Daft Punk

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Daft Punk
Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Background information
Origin Paris, France
Genre(s) House, Techno, Synthpop
(Subgenre) French house
Years active 1993-present
Label(s) Soma Recordings
(1993-September 1996)
Virgin Records
(September 1996-present)[1]
Website Official website
Members
Thomas Bangalter
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo

Daft Punk is the collective name of Paris musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974) and Thomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975). The duo are considered one of the most successful electronic music collaborations of all time, both in album sales and in critical acclaim.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] History

The name Daft Punk was derived from a review in the British music magazine Melody Maker, which dubbed their first collaboration, the Beach Boys-inspired guitar group Darlin', "a bunch of daft punk." Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo would later abandon this indie rock setup (which included member Laurent Brancowitz) to work with drum machines and synthesizers. In 1993 Daft Punk sent a demo to Scotland-based label Soma Recordings that formed the basis for their debut single "The New Wave", a limited release in 1994.[2]

Daft Punk, unmasked, but faces blurred
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Daft Punk, unmasked, but faces blurred

Their first commercially successful single "Da Funk" came the following year, and was later included on their 1997 debut album Homework. The album was regarded as an innovative synthesis of Techno, house, acid house and electro styles, and is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential dance music albums of the nineties. "Around the World" was the most successful single from Homework, known for its hypnotic chant of the song's title and distinctive music video directed by Michel Gondry. A collection of music videos for Homework was released in 1999 and titled D.A.F.T. - A Story about Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes.

Daft Punk logo, designed by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and seen on their studio album covers
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Daft Punk logo, designed by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and seen on their studio album covers

2001's Discovery took on a slicker and distinctly synth-pop oriented style, initially stunning fans of their previous material in Homework. The group states that the album was conceived as an attempt to re-connect with a playful, open minded attitude associated with the discovery phase of childhood.[3] This accounts for the heavy use of themes and samples from the late '70s to early '80s era on the album. Interestingly enough, more than two tracks had unacknowledged samples. The album reached #2 in the UK, and its single "One More Time" was a major club hit, creating a new generation of fans mainly familiar with the sophomore Daft Punk release. The singles "Digital Love" and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" were also very successful in the UK and on the U.S. dance chart, and "Face to Face" hit #1 on the U.S. club play charts despite a limited single release. A 45-minute excerpt from a Daftendirektour performance recorded in Birmingham in 1997 was also released in 2001, entitled Alive 1997.

2003 saw the release of the feature-length animated film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. Daft Punk co-produced the film with Leiji Matsumoto, whom they quote is their childhood hero. The album Daft Club was also released to promote the film and features a collection of remixes previously made available through an online membership service of the same name.

In 2005, Human After All was released, a 10-track album running 45 minutes and recorded in a mere 6 weeks. Reviews were mixed, mostly citing its overly repetitive nature and seemingly rushed recording. The singles off this album were "Robot Rock", "Technologic", "Human After All" and "The Prime Time of Your Life". The earliest official statement from Daft Punk concerning the album was "we believe that Human After All speaks for itself".

A Daft Punk anthology CD/DVD entitled Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005 was released on April 4, 2006. It contains new videos for "The Prime Time of Your Life" and "Robot Rock (Maximum Overdrive)".

On May 22, 2006, Daft Punk premiered their first directed film, Daft Punk's Electroma at the Cannes Film Festival sidebar Director's Fortnight. The film does not include their own music, which is a first for the duo considering their previous DVD and film releases (D.A.F.T. for Homework and Interstella 5555 for Discovery). A release of the film on VHS/DVD is currently not planned.

[edit] Use of visual components

The photo seen in the Homework liner notes
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The photo seen in the Homework liner notes

Daft Punk are noted for their use of visual components associated with their musical productions. The music videos for their singles from Homework featured memorable characters and were directed by cult video producers, including Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry. The album Discovery subsequently became the soundtrack to Interstella 5555. Many U.S. fans were introduced to Daft Punk through a special presentation of their videos during Cartoon Network's Toonami block on August 31, 2001.

Their outward personae have also changed over time. During their Homework years, the duo would usually wear masks to hide their appearance.[2] On some occasions they preferred to be replaced by animation (as they appeared in The Work of Director Michel Gondry DVD) or interviewed from the back of their heads when not wearing disguises. Very few photos of the duo's faces exist, including a blurry one which can be found in Homework's liner notes.

In their more visible Discovery years, and ever since, they have appeared as futuristic robots for publicity photo shoots, interviews, live shows and music videos. These costumes sport remarkably complicated helmets capable of various LED effects and metallic finger gloves. Thomas Bangalter once explained:

Daft Punk in their famous robotic suits
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Daft Punk in their famous robotic suits
   
“
 We did not choose to become robots, There was an accident in our studio. We were working on our sampler, and at exactly 9:09 a.m. on September 9, 1999, it exploded. When we regained consciousness, we discovered that we had become robots.[3]
   
”

During a video interview shot in Japan, Daft Punk stated that they adorned their robot masks to easily merge the characteristics of humans and machines. However, Bangalter later admitted that the costumes were initially a result of shyness. "But then it became exciting from the audiences' point of view. It's the idea of being an average guy with some kind of superpower."[4] In November 2006, Daft Punk stated on Australia's Triple J radio station that they prefer avoiding interviews rather than disguising themselves during them.[citation needed]

With the release of Human After All, the musical duo's outfits became slightly less complicated, consisting of simplified versions of the Discovery head gear and black leather jumpsuits. The mystery of their identity and the elaborate nature of their disguises has added to their international popularity.[4]

[edit] Live performances

In the mid-to-late nineties, Daft Punk performed live without costumes in many places including the United States. In particular, a rare bootlegged video featuring the duo in Wisconsin matches the verified identity of Thomas Bangalter. Less clearly seen, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo is to Bangalter's right and is mostly cut off from the camera. Comparing the artwork packaging of Homework to the video footage, one can verify that the album's liner note photo was taken during this event.

In the fall of 1997 they did their Daftendirektour to promote Homework in several cities throughout the world. For this tour Daft Punk notably opted to utilize their home studio equipment for the live stage instead of creating a more conventional DJ set.[2] Also of note is the November 8 performance in Birmingham (U.K.) from which came the recording of Alive 1997.

At the start of 2006, Daft Punk announced plans for a number of special summer shows. On April 29, Daft Punk performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival where they received a jubilant reception for their first U.S. performance since 1997.[5] The full list of Summer 2006 dates and locations are shown below.

Thomas Bangalter has been reported as saying that there will be a DVD of their 2006 live set.[6] In an interview in the Miami Herald[7] Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo stated that the Bang Music Festival appearance was their final for the year and that Daft Punk will be conducting more performances in the future.

[edit] Appearances in media

Daft Punk as they appear in Interstella 5555
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Daft Punk as they appear in Interstella 5555
  • Daft Punk appeared in a television ad to promote Sony-Ericsson's Premini mobile phone.
  • "Losing My Edge", the first single by LCD Soundsystem, also (facetiously) bragged about being the first to "play Daft Punk to the rock kids."

[edit] Grammy nominations

[edit] Selected discography

See Daft Punk discography for complete listing and details.

[edit] Studio albums

Homework
(January 20, 1997)
#8 UK, #150 U.S.
Discovery
(March 13, 2001)
#2 UK, #44 U.S.
Human After All
(March 14, 2005)
#10 UK, #98 U.S., #36 AUS

[edit] VHS/DVD

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Daft Punk Musique Vol. 1 Official Website - see Biography section
  2. ^ a b c Matthew Collin, "Do You Think You Can Hide From Stardom?" Mixmag (August 1997) (archived at techno.de)
  3. ^ a b Chris Gill, "ROBOPOP" Remix Magazine Online (May 2001)
  4. ^ a b Suzanne Ely, "Return of the Cybermen" Mixmag (July 2006)
  5. ^ Merry Swankster, Coachella Show Review (May 05, 2006)
  6. ^ Interview at French Touch Forum
  7. ^ Michael Hamersly, "Ask the DJ" Miami Herald (November 10, 2006).

[edit] External links

Daft Punk
Thomas Bangalter | Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Daft Punk discography
Albums: Homework | Discovery | Alive 1997 | Daft Club | Human After All | Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005
Singles: "The New Wave" | "Da Funk" | "Around the World" | "Burnin'" | "Revolution 909" | "One More Time" | "Aerodynamic" | "Digital Love" | "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" | "Robot Rock" | "Technologic" | "Human After All" | "The Prime Time of Your Life"
Film and VHS/DVD: D.A.F.T. | Interstella 5555 | Electroma
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