They get in the studio and know what to do better than I do.”

Déjà vu will be released on June 16.