| DJ Sets ::Daft Punk (THOMAS BANGALTER
& GUY-MANUEL DE HOMEM-CHRISTO)
In similar company with new-school French
progressive dance artists such as Motorbass, Air, Cassius
and Dimitri from Paris, Parisian duo Daft Punk have quickly
risen to acclaim by adapting a love for first-wave acid house
and techno to their younger roots in pop, indie rock, and
hip-hop. The combined talents of DJs Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo
and Thomas Bangalter, the pair's first projects together included
Darlin', an indie cover band; their current recording name
derives from a review in U.K. music weekly Melody Maker of
a compilation tape Darlin' were featured on, released by krautrock
revivalists Stereolab (their lo-fi DIY cover of a Beach Boys
song was derided as "daft punk").
Subsequently ditching the almost inevitable
creative cul-de-sac of rock for the more appealing rush of
the dancefloor, the pair released their debut single, "The
New Wave," in 1993 on the celebrated Soma label. Instantly
hailed by the dance music press as the work of a new breed
of house innovators, the single was followed by "Da Funk,"
the band's first true hit (the record has sold 30,000 copies
worldwide and seen thorough rinsings by everyone from Kris
Needs to the Chemical Brothers).
Although the group had only released
a trio of singles ("The New Wave" and "Da Funk,"
as well as the 1996 limited pressing of "Musique"),
in early 1996 Daft Punk were the subject of a minor bidding
war. The group eventually signed with Virgin, with their first
long-player, Homework, appearing early the following year
(a brief preview of the album, "Musique," was also
featured on the Virgin compilation Wipeout 2097 next to tracks
from Photek, Future Sound of London, the Chemical Brothers,
and Source Direct).
As with the earlier singles, the group's
sound is a brazen, dancefloor-oriented blend of progressive
house, funk, electro, and techno, with sprinklings of hip-hop-styled
breakbeats and excessive, crowd-firing samples, similar to
other anthemic dance-fusion acts such as the Chemical Brothers
and Monkey Mafia. In addition to his role in Daft Punk, Thomas
Bangalter operates the Roule label and has recorded under
his own name (the underground smash "Trax on Da Rocks")
as well as Stardust (the huge club/commercial hit "Music
Sounds Better with You"). After four long years of anxiously
awaiting a follow-up to their brilliant debut, Daft Punk finally
issued Discovery in March 2001.
