Electronic music pioneers Daft Punk have officially called it quits after 28 years of helping to define pop music. The enigmatic Parisian duo shared the news of their retirement in an 8-minute video titled "Epilogue," taken from their 2006 film Electroma. Longtime publicist, Kathryn Frazier, confirmed the split.
The story of Daft Punk begins in mid-80s Paris. Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo met each other as teenage classmates, and later started a Beach Boys-inspired band called Darlin' with their friend Laurent Brancowitz (who later formed the band Phoenix). After a negative review in the Melody Maker magazine that described their 1992 debut single as “a daft punky thrash," the duo gave up rock music for house music. The next year, Daft Punk was formed.
They released their debut album Homework in 1997, introducing electronic staples like "Da Funk" and "Around the World." Once fans got ahold of their 2001 follow-up Discovery, the duo had reached superstardom. Electronic fans and non-fans alike were all aware of the mysterious robot duo, and especially the addictive tracks “One More Time” and “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."
The duo followed their success with 2005's Human After All and the live album Alive 2007. In 2008, they began work on the 2010 Tron: Legacy soundtrack, and in 2013, released the critically acclaimed Random Access Memories. The electronic duo surprised listeners by recording the entire album with live instrumentation. The approach was a smashing success, earning them a collection of Grammy's, including Album of the Year. The worldwide hit "Get Lucky" featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers snagged Record of the Year.
With their legendary catalog and iconic image, the duo has been responsible influencing music across genres and nations. Watch Daft Punk's farewell video below.
