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Da Funk

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"Da Funk"
Song
B-side"Musique"

"Da Funk" is a single by Daft Punk from their 1997 debut album Homework. It was released with a B-side[1] 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 1990s house. A reversed 50-second sample of "Da Funk" is also on Homework and is listed as "Funk Ad".

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."[2]

"Fresh" video

Charles would return in the music video for the Daft Punk track "Fresh", which is 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. According to the D.A.F.T. audio commentary, Daft Punk wanted Charles to return in a happier environment to cheer up fans who saw him in a depressing situation in the "Da Funk" video. This would see him enjoying an acting career receiving compliments and dating Beatrice, instead of being rejected by New York residents, teased, and losing Beatrice when he is unable to get onto a bus because of his radio.

Track listing

  • 12" Vinyl
  1. Da Funk (5:35)
  2. Musique (6:52)
  • CD Single
  1. Da Funk (Radio Edit)
  2. Da Funk (Original Version)
  3. Musique
  • 5-Track DJ Single
  1. Short Edit (2:41)
  2. Long Edit (3:48)
  3. LP Version (5:35)
  4. Ten Minutes Of Funk (10:08)
  5. Call Out Hook (0:10)

References

  1. ^ James, Martin. French Connections: From Discotheque to Discovery. London, United Kingdom: Sanctuary Publishing Ltd., 2003. pg 273. (ISBN 1-8607-4449-4)
  2. ^ Kieran Grant, Who are those masked men? canoe.ca. Retrieved on April 15 2007.
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