The French electronic music duo, consisting of members Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, have announced their split up after 28 years with an eight-minute video titled ‘Epilogue’.
Daft Punk, the French electronic music duo of some of the all-time dance and pop music hits, have announced their breakup. No reason was given regarding their split.
The pair have shared an eight-minute video on YouTube titled ‘Epilogue’, with clips taken from their 2006 sci-fi film Electroma.
Formed in 1993, Daft Punk helped pioneer and popularize the French house genre during the late 90s. Throughout their career, they combined elements of house music with rock, pop, funk, disco and techno.
Their 1997 debut album, Homework, was a significant record for French house as well as dance music as a whole featuring classic hits such as ‘Da Funk’ and ‘Around the World’.
Their next record, 2001’s ‘Discovery’, featured hits ‘One More Time’ and ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’ that would catapult into global stardom. It was during this time that Daft Punk wore their iconic and enigmatic helmets during their public appearances and live performances.
Discovery was also the soundtrack to the 2003 anime film, Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, which tells the story of an abducted band from outer space. The movie, directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi, is a tribute 1970’s animation and featured no dialogue and sound effects.
They continued to expand their catalog in subsequent years including their minimalist third LP Human After All, the Grammy Award-winning live album Alive 2007, and the Tron: Legacy soundtrack.
In 2013, they released their fourth and final studio album, Random Access Memories. The album paid tribute to American music of the 70s and 80s, and featured live instrumentation compared to their earlier albums’ use of electronic instruments.
Random Access Memories features the global hit ‘Get Lucky’ with Pharrell Williams. The single sold millions of copies and won two Grammys. Pharrell Williams was also featured on the follow-up single ‘Lose Yourself to Dance’ alongside guitarist Nile Rodgers.
The album also featured numerous collaborations with renowned artists including Giorgio Moroder, Panda Bear, Julian Casablancas, Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon, Chilly Gonzales, Paul Williams and Nathan East.
Random Access Memories earned Daft Punk three Grammys including Album of the Year, and was their first and only album to top the US Billboard 200. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 295 on their list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time“.
In the years following Random Access Memories, Daft Punk collaborated with Kanye West on the rapper’s Yeezus LP including ‘On Sight’, ‘Black Skindhead’ and ‘I Am a God’. They also collaborated on The Weeknd’s massive 2016 singles ‘Starboy’ and ‘I Feel Coming’ with the former track being the pair’s to top the Billboard singles chart.
Daft Punk’s split will no doubt be the end of an era. Their timeless music will continue to influence aspiring artists for many years to come.
