daft punk

History

The name Daft Punk was inspired by 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) in favor of 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.^[1]

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.

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.^[2] 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 US dance chart, and "Face to Face" hit #1 on the US 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). It is currently unknown whether the film will be released on DVD.

Use of 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 were directed by cult video producers, including Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry. The album Discovery subsequently became the soundtrack to Interstella 5555. Many US 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.^[1] 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 (as shown in a video clip). Very few photos of the duo's faces exist, although a blurry one can be found in Homework's liner notes. A more recent photo exists, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo at the front talking on the phone and Thomas Bangalter wearing the red jacket. http://imagesocket.com/view/Daft_Punk_Cassius_01c53

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:

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."^[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 black leather jumpsuits. The mystery of their identity and the elaborate nature of their disguises has added to their international popularity.

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.

Daftendirektour

In the fall of 1997 they did their Daftendirektour to promote Homework. The tour dates were:

• October 2: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• October 3: Lille, France
• October 4: Brussels, Belgium
• October 6: Saarbrucken, Germany
• October 7: Cologne, Germany
• October 8: Dortmund, Germany
• October 9: Hamburg, Germany
• October 11: Berlin, Germany
• October 12: Stuttgart, Germany
• October 13: Strasbourg, France
• October 17: Paris, France
• October 18: Nancy, France
• October 20: Rouen, France
• October 21: Rennes, France
• October 24: Southhampton, UK
• October 26: Dublin, Ireland
• October 28: Newcastle, UK
• October 30: Leeds, UK
• October 31: Glasgow, UK
• November 1: Manchester, UK
• November 3: Cambridge, UK
• November 5: London, UK
• November 6: London, UK
• November 8: Birmingham, UK - Recording of Alive 1997
• November 9: Nottingham, UK
• November 10: Brighton, UK
• November 12: Brest, France
• November 14: Madrid, Spain
• November 15: Barcelona, Spain
• November 17: Bordeaux, France
• November 18: Toulouse, France
• November 20: Marseille, France
• November 21: Geneva, Switzerland
• November 22: Lyon, France
• November 24: Milan, Italy
• November 26: Rome, Italy
• November 29: Zurich, Switzerland
• November 30: Vienna, Austria
• December 1: Munich, Germany
• December 3: Hannover, Germany
• December 4: Mannheim, Germany

Alive Summer 2006

At the start of 2006, Daft Punk announced plans for a number of special summer shows. On April 29, 2006, 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.^[4] The full list of Summer 2006 dates and locations are shown below.

• April 29: Coachella, USA
• June 30: Eurockéennes, Belfort, France
• July 14: Summercase Festival, Madrid, Spain
• July 15: Summercase Festival, Barcelona, Spain
• July 28: Global Gathering, Stratford upon Avon, UK
• August 5: Festival Sudoeste, Zambujeira do Mar, Portugal
• August 12: Summer Sonic, Tokyo, Japan
• August 13: Summer Sonic, Osaka, Japan
• August 19: Pukkelpop, Kiewit, Hasselt, Belgium
• August 25: Marlay Park, Dublin, Ireland
• September 9: Summer Of Music Festival, Warsaw, Poland
• October 27: Tim Festival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• October 29: Tim Festival, São Paulo, Brazil
• November 2: Sue Festival 06, Santiago, Chile
• November 4: Bue Festival 06, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• November 11: Bang Music Festival, Miami, Florida, USA

Thomas Bangalter has been reported as saying that there will be a DVD of their 2006 live set. ^[5]

Appearances in media

• Daft Punk appeared with Juliette Lewis in a commercial for the The Gap (video link), and were contractually obligated to appear only in Gap clothing.

• Daft Punk appeared in a television ad to promote Sony-Ericsson's Premini mobile phone.

• Daft Punk's "Aerodynamic" appeared in the film "L'Auberge Espagnole."

• "Technologic" was used by Apple Computer in a television ad for its iPod+iTunes campaign.

• Daft Punk's "Technologic" was sampled by Swizz Beatz for a Busta Rhymes song called "Touch It". The lines from the song were sung by R&B / rap artist Missy Elliott. The song can be found on Busta Rhymes' latest album, The Big Bang.

• 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.

• In "Losing My Edge," a later track of the same album, LCD Soundsystem also (facetiously) bragged about being the first to "play Daft Punk to the rock kids."

• In 2005 and 2006, the MTV show Pimp My Ride used the songs Digital Love and Robot Rock, respectively, for the episodes that feature the Nissan 240SX and the Chevy Malibu.

Grammy nominations

• 2001 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording - "One More Time"
• 2001 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance - "Short Circuit"
• 2006 Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album - Human After All

Discography

Main article: Daft Punk discography

Albums

• Homework (1997) #150 US, #8 UK
• Discovery (2001) #44 US, #2 UK
• Alive 1997 (2001)
• Daft Club (remix LP) (2003)
• Human After All (2005) #98 US, #10 UK, #36 AUS
• Human After All: Remixes (2006)
• Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005 (2006) #34 UK

Singles

From Homework:

• "The New Wave"/"Assault"/"Alive" (1994)
• "Da Funk"/"Musique" (1995) #7 UK, #31 Australia, #1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play
• "Around the World" (1997) #61 US, #5 UK, #11 Australia, #1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play
• "Burnin'" (1997) #30 UK
• "Revolution 909" (1998) #47 UK, #2 Hot Dance Music/Club Play

From Discovery:

• "One More Time" (2000) #61 US, #2 UK, #2 Canada, #10 Australia, #1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play, #2 Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Single Sales, #27 Rhythmic Top 40, #33 Top 40 Mainstream, #32 Top 40 Tracks
• "Aerodynamic" (2001) #50 Australia
• "Digital Love"/"Aerodynamic" (2001) #14 UK, #9 Hot Dance Music/Club Play
• "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (2001) #25 UK, #3 Hot Dance Music/Club Play
• "Something About Us" (Love Theme From Interstella 5555) (2003) (promo EP)
• "Face to Face" (2004) (promo EP) #1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play

From Human After All:

• "Robot Rock" (2005) #32 UK, #30 Hot Dance Music/Club Play
• "Technologic" (2005) #40 UK
• "Human After All" (2005) (promo EP)
• "The Prime Time of Your Life" (2006)

Remixes

• The Micronauts - "Get Funky Get Down" (1995)
• The Chemical Brothers - "Life Is Sweet" (1995)
• Ian Pooley - "Chord Memory" (1996)
• I:Cube - "Disco Cubizm" (1996)
• Gabrielle - "Forget About The World" (1996)
• Scott Grooves - "Mothership Reconnection" (1998)
• Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out" (2004)

VHS/DVD

• D.A.F.T. - A Story about Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes (VHS/DVD, 1999)
• Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (VHS/DVD, 2003)
• Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005 (CD/DVD, 2006)

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• List of songs that reached number one on the Irish Dance Chart
• Daft Punk discography
• Schaffel music

References

External links

• Electroma Teaser
• Official website
• Official German website
• Virgin Records Daft Punk official website(for the Discovery album)
• Daft Punk's Electroma : first pics of the new film
• Human After All official website
• Human After All Official French website with Daft TV
• Musique official website
• Daft Punk at the Internet Movie Database
• Daft Punk at Discogs.com
• Daft Punk at MusicBrainz
• Daft Punk at All Music Guide
• Daft Punk at E-Lyrics
• Daft Punk at MySpace
• Daft Punk at Last.fm