Daft Punk: A Look Back at Their Legacy

On February 22nd, 2021, the legendary electronic music duo Daft Punk officially broke up. Whether or not the two members, Thomas Bangalter (46) and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (47) will continue to make music on their own or continue to collaborate with other artists is uncertain, but Daft Punk as a group is no more. They announced their split in a YouTube video titled “Epilogue”, featuring a clip from their 2006 avant-garde sci-fi film titled “Electroma”, a film that follows the robotic duo on a quest to become human. The film is ripe with cinematic beauty, featuring shots that express a creative confidence that other artists simply don’t have. There is no dialogue in this film, only sparse music, and ironically, none of the music is theirs. A theme of personal discovery and revolution is present throughout, and in many ways this theme represents a lot of what Daft Punk’s musical career was all about. It is rather fitting that they would revisit this piece in their final message to their fans and the world. In this article, I will be discussing their musical catalogue, one which spans from 1997-2013.

Daft Punk were one of the rare artists who were near-universally liked across multiple eras. Ever since their debut album, Homework, which was released all the way back in 1997, their music was boundary-pushing yet accessible. As their career progressed, each release became more hyped than the last; and by the time of their breakup not only were the two robots synonymous with dance and electronic music; but they had become top-selling pop musicians, a boundary-pushing rock duo, and elite hip-hop producers. Their music blended all genres, and their contributions and presence across all music spoke volumes and made a lasting impact. Whenever music made any bold strokes towards the future, Daft Punk were typically involved somehow; whether they were pioneering the movement themselves or helping behind the scenes. 

1997’s Homework has been labeled as one of the most anticipated debut albums ever, partially due to the isolated releases of certain singles long before the album (such as the album’s leading single, “Da Funk”), and also due to their reputation for original live performances (uncostumed at the time) across the world. Homework was a groundbreaking project, bringing worldwide attention to progressive French house music and redefining electronic music for many people. The sounds of this album immediately transports you to an underground club, one that claims to be luxurious but is really just someone’s blacked-out garage. The album was futuristic for it’s time, but each song is so raw in it’s composition that they feel tangible and real. The project exudes amateurism, but this amateurism suits this project and makes it more enjoyable. As you listen to the tracks, you find yourself guessing what instruments or tools Daft Punk used to create certain sounds, and it’s almost like the album is interactive.  Daft Punk was conscious of this effect, and refused any financing from their record label, after signing to Virgin Records in 1996. They believed that in order to “remain in control” of their music and creative vision, everything on the album must be financed themselves. This decision gave birth to the trademark authenticity found all over this album, and also allowed Daft Punk to own their master recordings through their own Daft Trax label. Materially, this album sounds almost easy to make; but conceptually, this album is decades ahead of its time. Classic Daft Punk sounds are birthed on this project, and musical concepts are touched upon that they revisit in the future. “Rollin’ & Scratchin’”, the 8th track on the project, heavily features a raw and aggressive sound that became the centerpiece of Kanye West’s Yeezus, which Daft Punk co-produced with West. 

Another thing Daft Punk did in order to “remain in control” was cover their faces; in order to avoid becoming celebrities and prove that people, even when put in a position of fame, have a choice of whether or not they want to be famous. After the release of Homework, Daft Punk wore masks or facepaint during public appearances and photoshoots. However, for the release of their next album, 2001’s Discovery, they wanted to up the ante, and create characters for themselves. They wanted to stand on the line between fiction and reality, and force their audience to reevaluate what is real and what is fake. To do this, they reached out to Tony Gardner, a special effects genius of Alterion Inc. With Gardmer’s assistance, Daft Punk directed the construction of two highly intricate robot costumes that have become almost as famous, if not more famous than the duo’s music itself. Thomas and Guy-Manuel wore these costumes to almost every single public performance they made for the rest of their career. When the press asked them about the costumes, the duo said that they were working in their studio at 9:09 a.m. on September 9th, 1999, when their sampler blew up. They claimed to have undergone reconstructive surgery, and to have emerged as robots. The two robot costumes are an immaculate example of showmanship, a showmanship that simply did not exist in electronic music before them, and a showmanship that has rarely been matched since. 

Even if you disregard the historical context surrounding it, Discovery is one of the best albums of all time. Discovery builds on everything Homework did perfectly, yet distances themselves from the project when necessary. Unlike Homework, which was not all that cohesive as a project and relied heavily on its singles, Discovery was meant to be listened to as an album. The songs transition perfectly into each other, and sound downright epic; electronic disco riffs often turn into sprawling grand scores with multiple acts of song. Even 20 years after its release, I can throw on Discovery and listen to it from front to back, and the project doesn’t sound aged at all. 

Discovery is dance music at its core, but that doesn’t stop Daft Punk from excelling in other genres throughout this project. On “Aerodynamic”, the album’s second track, there is a ridiculous guitar sequence that rivals even the best of rock ‘n’ roll. On “Something About Us”, the duo slows it down with a poignant and powerful love song that features a groovy, Jazz-inspired bassline. “Digital Love” is a timeless pop song that urges listeners to sing along, something you would have never expected from Daft Punk prior to this. The increased pop presence on this album is noticeable throughout, and the album thrives because of it; songs sound like ear candy and are more accessible than ever, while also remaining futuristic and boundary-pushing. By not committing to the electronic and dance genres entirely, Daft Punk was able to create a significantly more memorable album that didn’t only push electronic music forward, but pushed music forward as a whole. The production on these songs is so layered and complex, that oftentimes there are aspects from multiple different genres of music acting separately on the same track, at the same time; all reaching a different part of your ear and serving their own purpose to the overall beat. Daft Punk’s evolution is tangible on this project. When they dropped this album, they did more than just drop an album; they revealed a whole new aesthetic that would become synonymous with their music over the next two decades. I’m not just talking about the robot costumes either. The robot costumes are so great because they match the music that Daft Punk makes so perfectly. Discovery is like the iPhone; futuristic, electronic, and sleek. The robot costumes are a perfect representation of this, but there is more to Daft Punk’s aesthetic than the costumes. During the album’s production, Daft Punk commissioned Japanese animator Leiji Matsumoto to create an animated feature that acted as a visual companion to Discovery. The film was called Interstella 5555, and told a story about an alien pop band getting abducted and exploited. The runtime was exactly the same as the album’s, and the film basically acted as one long music video. In fact, the first four music videos released for Discovery were all taken from the film. Interstella 5555 was released in full two years after the album’s release. It combines science-fiction, anime, and music to make a magnificent piece of art, and the film represents much of Daft Punk’s inspiration and what they represent. 

In 2005, Daft Punk released Human After All, their third album. They recorded the album in just six weeks to evoke a purposefully minimalistic feel, and also to do the opposite of what they did on Discovery, which was recorded in two years. Daft Punk described the album as their favorite at the time of its release, describing it as “pure improvisation” and “the music we wanted to make at the time that we did it”. The album has a running theme of viewing technology as an oppressive force, and in order to enforce this theme they made no media appearances prior to the album’s release. The only promotional material used were music videos, which Daft Punk played a greater role in the direction of than ever before. Critics and fans didn’t like Human After All that much. The sound of the project was much harsher on the ears than Discovery, as Daft Punk magnified the rock and electronic elements on this project and minimized the pop elements. Listeners are pushed out of their comfort zones, to the point that some tracks are crafted to make the listener feel uncomfortable. However, it is in these moments where the album is at its best; Daft Punk makes you dig for the gold on this album rather spoon feed it to you. “The Prime Time of Your Life” features clicks and uncomfortable sounds throughout the production that evoked the effect of a cockroach crawling out of my headphones and into my ear. I was hypnotized by the effect, and it caused me to pay closer attention to the beat; listening to it meticulously as if I was reading a script for a movie. The tone of the production remains the same throughout the album; metallic, minimalistic, and fearless. “Steam Machine” and “The Brainwasher” are two other tracks that tightly adhere to this thesis, and they are some of the more rewarding listens on the project. I can understand why people were caught off guard by Human After All at the time of its release, but personally, I love the album and put it near Discovery in terms of quality. It has aged magnificently, and is a cinematic experience to listen to.

Speaking of cinematic experiences, it is worth noting how closely Daft Punk’s 2006 silent film, Electroma, thematically and aesthetically ties in with Human After All. In fact, Daft Punk originally shot a music video for the track “Human After All” but expanded on that footage to create Electroma. There is no dialogue in Electroma, and little music, none of which was Daft Punk’s. Electroma features long, cinematic shots that are meant to make viewers uncomfortable. Viewers are supposed to cringe and marvel simultaneously. These shots often take place in damn near utter silence; when I was watching it I could not breathe without feeling like the sound of air leaving my lungs would disturb the peace being created on screen. The film tells a poignant tale about the robotic duo as they embark on a quest to become human. At the end of it, they kill themselves in spectacular fashion, and it is implied that their capability to feel pain makes them human. On the album, I think the song “Emotion” represents a similar realization, that emotions make us human. More fans of Daft Punk came around to Human After All after Daft Punk’s Alive 2007 tour heavily featured songs off of the album, and they slowly began to understand its place in Daft Punk’s discography.

After Human After All, Daft Punk stepped away from their own catalogue for a while. However, they were still present throughout music. In 2008, Kanye West released the single “Stronger”, which famously sampled Discovery’s “Harder Better Faster Stronger”. “Stronger” went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all-time, and encouraged other hip-hop and pop stars to incorporate aspects of house and electronic music in their acts. The song is considered a turning point in West’s career, and it helped Daft Punk as well. The French duo became significantly more popular in the United States after this track, setting them up for increased mainstream success. Sales of “Harder Better Faster Stronger” jumped from one thousand a week to between five and seven thousand after the release of West’s track. Shortly after “Stronger” Disney enlisted Daft Punk to compose a soundtrack for their 2010 film Tron: Legacy. Daft Punk oversaw production of the soundtrack for two years, and helped direct an 85-piece orchestra. This was the first time they had access to a resource as grand as this, but it would not be the last.

In 2013, Daft Punk released their fourth album, Random Access Memories. This album marked their transition from Virgin Records to Sony Entertainment, and unbeknownst to fans until about a month ago, this would end up being their final body of work. This album was their most collaborative project to date; featuring Pharrell Williams, Giorgio Moroder, and Julian Casablancas, among others. This collaboration allowed Daft Punk to complement other artists' vocals throughout the record, rather than carrying the load of the vocal work squarely on their shoulders. On songs like “Lose Yourself to Dance” and “Doin’ It Right”, Daft Punk’s lyrics act as part of the beat itself, as they let another artist carry the song. Collaborators on the album would often compare working with Daft Punk on this album to being an actor working under a director; Daft Punk would tell them what they needed from them, they would perform, and then they would leave the studio with no remote idea as to what the final product of the song would sound like.

Random Access Memories is definitely Daft Punk’s most pop-heavy album. Because of this, the album lies somewhere in between a complete departure from their style and a continuation of it. Samples were not used on this album besides on the final track, “Contact”. Not only that, but Daft Punk used electronics significantly less on this project, except for the use of electronic drum machines on two tracks, vintage vocoders, and by live-playing a custom-built synthesizer. Daft Punk also employed a variety of accompanying performances in recording, including a horn section, a choir, a string orchestra, and a woodwinds instruments section. Daft Punk simplified their music, yet refined and expanded its scope at the same time. Groove emanates from this album’s every pore, encouraging listeners to strut and snap their fingers to jazzy basslines. The favoring of acoustic instruments over electric ones increases this effect dramatically, yet the ever-present synthesizer compliments these acoustic sounds to give them a futuristic feel all the same. 

As a Daft Punk album should be, this album is very cinematic. This was due mainly to Daft Punk’s increased attention to sound effects on this project. They worked with film experts from Warner Bros. studios to help them in this department, and had access to record whatever sound effects they wanted. On one track, the effect of a busy restaurant was created by placing microphones in front of forks at a random restaurant. On another track, the effect of water dripping was recorded on a soundstage. Daft Punk financed this album entirely themselves, and said that they ended up spending at least a million dollars when the project was said and done. Thomas Bangalter said that that number was “not important” and explained this perspective, saying that “There used to be a time where people that would have the means to experiment would do it, you know? That’s what this record is about.” 

Daft Punk’s investment more than paid off. “Get Lucky”, the album’s leading single, became the most-ever streamed song on Spotify at that time. This track also won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th annual Grammy Awards in 2014. Daft Punk cleaned up at these awards, winning Album of the Year and Best Dance/Electronica Album for Random Access Memories. The Album of the Year nod was massive, as it was Daft Punk’s first win of the sort, and a salute of respect from the Academy to the two robots. When their name was called as winners, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo stood up, clad in white and gold robot costumes to suit the special occasion, and hugged each other. They embraced for over ten seconds before heading towards the stage, and the emotion of the moment could be felt through the television screen. Beneath the robot costumes, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo are two childhood friends who set out to become musicians, and ended up becoming so much more. Watching this clip after they have broken up makes me emotional, and makes me so glad that they were recognized by the Academy before they stepped away for good.

Naturally, Daft Punk did not provide much context to their abrupt departure. A French television reached out to Thomas Bangalter personally asking for an explanation. Bangalter sent them a clip from Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times. In the clip, Chaplin is walking arm in arm with his lover, before stopping her and telling her to smile. She smiles, and they walk off into the sunset together. After the clip, a handwritten note from Thomas was shown. It read “If love is the answer, you’re home”, a lyric from their song “Touch” that ended their “Epilogue video. Above the message was a massive smiley face. 

Daft Punk was one of the greatest musical acts to ever exist. Bangalter and de Homem-Christo redefined what it meant to be a celebrity, redefined showmanship and live concerts, and redefined electronic music. This article is long, but I felt it necessary to give them the pages they deserve, although my opinion means nothing and they will never read this. Thank you Daft Punk for a historic career, and for a catalogue of music that I will listen to for the rest of my days.