By Raffaela Kenny-Cincotta, News Staff
It’s been almost impossible to turn on a radio this summer without hearing the thumping disco beat of Daft Punk’s newest single “Get Lucky.” Released this past May on the long awaited Random Access Memories, Daft Punk’s first studio album in almost 10 years, “Get Lucky” is currently jockeying with Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” for the coveted title of song of the summer. The overwhelming success of “Get Lucky” is partly due to its infectious vocals by Pharrell and its throwback guitar riffs by Nile Rogers of Chic, but it is Daft Punk’s painstaking attention to production quality that makes the song far more than a cheap disco revival (see: Bruno Mars’s “Treasure.”) Put simply, “Get Lucky” is catchy as hell, and it is but another classic to be added to the seemingly endless repertoire of Daft Punk.
The origins of Daft Punk are simple. France. 1987. Two adolescent friends, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, meet at school and decide to make music together. The pair started writing and performing indie-rock under the moniker Darling and like most teen garage bands, they kind of sucked. One reviewer called their music “a bunch of daft punk” and, along with their newfound love for house music, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo changed their sound and their name, setting in motion the saga that is Daft Punk.
Four studio albums, two live albums, and a major motion picture soundtrack later Daft Punk is one of the few groups in music right now that can be honestly considered artists. Rather than pump out uniform, build-drop electronic music like some other producers in the game, Daft Punk has a knack for creating beats that are simultaneously nostalgic and progressive. “Electronic music right now is in its comfort zone, and it’s not moving one inch,” Bangalter told Rolling Stone in a recent cover-story, “That’s not what artists are supposed to do.”
Daft Punk’s blend of old and new consistently pushes their music to new highs, creating a perfect fusion of techno, disco and electronic music. For example, “Digital Love” on the group’s 2001 LP Discovery, is a synth heavy pop record with filtered vocals and a mind-blowing keyboard solo that makes the song sound like it was a chart topper a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The entire Discovery album, in fact, is considered by myself and many others to be a must-have for any record collection. It contains iconic, groundbreaking compositions like “One More Time” and “Harder Better Faster Stronger”, songs that even non-electronic music fans are aware of and enjoy. Even going back to their earlier releases, “Around the World” on Daft Punk’s debut album “Homework” is a rocking, tech-heavy club banger with a bass part that sounds as if it’s coming straight off a Rick James joint.
What further positions Daft Punk on the cutting edge of music is the duo’s commitment to every aspect of their craft. Their image is as painstakingly composed as their sound. In the early 2000s the duo adopted the futuristic robot helmets that they are now known for, but even during their humble beginnings Bangalter and de Homem-Christo still wore disguises to hide their identities. Today, Daft Punk embody robotic ringleaders who, with the help of thousands of LED lights and screens, have the ability to turn a concert into an otherworldly experience. It’s kind of brilliant if you think about it. Generally, the appeal of seeing a DJ perform live is a bit lackluster. After all it’s only a sweaty kid with a pair of headphones on. But if you create a visual experience to compliment great music, if you create something mysterious and exciting, that’s what makes history.
Daft Punk has yet to announce any 2013 tour dates to support the release of Random Access Memories. All I know is that there are countless fans, including me, who will be there when they do.
Daft Punk Spotlight Playlist
1. “Around the World” off of Homework
2. “One More Time“ off of Discovery
3. “Digital Love” off of Discovery
4. “Get Lucky” off of Random Access Memories
Twitter: @SpotlightColumn
