Daft Punk music video creator, Leiji Matsumoto, has passed away

Fans of Daft Punk and those who were fortunate enough to witness their ascent to the peak of the music and cultural mountain will note the importance of not just their music, but also the visuals they produced, both via their helmets and ‘pyramid stage” and as well as through their music videos.  Those stark visuals, especially those for the iconic music video for their single One More Time, can be attributed to the talented Japanese artist, Leiji Matsumoto.

While Daft Punk has arguably been busier than ever since they announced their breakup in 2021, using 2022 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, Homework, today the robots and their faithful followers are mourning the loss of their artistic collaborator, Leiji Matsumoto, who passed away last week at the age of 85 due to acute heart failure.  Matsumoto’s daughter, Makiko, confirmed the passing of the artist with the simple statement that her father had “departed from the sea of stars at a hospital in Tokyo.”  While the tragic news made its way around the world, Zack Davisson, who operated as a writer, editor, and translator for Matsumoto’s manga shared these words:

As a child of the 70s/80s, one of the reasons why Leiji Matsumoto’s works hit so hard is because at the time, boys were not allowed to have emotions. They could be brave, or adventurous, but not sad. Not emotional. Love was not something you saw in Saturday morning cartoons. There was an immense sadness in his works, a grandeur nowhere else seen. All wrapped in powerful visuals that were equally mythological and futuristic.

As Leiji Matsumoto’s family and friends mourn the loss of the visionary artist, it is a great opportunity to relive his classic works, including his amazing music videos for Daft Punk’s Digital Love, Aerodynamic, and of course the all-time classic, One More Time.

Rest in peace to the one and only Leiji Matsumoto.

Image Credit: Daft Punk