Last week, news that trailblazing French duo, Daft Punk had decided to split shook the music world. The band announced the news via a cryptic 8-minute video titled, Epilogue featuring a dramatic self-destruct sequence confirming they were hanging up their iconic helmets and leather jackets for good.

Daft Punk’s impact on electronic music is undeniable, their songs so ingrained in Y2K culture, it’s impossible to imagine the 2000s without them. From their wildly influential debut album, 1997’s Homework, to their fourth and final album, Random Access Memories which won them four Grammy Awards in 2014; their highly stylized movie-length videos and slick, post-human look, like a window to another planet. But, it was perhaps the duo’s sophomore effort, 2001’s Discovery, that hit the hardest, introducing utopian digital music to the world and leaving an indelible influence that can still be felt today.

Celebrating 20 years since Discovery was released in February 2001, let’s take a look back at the album that pushed Daft Punk onto the global main stage, cemented their iconic robot image and inspired generations to come. 

Daft Punk | “One More Time” 

Discovery revises the raw house sound of their debut, Homework with transcendent synthesizers and synth-guitars. Despite originally being admonished for its seemingly mindless lyrics and repetitive arrangement, the album’s lead single, “One More Time” was an instant hit, both in the club and commercially, remaining a timeless dance floor anthem to this day. With the benefit of hindsight, the song’s powerful simplicity proved it addictive. 

The iconic robo-voiced earworm “Harder Better Faster Stronger” proved an equally addictive future classic! 

Daft Punk | “Harder Better Faster Stronger”

The music videos from Discovery are taken from Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem – a sci-fi anime film set to the album in its entirety. Produced by Toei Animation, whose other works include Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball and more, the 65-minute, dialogue-free film relies on the music’s euphoric highs and lows to tell the emotional story of an alien pop band’s abduction; speaking to Daft Punk’s musical power of enriching electronic music with deep and universal emotions.

Daft Punk | “Digital Love”

It was from Discovery onwards that Daft Punk would forever be seen in their slick silver and gold metallic helmets and gloves. The duo accredited their highly-evolved makeover to a studio accident that occurred during the Discovery sessions, claiming that on September 9th, 1999, a mysterious computer virus and an exploding sampler collided, forcing them to rebuild themselves as robots. As they say, from tragedy comes triumph –  with the electronic equivalent of KISS face paint, the band effectively froze themselves in otherworldly time.

Daft Punk | “Something About Us”

With pure and uncomplicated emotional expression, Discovery made dance floor catharsis for everyone. The end of Daft Punk’s 28-year tenure might come as a crushing blow, but their anthemic catalogue of omnipresent hits leaves us with plenty to celebrate. 

GET DAFT PUNK ALBUMS, HERE. 

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