What is it about Daft Punk that makes people paint themselves with their lyrics and choreograph catchy little ditties for YouTube celebrity? If you have seen their videos online and listened to their music, you might have an idea, but true Daft Punkers will argue that you don't know what you're talking about unless you've been to a show. With fierce competition and jaw dropping prices to acquire tickets, few people are able to experience the electo-high of a Daft Punk show.
When the Da Funk Fest came to Toyko, Alive 2007 had just been released, fusing the energy of all those old favorites together, resulting in a seamless stream of power. I couldn't miss it, so I made the trip to Tokyo to pay homage to the French masters. Held in greater Tokyo's Makuhari Messe arena, I was surrounded by thousands of screaming fans from all over the world. When the curtain went up, neon light spilled onto the crowd, alternating static and lyrics, beaming incandescence onto the screaming, dancing mob. Famous for their love of robots, the French duo wear robot helmets at every show and make their radical electro-funk from inside of an enormous pyramid. The lighting is as important as the music; the glowing pyramid being the cornerstone of the Daft Punk image. Its radiance flickers over the raised hands of the crowd along with the music, starting with simple light flashes and building into full graphic photos along its walls. A lighting grate frames the pyramid like a halo while the back screen provides the background for the scene. With the music and the lights creating an electronic wonderland, it was impossible to stop dancing through the whole 3 hour show and despite being completely out of breath, I was still begging for an encore.
Arguably the most successful electronic artists of all time, Daft Punk have forged an electomania for the mainstream. DFA artist LCD Soundsystem alluded to Daft Punk as far back as 2005, making a top 40 dance record that featured the track "Daft Punk is Playing at My House." We have seen big-name artists like Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson use their songs to make hits, most recent success story being Kanye West's sample of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" which won him an appearance at the Grammy's and a number one slot on the charts in the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada (for starters). While this might make Daft Punk purists' stomachs turn, there is no arguing the proliferation of this group's past popularity. And as our culture becomes more cyber-possessed, there is no limit to how popular these electo-dieties might become.
Update: 3/3/09
Another movie score will be added to Daft Punk's orchestral repertoire...They've just been signed to do Disney's score for upcoming film, Tron 2.0.
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