Daft Punk, the Parisian electronic music duo and one of the most highly-regarded acts in the world of electronic music, has broken up. The duo is responsible for some of the most popular pop and dance tracks ever made. The news came earlier this week with an eight-minute video released by the duo entitled, “Epilogue,” which was taken from Electroma, a film the duo released back in 2006.
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter formed the Daft Punk duo back in 1993 in Paris. In doing so, they defined the style of house music that would change the course of history forever. They released their debut album entitled Homework back in 1997, creating a landmark album in the dance world.
The album featured some of the duo’s most well-recognized classics, including “Da Funk” and “Around the World.” By 2001, the duo put out their follow-up album, Discovery. During this time, the two began making public appearances, though only in their unique robot costumes, which would become the group’s trademark.
Some of the singles off of Discovery, including “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and “One More Time” solidified the group as world-renowned superstars. In the years to follow, their imaginative imprint in the world of music continued to deepen. They would release more records, including Human After All, Alive 2007 (a live LP), and the Tron: Legacy soundtrack album, which shook theaters when the movie was released.
After two decades of releasing albums and playing to massive crowds, the duo once again hit a milestone with the 2013 release of Random Access Memories, which featured the single “Get Lucky” with Pharrell. This worldwide single garnered attention from music lovers around the world, selling millions of copies and winning the duo two Grammys.
It may have helped that some of the guests on the track included American rapper and producer Pharrell Williams and Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers. These two were also featured on “Lose Yourself To Dance,” the next single the duo released.
In total, Daft Punk earned three Grammys from Random Access Memories, one of which was Album of the Year. This award show was also one of the last places that people got to see the duo perform live with a spectacular setup.
In an interview with Pitchfork back in 2013, Bangalter noted that “When you know how a magic trick is done, it’s so depressing. We focus on the illusion because giving away how it’s done instantly shuts down the sense of excitement and innocence.”
That same year, Daft Punk found its way onto the production of several tracks from Yeezus, Kanye West’s album, including “Black Skinhead, “On Sight,” and “I Am A God.”
In 2016, the group collaborated with the Weeknd to craft his hit single, “Starboy,” which was Daft Punk’s first single to top the Billboard Charts.
Of course, Daft Punk went beyond the singles, instating a sci-fi mystique and unique visual identity that carried them through the decades. The duo was sampled by some of the biggest names in R&B, including Jazmine Sullivan and Janet Jackson. They were also parodied in Powerpuff Girls and Family Guy. Even many art galleries around the world celebrated their work.
Make sure to watch the duo’s farewell video of Daft Punk here.
