Daft Punk

Daft Punk are an influential electronic dance duo formed by French producers Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo in Paris in 1993. Their music is a fusion of electronic styles including techno, house and disco that has since been described as 'French house'. The duo are protective of their physical identities and are usually depicted wearing masks or with their faces out of focus - this was initially through shyness, although the image of man-machines was in keeping with the electronic nature of their music. The band are also known for their videos, using the skills of acclaimed directors Spike Jonze ("Da Funk"), Michel Gondry ("Around The World"), and Roman Coppola ("Revolution 909").

After a brief spell in a rock band they turned their attention to experimenting with synthesisers and drum machines, the results of which produced the 1994 debut single, "The New Wave". It paved the way for their 1995 follow-up, "Da Funk", an international commercial success helped by the video directed by Spike Jonze. The single was included on their debut album, the 1997 release Homework which mixed techno and house. Another single, "Around The World", was promoted by the Michel Gondry video which helped take the album to the Top 10 in the UK and France. A collection of videos called D.A.F.T. - A Story about Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes was released in 1999.

The follow-up album Discovery incorporated disco into the sound mix and made it to the Top 5 in the UK and France and Top 50 in the US, while the singles "One More Time" and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" drew new fans on-board. In 2003 Daft Punk co-produced, with Japanese anime legend Leiji Matsumoto, the animated film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, which is the Discovery album realised in a series of animated adventures.

The band toned down their man-machine image for Human After All, which was released to mixed reviews in 2004 but was still commercially successful, making the Top 10 in the UK and France, and the Top 100 in the US. The band released a remixed version of the album in 2006.

In a development of the machines-to-men theme, in 2006 Bangalter and Christo released their film Electroma at the Cannes Film Festival. The film, which does not feature their music at all, is the story of two robots trying to discover their humanity.

In 2007 Daft Punk released a live album, Alive 2007, which won rave reviews for replicating their scintillating live shows on a CD.