Daft Punk evolved from ’90s French house pioneers to 2000s dance tastemakers and became mainstream heroes in the 2010s. With early singles and the instant-classic debut album ‘Homework’ in 1997, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter quickly gained acclaim for blending Chicago house, Detroit techno, pop, funk, indie rock, and hip-hop into nostalgic yet futuristic forms. They challenged listeners with 2005’s ‘Human After All,’ marked by a cold and dystopic sound. Despite polarizing their audience, Daft Punk’s groundbreaking concerts, especially the Alive 2007 tour, influenced arena-sized EDM. Collaborations with Kanye West and The Weeknd expanded their mainstream reach, while their music was sampled by artists like Missy Elliott and The Fall.
Meeting in 1987 at Paris’ Lycée Carnot secondary school, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo formed the band Darlin’, which later evolved into Daft Punk. Inspired by pioneers such as Todd Edwards and Kraftwerk, the duo released their debut single ‘The New Wave’ in 1994. The critical and commercial success of their debut album ‘Homework’ in 1997 paved the way for their reinvention with 2001’s ‘Discovery,’ incorporating ’90s soft rock and R&B sounds. ‘Human After All’ in 2005 took a raw and repetitive approach inspired by George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four.’ Daft Punk’s career continued with projects like the soundtrack for ‘Tron: Legacy’ and the Grammy-winning album ‘Random Access Memories’ in 2013, which topped charts worldwide and produced hit singles like ‘Get Lucky.’ The duo disbanded in February 2021 but left a lasting legacy in electronic music history.