By Deirdre Shahar
Boston University News Service
After 28 years, French electronic music duo Daft Punk has called it quits. Yes, you read that right: the Parisian pair responsible for some of our favorite dance hits officially split on Feb. 22. The announcement was made with an 8-minute video titled “Epilogue,” taken from their 2006 film “Electroma.” The video shows the two parting ways with the dates 1993-2021 on the screen; pretty dramatic stuff.
While Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter formed Daft Punk in Paris in 1993, the twosome’s friendship began years before at school. They later gained great traction in France during the French house movement of the 90s with the release of their debut album in 1997, “Homework,” which includes hits like “Around the World” and “Da Funk.”
Known for combining elements of multiple genres such as house music, funk, disco, indie rock and pop, Daft Punk is considered one of the most influential acts in dance music history. With “Get Lucky,” soaring to the top of the charts in 2013, Daft Punk made an impact on electronic fans all over the world.
“Daft Punk wears helmets and keeps their identities pretty hidden, so the weird spontaneity of their news was unsurprising,” Raffaela Kenny-Cincotta, associate editor of Relix Magazine, said in an interview. “They’re known for their unpredictability, but this is just an absolute devastation.”
Other than being featured on tracks from artists such as Kanye West and The Weeknd, the group had been quit for a few years.
“They did a lot of live records, so people thought maybe they’ll tour,” Kenny-Cincotta said.
Instead, in unpredictable Daft Punk fashion, the group surprised fans during a global pandemic with news that they weren’t going to tour anymore.
“I think the fact that they’re French has a bit to do with this because they’re not as money-driven as Americans tend to be,” Kenny-Cincotta said. “You’d think that after they had a number one song [in the United States], they’d want to keep going, but that’s a very American musician mindset.”
Still, fans are hopeful that this isn’t the real end. Conspiracy theories have been roaming around stating that the farewell video may actually be a teaser for an upcoming album titled “Epilogue.”
“The jury’s out on this,” Kenny-Cincotta said. “But, it is very much in their [modus operandi] to do what nobody expects, so I wouldn’t completely rule it out.”
