Post by sacrilegend on May 31, 2007 13:16:53 GMT -5
Daft Punk is the collective name of Paris house musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974 and Thomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975). The duo is considered one of the most successful electronic music collaborations of all time, both in album sales and in critical acclaim. 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.
Daft Punk is also credited for producing songs that were considered essential in the French house scene.
Influences:
Bangalter and de Homem-Christo years before the release of HomeworkDaft 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. 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." 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.
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." 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." 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."
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. 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. During a later interview, de Homem-Christo clarified that "we didn't make a list of artists we like and copy their songs."
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 Interstella 5555.
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 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., 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. 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."
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." 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." 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.
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. In November 2006, Daft Punk stated on Australia's Triple J radio station that they prefer avoiding interviews rather than disguising themselves during them. The mystery of their identity and the elaborate nature of their disguises has added to their international popularity.
Live performances:
Daft Punk performing at the 2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts FestivalIn 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." 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. Thomas Bangalter has been reported as saying that there will be a DVD of their recent live set. In an interview with the Miami Herald 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. Also reported are dates at the Rock Ness Festival in June, the Oxegen festival in July and Lollapalooza in August. Daft Punk have also announced a world tour (excluding Asia) called Alive 2007.
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 Interstella 5555.
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". The music video for "Stronger" will feature Daft Punk.
Selected discography
Studio albums:
Homework January 20, 1997
Discovery March 13, 2001
Human After All March 14, 2005
VHS/DVD:
D.A.F.T. VHS/DVD 1999
Interstella 5555 VHS/DVD 2003
Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005 CD/DVD 2006
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daft_Punk
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daft_Punk_discography
Daft Punk is also credited for producing songs that were considered essential in the French house scene.
Influences:
Bangalter and de Homem-Christo years before the release of HomeworkDaft 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. 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." 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.
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." 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." 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."
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. 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. During a later interview, de Homem-Christo clarified that "we didn't make a list of artists we like and copy their songs."
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 Interstella 5555.
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 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., 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. 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."
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." 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." 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.
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. In November 2006, Daft Punk stated on Australia's Triple J radio station that they prefer avoiding interviews rather than disguising themselves during them. The mystery of their identity and the elaborate nature of their disguises has added to their international popularity.
Live performances:
Daft Punk performing at the 2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts FestivalIn 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." 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. Thomas Bangalter has been reported as saying that there will be a DVD of their recent live set. In an interview with the Miami Herald 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. Also reported are dates at the Rock Ness Festival in June, the Oxegen festival in July and Lollapalooza in August. Daft Punk have also announced a world tour (excluding Asia) called Alive 2007.
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 Interstella 5555.
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". The music video for "Stronger" will feature Daft Punk.
Selected discography
Studio albums:
Homework January 20, 1997
Discovery March 13, 2001
Human After All March 14, 2005
VHS/DVD:
D.A.F.T. VHS/DVD 1999
Interstella 5555 VHS/DVD 2003
Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005 CD/DVD 2006
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daft_Punk
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daft_Punk_discography
