Daft Punk
21 Stories That Defined EDM In 2021
2021 was yet another year that tested the strength of the electronic dance music community. Event organizers and ravers had to settle into a new norm this year, adapting to mercurial COVID-19 health guidelines in the name of public safety. And even though it was marginally better than the dystopian lockdowns of 2020, it wasn’t easy. But after all was said and done, it became more clear than ever that the virus can try to take the rave out of the person, but it cannot take the person out of the rave. Even in a vexing year for the electronic music scene, it remained as captivating as ever. Here are 21 stories that defined EDM in 2021. Return of Swedish House Mafia After a nine-year hiatus and countless cryptic teases, legendary dance music trio Swedish Ho...
Daft Punk’s “Tron: Legacy” Soundtrack Tops Dance/Electronic Charts 11 Years After Release
Nearly 11 years ago to the day, Daft Punk‘s famed Tron: Legacy soundtrack debuted atop Billboard‘s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Now, as 2021 draws to a close, the album has once again found its way to #1. As if that wasn’t an impressive enough testament to the diehard loyalty of the Daft Punk fandom, the sales data validates that 94% of the 10,000 album units sold between December 10th through the 16th were physical copies. To uncover what’s driving the sudden 1,364% uptick from the prior period, we need look no further than the release of the new transparent blue and clear editions of the vinyl print, which just recently went on sale. As with the 2010 original vinyl release, the new edition arrived as a Target exclusive. With the robots having...
Creative Studio Creates Galactic Visual Representation of Electronic Music History
A U.K. creative studio has designed a unique vision of the etymology of modern electronic music. The Manchester-based studio, Dorothy, published “The Electronic System and The Alternative System,” two art prints that reimagine landmarks of our universe as prominent figures in the history of electronic and alternative music respectively. The electronic music-focused print features influential artists such as Daft Punk and the founder of ambient music, Brian Eno. The structure of the art not only highlights the genre’s most impactful contributors, but also draws attention to the influences that likely inspired each artist. Naturally, legendary German electronic outfit Kraftwerk are positioned firmly at the center of the universe, the sun. After forming in 1969, K...
The 90 Greatest Albums of the ’90s
This article originally appeared in the September 1999 issue of SPIN. “You must be high.” We heard that a lot during the time we spent preparing this issue. Which is understandable. Pronouncing the 90 greatest albums of the ’90s is a somewhat presumptuous thing to do. When you’re measuring the music this decade is offering to history—the sounds we partied with, copulated to, fought about, and wept over—everyone has an opinion. That ours should be more valid than yours is debatable. But hey—it’s our magazine. What, then, you ask, constitutes “greatest”? Don’t even start. Suffice it to say that, after much heated discussion and countless veiled insults, it came down to the factors of both remarkable artistry and cultural shock value. Sometimes a record’s knock-you-off-your-Skechers impa...
The Guitar Used By Nile Rodgers to Record Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” Is Up for Auction
Finally—an auction not happening in the metaverse or being sold as an NFT. Iconic guitarist, songwriter, and record producer Nile Rodgers is donating nearly 160 electric guitars, amps, synthesizers, and more to be put up for auction, which will be hosted by Christie’s. All net proceeds will benefit the We Are Family Foundation and the auction will begin on Thursday, December 16th at 10AM ET. All of the musical instruments up for auction are ones that Rodgers has used throughout his seminal career, including the 1981 Tokai guitar he used to record Daft Punk‘s single “Get Lucky” (with Pharrell Williams). Rodgers’ 1987 Porsche 930 Targa Turbo will also be up for auction, estimated to be worth $150,000 to $200,000. Recommended Articles ...
Thief Steals Charitable Daft Punk Artwork and Sells It for $12,000 In Crypto
A Daft Punk hobby artist has fallen victim to the dark side of the NFT gold rush. The artist, who works under the pseudonym sodasprouts, had created bespoke digital artwork depicting Daft Punk to promote “One More Time,” a charitable fanzine dedicated to the legendary electronic music duo. However, she claims her work was stolen and subsequently sold as an NFT for $12,000 worth of cryptocurrency. All profits from the zine benefit The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for the LGBTQ+ community. “That’s $12,000 that could have gone to charity, $12,000 that could have paid for my spring semester of college or that could have gone to rent,” sodasprouts tweeted. “I’m sure more has been stolen.” Re...
You Can Buy This Rare Arcade Console Designed By Daft Punk’s Creative Director—For $27,000
While many know Cédric Hervet as Daft Punk‘s longtime creative director, others recognize him for his renowned design company, Hervet Manufacturier. And the French studio’s latest endeavor is an arcade collector’s dream. Embracing a retrofuturistic aesthetic akin to Daft Punk’s own style, Hervet has built a custom, one-of-a-kind arcade console called The Arcadia. His company will produce only 12 units, each of which house a Bose SoundTouch and 520 classic arcade games, including Pac-Man and Space Invaders. The Arcadia by Hervet Manufacturier. Hervet Manufacturier Hervet Manufacturier also produces many other stunning products, such as bespoke tables, chairs, a foosball table, and even skateboards, among other pieces, all ...
U.S. Ice Dance Team Performs Stunning Routine to Music By Daft Punk
Daft Punk continue to influence the world in ways you’d least expect it. Madison Chock and Evan Bates, a renowned U.S. ice dance team, brought the influence of electronic music’s favorite robots to the world’s oldest Olympic sport. The two crafted a stunning routine structured around a medley of Daft Punk tracks including “Contact,” “Touch,” and “Within” from Random Access Memories. The routine was performed at the 2021 Free Dance Finlandia tournament, where Chock and Bates smoothly glided their way to a second place finish. Though they may not have walked away with top honors, Chock and Bates were praised heavily online by figure skating fans for their risk-taking spirit: “I can’t recall anything similar, with so...
U.S. Pairs Figure Skating Team Performs Stunning Routine to Music By Daft Punk
Daft Punk continue to influence the world in ways you’d least expect it. Madison Chock and Evan Bates, a U.S. pairs figure skating team, brought the influence of electronic music’s favorite robots to the world’s oldest Olympic sport. The two crafted a stunning routine structured around a medley of Daft Punk tracks including “Contact,” “Touch,” and “Within” from Random Access Memories. The routine was performed at the 2021 Free Dance Finlandia tournament, where Chock and Bates smoothly glided their way to a second place finish. Though they may not have walked away with top honors, Chock and Bates were praised heavily online by figure skating fans for their risk-taking spirit: “I can’t recall anything similar, with ...
You Can Now Look Like a Dollar Store Version of Daft Punk With These Strange “Sunglasses”
If you’ve ever dreamed of looking like Daft Punk but simply haven’t had the money to burn on an ornate LED helmet, now’s your chance. There’s a pair of trendy sunglasses that will set you down the right path. These peculiar “sunglasses,” which are drawing Daft Punk comparisons on the web, are essentially glorified face shields. They cover your entire face, from eyebrows to chin. The polarized unisex visor, which features anti-fog layering, also keeps comfort in mind with a removable nose pad. Yes, in theory they offer more protection than your average sunglasses. But you’ll also look like a dollar store version of Daft Punk. ZGHYBD/Designboom Recommended Articles Various sellers on Amazon are offering these ergonomic face...
Watch Tesla Coils Perform Live Rendition of Daft Punk’s “One More Time”
Daft Punk‘s legacy will live on forever, especially when their biggest hits are remade using Tesla coils. To achieve this level of musicality, Fabricio H. Franzoli from the Franzoli Electronics YouTube channel meticulously tweaks the coils’ phase, pulse width, and firing frequency of the energy from the coils. By doing so he’s able to get them timed properly and formulate a song. Franzoli has done a few electrifying Daft Punk covers with the Tesla coils, but he doesn’t only perform music from the legendary robots. He also did a cover of a-ha’s “Take on Me” (but dubbed it “TAKE on ELECTRICITY”) using an “Easy-Flyback” driver, which is available on his website. That performance is achieved using the same methods as the Tesla c...
New Daft Punk Book Will Detail Their Three-Decade, Transformational Career in Music
A new book written by UK-based author and journalist Gabriel Szatan will cover Daft Punk‘s transformational, nearly three-decade career. The book, titled After Daft, will chronicle the legendary duo’s influential career and the upbringing of 21st century musical styles like blog house, hyperpop and “mash-up” DJ mixes. The book explores the “teachers,” or the artists that heavily influenced Daft Punk’s sound and their Homework album. This aspect will primarily focus on Black and Latin musicians from Chicago, Detroit and the American midwest. Readers will gain exclusive access to artists and others who worked closely with Daft Punk from 1993 to 2021 as well as hear the stories about the duo’s slow removal from the spotlight ...
