Da Funk

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"Da Funk"

Single by Daft Punk
from the album Homework
Released	1996
Format	CD, 12"
Recorded	1995
Genre	House
Length	5:35
Label	Soma Recordings, Virgin Records
Writer(s)	Thomas Bangalter Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Producer(s)	Daft Punk
Daft Punk singles chronology
"The New Wave'" (1994)	"Da Funk" (1995)	"Around the World" (1997)
Music sample
"Da Funk" (file info) Play in browser (beta) Problems? See media help.

"Da Funk" is a single by Daft Punk from their 1997 debut album Homework. It was released as a double A-side with the track "Musique", a track which later appeared in the album Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005. Primarily based on a single riff, "Da Funk" and its accompanying video (directed by Spike Jonze) are considered a classic of 1990's house. A reversed 50-second sample of "Da Funk" is also on Homework and is listed as "Funk Ad".

1 Music video
- 1.1 "Fresh" video
2 Track listing
3 External links

[edit] Music video

Directed by Spike Jonze and actually entitled Big City Nights, the track's music video focuses on Charles, a character possessing the physical characteristics of a dog as well as a human gait, a leg cast, a crutch, and "urban" clothing. Charles, who has lived in New York City for only one month, is shown walking around with a boombox blasting "Da Funk" at a high volume. His hobbled walk is made fun of by a pair of children. He is turned down when he attempts to participate in a public survey. His boombox annoys a bookseller on the sidewalk from whom Charles buys a paperback novel entitled Big City Nights. Charles meets a woman named Beatrice (who was once his neighbor), and they agree to have dinner together at her home, traveling by way of a city bus. Beatrice boards the bus, but Charles is startled by a sign stating "NO RADIOS". He continues to stand outside as the bus drives off with Beatrice.

Thomas Bangalter has stated that although the video has drawn several interpretations, there is no real story and the video "is just a man-dog walking with a ghetto-blaster in New York."[1]

[edit] "Fresh" video

Charles would return in the music video for the Daft Punk track "Fresh" (also from Homework). In this video, he is an actor shooting scenes for a film set on a beach. When the day's shoot is over, he discusses techniques with the director and then runs into Beatrice; they have apparently become boyfriend and girlfriend. The two make plans to go to a restaurant for dinner. Charles gets into Beatrice's red convertible and they drive off into the sunset. This video echoes the concept of the "Da Funk" video in that the song is treated as nothing more than a soundtrack against which the story plays out. "Fresh" was directed by Daft Punk themselves; Jonze makes a guest appearance as the director of Charles' film.