Written by: Sashwat Paudel - 23038, Grade XI
Posted on: 19 November, 2021
Daft punk was an electronic music duo formed in 1993 by founders Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter. They are widely known as the most influential and successful duos in music history and also for revitalizing dance music to what we hear and love today. This article will talk about how Daft Punk was founded and how they became one of the icons of music history.
Daft punk started out when the founders, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter met in 1987, at a school in Paris.They both had many similarities in interests and hobbies. They both liked the same music genre, they had similar taste in movies. The two liked each other’s company and started hanging out often. In 1992, they formed a rock band called Darlin’. They took the name from the song “Darlin’” by The Beach Boys. They then went on to cover the song and release the track along with it. The release meant a lot to the band, as this was their first release and the band had big expectations from the release.This filled the band with positivity and enthusiasm. This was, until a review by a critic called the song “Daft-Punky trash.” This criticism was something they had never experienced before.
The review itself did not thrash their music but it led them to believe that their rock music thing was not as great after all. At this same time, the two guys Guy-Manuel and Thomas visited a rave concert. They previously went to rock shows where the artists sang the same song that their fans had listened to hundreds of times, yet again in the concert. In the rave, they experienced something they had never experienced before. These artists made their own remixes and mashups at the moment. This made every party enjoyable and a dynamic feel to the concert.. Because of the reviews from critics and their experiences, they made a vital change in their music career. One that would change their lives and revitalize electronic dance music. The guys made a decision to change their genre from rock to electronic music. They disbanded their band and the two went on to produce electronic music. They Named themselves “Daft Punk” with respect to the review that called their music “Daft-Punky trash”. This is when one the most influential duos in music history was formed.
Daft punk’s debut EP “New wave” became an instant underground hit. This, along with two other successful singles “Da Funk” started pouring record labels deals to their door. Daft Punk knew how notorious record labels were, and decided to sign with Virgin records in may of 1996. Signing with Virgin records meant that the record label worked for them, unlike other labels which had a policy that would make artists do the hard work and then reap the benefits alone. The deal let daft punk own their recordings.This was not the case with other record labels. An artist could pour hundreds and thousands of thought, hardwork and emotion on their songs but would not even own the recordings themselves. Daft Punk were aware of this and made the right decision.
A particular thing about the duo is that they only recorded four studio albums for the 28 years they were together and producing music. This can be an indication that they were perfectionists in their own right. They preferred quality over quantity, and this can be a good lesson to other artists that you shouldn’t record thousands of albums and millions of songs to have an impact in the music world.
Among some of the things they're known for, they're particularly known for hiding their identity from the public with the help of their robot helmets. Believe it or not, they did leave a fashion legacy behind along with all the astounding music. The helmets served as both a wall to hide their identity and also for the aesthetic.
If you have ever seen them perform live, or you look at the persona that they put out for the public, these frenchmen did not intend on being famous and put themselves on the spotlight. They are known to be a shy pair, and thus why they were so much bothered by fame and people stopping and asking them questions at every door they opened. They were firm believers of the fact that music should be publicized, not the artist that created them. This is the reason why they are seen wearing robot-like helmets almost everywhere they make their presence. They have also done just a handful of appearances without the masks, most of them, if not all, before their mainstream success.
Apart from die-hard fans who know their personalities very well, there are not many people that care about the identity of the shy frenchmen behind the legendary music. This gave the freedom to the duo that arguably no other artist/celebrity had. They could enjoy making music the way they wanted it to be and not let fame and publicity take over. This really reinforces how humble and decentralized they were. Instead of falling into the loophole of stardom they simply rejected it and went on to make music. This also brutally proves how passionate they were for their music. They did not want anything to stop them from making the music they loved and enjoyed. They easily could publicize themselves and make millions out of it, or simply become famous. They let the music speak for itself and it sure did.
Unfortunately, the duo parted ways after 28 years of working together. They announced their retirement after nearly 3 decades, on Feb. 22, 2021, along with a video named “Epilogue.” With their retirement they left a huge legacy and helped shape modern EDM music.
