Daft Punk: they came, innovated, and left a legacy [Magazine Featured]

Daft Punk announced last month the end of their 28-year long journey via a tear-jerking video simply titled ‘Epilogue’. Behind the masks, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have left a legacy in the music industry that only very few have accomplished. The French duo amassed a fanbase that crossed generations, genres, and cultures with their boundary-pushing and innovative sound to their unmatched branding to their jaw-dropping performances. Arguably, the greatest pioneers in electronic music, Daft Punk came a long way from when they first met at the Lycée Carnot secondary school in Paris in 1987.

The origins & the ‘Homework’ era

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter met when they were just 12 years old as their love for the Beach Boys, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and Andy Warhol movies brought them together. In 1992, the Parisian friends enlisted Laurent Brancowitz (now a member of the renowned band Phoenix) to form their first band Darlin’. After a couple of shows and releases, Darlin’ went on to disband as Guy-Manuel and Thomas pursued their next venture as Daft Punk.

British music magazine Melody Maker called Darlin’s music ‘a daft punky thrash’, resulting in the origins of the name Daft Punk. It was not long before the French duo signed a deal with Virgin Records in 1996 after the massive success of their first release, ‘Da Funk’. The pair went on to tour around Europe and even their first U.S. show (Even Further in Wisconsin) that same year.

In 1997, Daft Punk released one of the most highly-awaited albums in dance music history in shape of ‘Homework’. Many believed this album revived house music and pushed boundaries with its eclectic mixture of disco, funk, and house. One of their biggest singles in the robots’ discography, ‘Around The World’, took the forefront of ‘Homework’. The infectious single is considered one of the biggest dance tracks in history and a track that defined an era.

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