I want to make clear that this article is by no means an obituary for Daft Punk. Famously, the electronic duo confirmed their dissolution a little more than a month ago in the form of an eight-minute video titled Epilogue. Pictured in their iconic helmet gear, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, and Thomas Bangalter stand, isolated, in an arid desert. They face each other for a prolonged moment.
Implicit in this locked contact is the reflection on Daft Punk’s twenty-eight-year run. Born out of the French house music movement in 1993, the group joined and, one may argue, defined the growing electronic scene in Paris at the time. The Roland TR-808, an electronic drum machine and one of the most heavily used synths at the time, was a key element of the music. Nevertheless, the Daft Punk sound was, arguably, defined by its quirky, elevated uniqueness.
When de Homem-Christo and Bangalter employed a blend of disco techniques — a syncopated bass line, the vocoder, and electric guitar — with their house sensibilities, a wholly distinct timbre evolved. Their second studio album, Discovery, proved this to international audiences. Notably, ‘One More Time’, ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,’ and ‘Voyager’ solidified the identification of Daft Punk as a critical figure in dance music. Not only was the duo independently groundbreaking, but they also spearheaded change through their collaboration with disco legends. Nile Rodgers, the guitarist for Chic, provided the bass line for the 2013 track ‘Get Lucky’, featuring Pharrell Williams. Additionally, Giorgio Moroder, Donna Summer’s producer, worked on ‘Giorgio by Moroder’ on the album Random Access Memories.
While I am now intensely familiar with their discography, I will always remember the first time I listened to Daft Punk. As an eighth-grader only just beginning my house and techno education — Benny Benassi, Diplo, and DeadMau5 provided the foundation — I was struck by ‘Instant Crush’. The minor key, compounded with the groovy keyboard melody, exposed me to a sound I felt I had never heard before. The Daft Punk sound ignited an urgency within me to listen to more of their songs. I didn’t realize it at the time, but ‘Instant Crush’ initiated my now-steadfast passion for electronic music. My struggle to picture and idolize the figures behind the helmets was essential to the duo’s identity and compelling message: place further attention on the actual music.
After the helmeted figures, part in Epilogue, one of the ‘robots’ blows up as the other watches. The remaining robot walks towards the sun setting on the horizon as ‘Touch’ plays in the background, repeating the lyrics ‘hold on/ if love is the answer hold on’. Even though the duo’s journey has ended, its musical momentum carries on. The unique strides Daft Punk made in electronic dance music are exceptionally incomparable.
With this, I struggle to write this article in memoriam. De Homem-Christo and Bangalter set out to ‘Give Life Back to Music’. Unequivocally, they did, and the physical heartbeat of their sound will continue to play on for all of us.