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Daft Punk

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Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Daft Punk is the collective name of Paris house musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974)[1] and Thomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975).[1] The duo is considered one of the most successful electronic music collaborations of all time, both in album sales and in critical acclaim.[2] After Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France, other artists such as Air, Cassius and Dimitri from Paris began to receive a similar amount of attention.[3]

Daft Punk is also credited for producing songs that were considered essential in the French house scene.

History

Early years (1987 – 1993)

Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo met in the grounds of their lycée in Paris during the year 1987.[1] The two became good friends and later recorded demo tracks with others from the school.[4] This eventually led to the formation of the guitar group Darlin' with Laurent Brancowitz in 1992.[5] The indie rock trio had branded themselves after The Beach Boys song of the same name. Stereolab released one of Darlin's tracks on a multi-artist Duophonic Records EP and invited the band to open for stage shows in the United Kingdom.[6] Bangalter felt that "The rock n' roll thing we did was pretty average, I think. It was so brief, maybe six months, four songs and two gigs and that was it."[7] A negative review in Melody Maker subsequently dubbed the act "a bunch of daft punk." Instead of dismissing the review, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo found it to be amusing.[4] As the latter stated, "We struggled so long to find [the name] Darlin', and this happened so quickly."[8] Darlin' soon disbanded, leaving Brancowitz to pursue other efforts with Phoenix.[5] Bangalter and de Homem-Christo formed Daft Punk and experimented with drum machines and synthesizers.

Homework era (1993 – 1999)

In 1993 Daft Punk attended a rave at Disneyland Resort Paris, where they met Stuart Macmillan of Slam, co-founder of the label Soma Quality Recordings.[4] The demo tape given to Macmillan at the rave formed the basis for Daft Punk's debut single, "The New Wave", a limited release in 1994.[7] The single also contained the final mix of "The New Wave" called "Alive".

Daft Punk returned to the studio in May 1995 to record "Da Funk". It became their first commercially successful single the same year and led to their signing with Virgin Records in September 1996.[1] "Da Funk" and "Alive" were later included on Daft Punk's 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. The most successful single from Homework was "Around the World", which is known for the repeating chant of the song's title. Daft Punk also produced a series of music videos for Homework directed by Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Roman Coppola and Seb Janiak. The collection of videos was released in 1999 and titled D.A.F.T. - A Story about Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes.

Discovery era (1999 – 2004)

By 1999 the duo were well into the recording sessions for their second album, which had begun a year earlier.[9] 2001's Discovery took on a slicker and distinctly synthpop-oriented style, initially stunning fans of Daft Punk's previous material in Homework. The group states that the album was conceived as an attempt to reconnect with a playful, open minded attitude associated with the discovery phase of childhood.[6] This accounts for the heavy use of themes and samples from the late '70s to early '80s era on the album. It 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 first saw the release of the feature-length animated film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. Daft Punk produced the film under the supervision of Leiji Matsumoto, whom they have said is their childhood hero.[10] The album Daft Club was also released to promote the film. It features a collection of remixes previously made available through an online membership service of the same name.

Human After All era (2004 – Present)

File:Daft Punk.jpg
Daft Punk in their robotic suits

Starting on September 13 2004, Daft Punk devoted six weeks to creating new material. The duo released the album Human After All in March 2005. 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 music videos for "The Prime Time of Your Life" and "Robot Rock (Maximum Overdrive)". Daft Punk also released a remix album of Human After All called Human After All: Remixes. A limited edition included two kubricks of Daft Punk as robots.

On May 21, 2006, Daft Punk premiered their first directed film, Daft Punk's Electroma at the Cannes Film Festival sidebar Director's Fortnight.[11] 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). Midnight screenings of the film were shown in Paris theaters starting from the end of March 2007.[12] Initial public comments have since been positive.[13] A release of Daft Punk's Electroma on home video is currently not planned.

Influences

File:Daft Punk Human.jpg
Bangalter and de Homem-Christo years before the release of Homework

Daft Punk have noted numerous influences to have affected their musical style. Years before producing electronic music as a duo, they were stated to have shared tastes for MC5, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and The Stooges.[5] Their mutual admiration for rock bands led to the founding of their own independent project, Darlin'. Bangalter expressed that "It was still maybe more a teenage thing at that time. It's like, you know, everybody wants to be in a band."[7] They drew inspiration from the rock and acid house displayed in the United Kingdom during the early 1990s. Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo pointed to Screamadelica by Primal Scream as an influential work, as the record "put everything together" in terms of genre.[3]

The liner notes of Homework pay tribute to a large number of musical artists and contain a quote from Brian Wilson. Bangalter expressed that "In Brian Wilson's music you could really feel the beauty - it was very spiritual. Like Bob Marley, too."[7] When questioned on the success of their debut album and rising popularity of their associated musical genre, Bangalter responded, "before us you had Frankie Knuckles or Juan Atkins and so on. The least you can do is pay respect to those who are not known and who have influenced people."[7] The Daft Punk track "Teachers" on Homework refers to several influences including Romanthony and Todd Edwards. De Homem-Christo stated that "Their music had a big effect on us. The sound of their productions — the compression, the sound of the kick drum and Romanthony's voice, the emotion and soul — is part of how we sound today."[6]

Romanthony and Edwards later collaborated with Daft Punk in tracks for Discovery. For the album Daft Punk focused on new styles of electronic music. A major inspiration was the Aphex Twin single "Windowlicker", which was "neither a purely club track nor a very chilled-out, down-tempo relaxation track" according to Bangalter.[9] The duo also utilized vintage equipment to recreate the sound of a previous artist. As stated by de Homem-Christo, "On 'Digital Love' you get this Supertramp vibe on the bridge," which was generated through an in-studio Wurlitzer piano.[14] During a later interview, de Homem-Christo clarified that "we didn't make a list of artists we like and copy their songs."[15]

Visual components

File:Homework.gif
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 placed emphasis on storytelling instead of musical performance. The album Discovery subsequently became the soundtrack to Interstella 5555.

Their outward personae have also changed over time. During their Homework years, the duo would usually wear masks to hide their appearance.[7] When not wearing disguises, they occasionally preferred to be replaced by animation (as they appeared in The Work of Director Michel Gondry DVD) or have their faces digitally obscured for press kits. 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, they have appeared as futuristic robots for publicity photo shoots, interviews, live shows and music videos. These suits, built by Tony Gardner's Alterian, Inc.,[16] sport complicated helmets capable of various LED effects and metallic finger gloves. Daft Punk introduced the costumes to many U.S. television viewers through an advertisement for a special presentation of their videos during Cartoon Network's Toonami block.[17] Thomas Bangalter once explained, "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."[6]

File:Umasked but blurred.JPG
Daft Punk, unmasked, but faces blurred

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 the 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."[3] When asked on whether the duo expressed themselves differently within the robotic suits, Bangalter stated "No, we don't need to. It's not about having inhibitions. It's more like an advanced version of glam, where it's definitely not you."[3] 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 dark leather jumpsuits. The latter were designed by Hedi Slimane.[3]

Daft Punk during an interview on Sjónvarpið

During the filming and promotion of Daft Punk's Electroma, the duo went to great lengths to avoid showing their faces. As reported on October 2006, the band went as far as to wear black cloth over their heads during a televised interview.[18] 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] The mystery of their identity and the elaborate nature of their disguises has added to their international popularity.[3]

Live performances

File:Coachella-Daft-Punk-2006.jpg
Daft Punk performing at the 2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

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.[7] As Bangalter stated, "Everything was synched up — the drum machines, the bass lines. The sequencer was just sending out the tempos and controlling the beats and bars. On top of this structure we built all these layers of samples and various parts that we could bring in whenever we wanted to."[6] 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.[19] Thomas Bangalter has been reported as saying that there will be a DVD of their recent live set.[20] In an interview with the Miami Herald[15] Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo stated that their November 11 appearance at the Bang Music Festival was their final for 2006 and that Daft Punk will be conducting more performances in the future. The band later specified a date for a live show at Bercy, Paris for June 2007.[21] Also reported are dates at the Rock Ness Festival in June,[22] the Oxegen festival in July[23] and Lollapalooza in August.[24] Daft Punk have also announced a world tour (excluding Asia) called Alive 2007.[21]

Appearances in media

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 bragged about being the first to "play Daft Punk to the rock kids."

Selected discography

For complete listing and details, see Daft Punk discography.

Studio albums

Title Release Date Chart Positions
Homework January 20 1997 #8 UK, #3 Fr, #150 U.S.
Discovery March 13 2001 #2 UK, #2 Fr, #44 U.S.
Human After All March 14 2005 #10 UK, #36 AUS, #3 Fr, #98 U.S.

VHS/DVD

Title Format Release Date
D.A.F.T. VHS/DVD 1999
Interstella 5555 VHS/DVD 2003
Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005 CD/DVD 2006

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Daft Punk Musique Vol. 1 Official Website. Archived from April 10 2006.
  2. ^ Daft Punk page at thedjlist.com. Retrieved on December 24 2006.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Suzanne Ely, "Return of the Cybermen" Mixmag, July 2006, pp. 94-98.
  4. ^ a b c RFI Musique - Biography - Daft Punk rfimusique.com. Retrieved on March 3 2007.
  5. ^ a b c Darlin' biography at Discogs. Retrieved on February 20 2007.
  6. ^ a b c d e Chris Gill, "ROBOPOP" (May 2001) Remix Magazine Online. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Matthew Collin, ("Do You Think You Can Hide From Stardom?" (August 1997) Mixmag. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
  8. ^ Alan Di Perna, "We Are The Robots" Pulse!, April 2001, pp. 65-69.
  9. ^ a b "Daft Punk Embark On A Voyage of Discovery" MTVe.com. Retrieved on February 22 2007.
  10. ^ Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem companion leaflet (2003)
  11. ^ Daft Punk's Electroma review variety.com. Retrieved on February 26 2007.
  12. ^ Daft Punk's Electroma Screenings Info (French) allocine.fr. Retrieved on April 11 2007.
  13. ^ Daft Punk's Electroma news thedaftclub.com. Retrieved on March 29 2007.
  14. ^ Bryan Reesman, Daft Punk interview mixonline.com. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
  15. ^ a b Michael Hamersly, "Ask the DJ" (November 10, 2006) Miami Herald. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
  16. ^ Liner notes of the Discovery album - "Bionics Engineering by Tony Gardner & Alterian"
  17. ^ Toonami: Digital Arsenal toonamiarsenal.com Retrieved on April 14, 2007.
  18. ^ Daft Punk Talk Electroma. While Wearing Bags On Their Heads. twitchfilm.net. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
  19. ^ Merry Swankster, Coachella Show Review (May 05, 2006) Retrieved on February 25 2006.
  20. ^ Interview at French Touch Forum Retrieved on March 7 2007.
  21. ^ a b Daft Punk's Official MySpace Page myspace.com. Retrieved on March 11 2006.
  22. ^ Rockness '07 rockness.co.uk. Retrieved on February 28 2007
  23. ^ Oxygen '07 oxegen.ie. Retrieved on February 24 2007
  24. ^ Lolla '07 lollapalooza.com. Retrieved on April 12 2007.
  25. ^ Daft Punk and Kanye Team up for Song, Video Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on May 24, 2007.


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