Recent compilations of samples have already dug in to the record collections of Jay-Z, Tupac and Kanye and now there’s a similar compilation looking at one of Mr West’s own sample sources: Daft Punk. Featuring source material familiar to all from Homework, to Discovery and Human After All, these tunes take a curious journey through hard funk, soul and Moroder electronica. Curious because while there are some gems on offer here, the real draw is the chance to glimpse how those elusive Daft Punk’s work. Though it’s not that Daft Punk want to let you into the workings of their circuits, this is not an official Daft release – in fact the cover has to coyly refer to the disk as a collection of ‘Daft Funk’.

The lead track on this compilation of tunes, Breakwater’s Release the Beast has been known to break the hearts of many fans of the world’s favourite robot musicians. This towering piece of Parliament-style funk-rock is immediately too recognisable as Daft Punk’s Robot Rock riff. In fact it’s hard to hear what the French duo have added to the guitars, other than their chanting their new title over the top. The shock continues with George Duke’s I Love You More which blatantly opens in exactly the same way as Daft’s Digital Love before drowning in the syrup of a family sit-com theme tune. It’s like finding out that your favourite song is closer to the Family Ties theme than you’d be prepared to admit. The intro to Edwin Birdsong’s Cola Bottle Baby continues the trend as Harder, Better, Stronger, Faster seems to launch from your speakers. Thankfully for the Daft fans wanting to maintain some of the mystique most of the other samples aren’t so obvious, or at least just not just the opening bars of the track.

They proved with the soundtrack to Electroma that they aren’t afraid to delve into unexpected musical territory. The film featured tracks from Todd Rundgren, Curtis Mayfield along with darkly folkish tunes and even Frédéric Chopin. But, when they’re writing their music, Daft Punk seem to lean towards disco and funk tunes for inspiration and infringement. Once the trainspotting novelty of hearing the samples wears off the compilation becomes a collection of party tunes including Oliver Cheatham’s Get Down Saturday Night and cuts from Chaka Khan and Sister Sledge. Other highlights include Tata Vega’s Give it up for Love and Can You Imagine – from the Tom Waits name-checked Little Anthony & The Imperials – a track that sounds far more like Daft Punk’s Crescendolls than anything in Mr Waits’ catalogue.

That familiar riffs are lifted from older tunes shouldn’t surprise anyone, but with a group as mysterious and revered as Daft Punk this collection may reveal too much about how they work. With a hip-hop artist sampling is perhaps more accepted because we can all see the DJ cutting the breaks on stage; it’s part of the culture of the music. But in dance music the source of the music is more obscure. There’s no visible explanation – no plectrum plucking a string, no stick hitting a drum, no record moving under a needle – it seems to just come out of a computer or perhaps a giant pyramid. It may be a little depressing to do your homework and discover that Daft Punk are human after all. But this collection gives you a glimpse into the Daft Punk record box and some great tracks to add to your next party mixtape.