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EspañolDAFT PUNK
'Daft Punk' is the collective name of Paris house musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974)2 and Thomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975).2 The duo is considered one of the most successful electronic music collaborations of all time, both in album sales and in critical acclaim.[1] 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.20
Daft Punk is also credited for producing songs that were considered essential in the French house scene. They are currently managed by Pedro Winter (Busy P), the head of Ed Banger Records.
History
Early years (1987–1993)
Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo met on the grounds of their lycée in Paris in 1987.[2] The two became good friends and later recorded demo tracks with others from the school.[3] This eventually led to the formation of the guitar-based group Darlin' with Laurent Brancowitz in 1992.14 Bangalter and de Homem-Christo played bass and guitar, respectively, while Brancowitz performed on drums.[4] The indie rock trio had branded themselves after The Beach Boys song of the same name, which they covered along with an original composition.[5] Stereolab released both tracks on a multi-artist Duophonic Records EP5 and invited the band to open for stage shows in the United Kingdom.7 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."15 A negative review in ''Melody Maker'' subsequently dubbed the music "a bunch of punk." Instead of dismissing the review, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo found it to be amusing.3 As the latter stated, "We struggled so long to find [the name] Darlin', and this happened so quickly."[6] Darlin' soon disbanded, leaving Brancowitz to pursue other efforts with Phoenix.14 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 EuroDisney, where they met Stuart Macmillan of Slam, co-founder of the label Soma Quality Recordings.3 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 1994.15 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. After the success of "Da Funk", Daft Punk looked to find a manager. They had no trouble finding one at the time as they chose Pedro Winter, who regularly promoted them and other artists at his Hype night clubs. The band signed with Virgin Records in September 19962 and made a deal that they license their tracks to the major label through their production company, Daft Trax. "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.16 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.[7] 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 second 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 at Birmingham, UK in 1997 was also released in 2001, entitled ''Alive 1997''.
2003 first saw the release of the feature-length animated film ''. Daft Punk produced the film under the supervision of Leiji Matsumoto, whom they have said is their childhood hero.[8] 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)
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 taken from 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.[9] 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.[10] Initial public comments have since been positive.[11]
Spin.com announced that Daft Punk will release a new live album titled ''Alive 2007'' on November 20 2007. It will contain the duo's performance in Paris from their ''Alive 2007'' tour. The album will include a 50-page digi-book showcasing photographs shot while on tour.[12] The live version of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" from the new album will be released as a single.39 A music video for the single directed by Oliver Gondry will feature footage shot by 250 audience members at Daft Punk's Brooklyn appearance at KeySpan Park, Coney Island.[13]
Influences
Bangalter and de Homem-Christo years before the release of ''Homework''
Bangalter and de Homem-Christo have credited many sources that influenced 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.[14] 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."[15] They drew inspiration from the rock and acid house displayed in the United Kingdom during the early 1990s. De Homem-Christo pointed to ''Screamadelica'' by Primal Scream as an influential work, as the record "put everything together" in terms of genre.20
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."15 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."15 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."7
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.[16] 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.[17] During a later interview, de Homem-Christo clarified that "we didn't make a list of artists we like and copy their songs."24
Visual components
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 ''.
Their outward personae have also changed over time. During their ''Homework'' years, the duo would usually wear masks to hide their appearance. When not wearing disguises, they occasionally preferred to be replaced by animation (as they appeared in '' DVD) or have their faces digitally obscured for press kits. Very few photos of the duo's faces exist, including a blurry one found in the ''Homework'' 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, engineered by Tony Gardner and Alterian, Inc.,[18] 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.[19] Thomas Bangalter once stated, "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."
Daft Punk, unmasked, but faces blurred
During a video interview shot in Japan, Daft Punk stated that they donned 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."[20] 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."20 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.20
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. While on the set of the film, the duo chose to be interviewed with their backs turned. As reported on October 2006, the band went as far as to wear black cloth over their heads during a televised interview.[21] It is believed that the mystery of their identity and the elaborate nature of their disguises has added to their international popularity.20
Live performances
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. 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."7 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.[22] Thomas Bangalter has been reported as saying that there will be a DVD of their recent live set.[23] In an interview with the ''Miami Herald''[24] 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 would conduct more performances in the future. The band later specified a date for a live show at Bercy, Paris for June 2007.[25] Also reported were dates at the Rock Ness Festival and Wireless Festival in June,[26][27] the Oxegen festival in July[28] and Lollapalooza in August.[29] Daft Punk also announced a world tour (excluding Asia) called ''Alive 2007''.25
Daft Punk played at the Rock Ness Festival on June 10 2007 as the headline act in the 10,000 capacity Clash tent. The show was delayed, but the crowd gave the duo a jubilant welcome when they appeared. Due to popularity, part of the tent was removed to allow thousands of people outside to see the show.[30] On June 16, 2007 Daft Punk successfully headlined the third day of the O2 Wireless Festival to positive reaction and reviews. ''The Times'' described the set as a "memorable sensory spectacle, both dazzling and deafening"[31] and ''ThisisLondon'' declared it "an almost faultless set of relentless electro euphoria".[32]
Daft Punk headlined Stage 2/NME Stage at the Oxegen music festival on July 8, 2007. Their live set was preceded by a showing of the trailer for the film ''Daft Punk's Electroma''. Subsequent reports stated that the Daft Punk appearance was the highlight of the festival. ''NME'' expressed that the performance was "a robotic spectacular",[33] while Shoutmouth described the set as "typically triumphant".[34] Four days later, the duo played at Traffic Torino Free Festival in Parco della Pellerina in Turin, Italy.[35]
The duo headlined the AT&T stage on August 3, 2007, the first night of the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, Illinois. Their show there was praised by Pitchfork Media stating that the experience of watching the performance "was a much-needed reminder of the still-potent power of communicative pop."[36]
Daft Punk posted a bulletin on their MySpace page25 stating that they are headlining the Vegoose festival in Las Vegas on October 27. They will appear at the festival along with bands Rage Against the Machine, Muse and Queens of the Stone Age.
Inthemix announced an upcoming event in Australia for December called Never Ever Land.[37] The announcement addressed years of speculation on whether Daft Punk would visit Australia for live performances. Never Ever Land includes Australian acts The Presets, Cut Copy, Muscles, Van She and the Bang Gang Deejays. Daft Punk will be supported by their regular acts SebastiAn and Kavinsky at the appearances, which have been announced as an extension the ''Alive 2007'' tour.25 Never Ever Land will tour to Melbourne at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Perth at the Esplanade, Brisbane at the Riverstage and finally Sydney at the Sydney Showground Main Arena.[38]
Appearances in media
'']]
★ Daft Punk appeared with Juliette Lewis in a commercial for the The Gap (video link), and were contractually obliged to appear only in Gap clothing.
★ Daft Punk make a cameo appearance as their robot alter-egos in their animated film ''.
★ Daft Punk's "Technologic" was sampled by Swizz Beatz for a Busta Rhymes song called "Touch It". In a later remix of "Touch It" the lines from "Technologic" were sung by R&B and rap artist Missy Elliott.
★ Daft Punk appeared in a television ad to promote Sony-Ericsson's Premini mobile phone.
★ In 2005, LCD Soundsystem recorded a song called "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House". It reached #29 in the UK and was nominated for Best Dance Recording in the 2006 Grammys.
★ "Losing My Edge", the first single by LCD Soundsystem, also bragged about being the first to "play Daft Punk to the rock kids."
★ Daft Punk produced the Teriyaki Boyz song "HeartBreaker" on the album ''Beef or Chicken''. The song contains a sample of "Human After All".
★ Kanye West's 2007 song "Stronger" from the album ''Graduation'' contains a sample of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". Daft Punk's robotic costumes make an appearance in the music video for "Stronger".[39]
★ In the ''Flight of the Conchords'' pilot episode "Sally", the show's titular comedy duo is provided with cardboard costumes by Murray, their manager. Jemaine of the duo comments that "we wanted ones like Daft Punk," a reference to the robotic costumes that Daft Punk wear.
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. |
Home video
| Title | Format | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| ''D.A.F.T.'' | VHS/DVD | 1999 |
| '' | VHS/DVD | 2003 |
| ''Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005'' | CD/DVD | 2006 |
| ''Daft Punk's Electroma''[40] | DVD | 2007 |
References
1. Daft Punk page at thedjlist.com. Retrieved on December 24 2006.
2. Daft Punk Musique Vol. 1 Official Website. Archived from April 10 2006.
3. RFI Musique - Biography - Daft Punk rfimusique.com. Retrieved on March 3 2007.
4. James, Martin. ''French Connections: From Discotheque to Discovery''. London, United Kingdom: Sanctuary Publishing Ltd., 2003. pgs 265; 267; 268. (ISBN 1-8607-4449-4)
5. Shimmies In Super 8 at Discogs. Retrieved on July 17 2007.
6. Alan Di Perna, "We Are The Robots" ''Pulse!'', April 2001, pp. 65-69.
7. Chris Gill, "ROBOPOP" (May 2001) ''Remix Magazine Online''. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
8. '' companion leaflet (2003)
9. ''Daft Punk's Electroma'' review variety.com. Retrieved on February 26 2007.
10. ''Daft Punk's Electroma'' Screenings Info '(French)' allocine.fr. Retrieved on April 11 2007.
11. ''Daft Punk's Electroma'' news thedaftclub.com. Retrieved on March 29 2007.
12. Exclusive: Daft Punk Unveil Live Album Details; Midlake to Release EP Spin.com. Accessed on August 27 2007.
13. Daft Punk Announce Live Album side-line.com. Retrieved on August 31 2007.
14. Darlin' biography at Discogs. Retrieved on February 20 2007.
15. Matthew Collin, ("Do You Think You Can Hide From Stardom?" (August 1997) ''Mixmag''. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
16. "Daft Punk Embark On A Voyage of Discovery" MTVe.com. Retrieved on February 22 2007.
17. Bryan Reesman, Daft Punk interview mixonline.com. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
18. Liner notes of the ''Discovery'' album - "Bionics Engineering by Tony Gardner & Alterian"
19. Toonami: Digital Arsenal toonamiarsenal.com Retrieved on April 14, 2007.
20. Suzanne Ely, "Return of the Cybermen" ''Mixmag'', July 2006, pp. 94-98.
21. Daft Punk Talk Electroma. While Wearing Bags On Their Heads. twitchfilm.net. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
22. Merry Swankster, Coachella Show Review (May 05, 2006) Retrieved on February 25 2006.
23. Interview at French Touch Forum Retrieved on March 7 2007.
24. Michael Hamersly, "Ask the DJ" (November 10, 2006) ''Miami Herald''. Retrieved on March 6 2007.
25. Daft Punk's Official MySpace Page myspace.com. Retrieved on August 31 2007.
26. Rockness '07 rockness.co.uk. Retrieved on February 28 2007
27. Wireless Festival '07 wirelessfestival.co.uk. Retrieved on June 16 2007
28. Oxygen '07 oxegen.ie. Retrieved on February 24 2007
29. Lolla '07 lollapalooza.com. Retrieved on April 12 2007.
30. Clash Magazine Rock Ness Review. clashmagazine.com Retrieved on June 17 2007.
31. Wireless Festival review Times Online. Retrieved on July 6 2007
32. O2 Wireless Festival London 2007 review ThisisLondon. Retrieved on July 6 2007
33. Daft Punk close Oxegen with robotic spectacular NME.com. Retrieved on July 12 2007.
34. Daft Punk Closes Out Oxegen Festival shoutmouth.com. Retrieved on July 12 2007.
35. Daft Punk at Traffic Torino Free Festival trafficfestival.com. Retrieved on July 13 2007
36. Lollapalooza Report Friday (Scott Plagenhoef) Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on August 7 2007.
37. Daft Punk ARE coming to Australia inthemix.com.au. Retrieved on August 30 2007.
38. Official Never Ever Land site. Retrieved on August 30 2007.
39. Live Album To Chronicle Daft Punk Tour Billboard.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2007.
40. Aztec International Entertainment aztecinternational.com.au. Retrieved on June 10, 2007.
External links
★ Official website
★ ''Discovery'' official website
★ ''Human After All'' official website
★ ''Musique Vol. 1 1993 - 2005'' official website
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