Giorgio Moroder Paid Unlikely Tribute on New Shooter Jennings Album

Pioneering electronic music producer Giorgio Moroder's influence can be heard throughout the musical landscape. Many new listeners were introduced to the performer by Daft Punk's 2013 collaboration, "Giorgio by Moroder." That impenetrable artistic impact stretches even further this year, as country music artist Shooter Jennings releases Countach (For Giorgio), a full-album tribute to Moroder.

Indeed, it was Daft Punk's Moroder association that acted as the catalyst for Jennings' own grateful evaluation of the legendary dance music artisan's work. Speaking to Billboard, Jennings recalled hearing the robot-helmeted duo's offering from their smash album, Random Access Memories. Connecting the dots from there, an underlying theme of his musical life made itself known as Mr. Moroder's sweeping influence:

"There's a song on it called 'Giorgio by Moroder,' where he talks for a minute about making music. What he said was really exciting. I heard his name so much that I never did my homework. Then, I looked up Art Bell's theme music on his Coast to Coast radio show, The Neverending Story and things like Metropolis, which I had never seen. It was all one guy. I started to explore his songs."

Jennings, the son of country music icon Waylon Jennings, enlisted the help of a diverse cast of talented artists for the improbable tribute. Country singers Brandi Carlile and Steve Young make cameos on the album, as does shock rocker Marilyn Manson.

Moroder, now 75, respects and appreciates his lasting influence on musicians from all genres -- it even appears to have spurred him on. The prolific DJ and proclaimed "King of Dance Music" released his latest effort, Déjà Vu, in 2015 -- his first full-length album in 23 years. As Moroder recently told Village Voice, his work ethic remains disciplined, even still:

"I love to get up in the morning, not too early, and get in the studio and work. It's nothing like going to an office at nine and coming back at six. It's a lot of work, but I love to do it."

Which of your favorite artists have been influenced by Giorgio Moroder's expansive catalog of works? We would love to hear from you in the comments section below.