DAFT PUNK: questions and answers
They revolutionised music, then made a cartoon about it. Guy and Thomas tell us about childhood dreams, Gap ads and their new album
DAFT DATA
* Thomas and Guy's first band was Darling, an outfit dedicated to covers of indie hits but without vocals. They put out one single.
* Thomas' dad is a famous French song writer and wrote disco classics ‘D.I.S.C.O.’ and ‘Hands Up’.
* Their first hit, "Da Funk', came from messing about in Guy's bedroom.
* Jacques Chirac used "One More Time" in his election campaign to appeal to French youth. Daft Punk were unhappy and issued statements saying they had nothing to do with Chirac.
* Daft Punk collaborator, Leiji Matsumoto, has been working as an animator for 47 years. The number plate on his car reads ’999 Galaxy Express’
* Both Thomas and Guy prefer full fat Coke to Diet.
Words: Rob Fitzpatrick Photo: Perou
>>You've made a film with Japanese animator leiji Matsumoto. Why?
Thomas «After first album "Homework" we wanted to create an album and a story at the same time. We wanted to do something that had an innocence, like when you're a child and you use toys or Lego to build your own story. Working like this we could be playful, but at the same time show what we thought was wrong with the world.»
>>The film strongly criticises the music industry. Why?
Thomas «Music is in a bad way.»
Guy «At the moment it's all Pop Idol and Fame Academy. It's very depressing, music and people all moulded to be the same.»
Thomas «We don't feel part of that world. We wore masks because we never wanted to famous. We have a very strong belief that our music should first make us happy and make others happy too. There is nothing really exciting at the moment.»
Guy «None of these TV people want to change music, they just want to be picked to be moulded, like in a factory.»
>>Is it true the film personally cost you nearly 3 million?
Thomas «Movies are expensive».
Guy «But this was something we really enjoyed doing. In Japan the DVD of the film is coming with little toys of the characters. I think that's so cool that something I helped to imagine is a doll. We just want to enjoy our lives and we're lucky to be successful. I'd much rather have a toy to play with than a Ferrari. Why hoard your money and be sad until you are old?»
Thomas «We may be dead, hit by a bus, tomorrow.»
>>Are you working on a new album?
Guy «We do have a new project, yes.»
>>And...
Thomas «It's really too early for us to talk about it. Nothing is anywhere near complete. We're experimenting. The way the music industry is at the moment is allowing us to experiment. If everything is formulaic and we can finance ourselves to work outside of that formula, then for us there are no rules. We're setting our own agenda.»
>>So what's exciting Daft Punk?
Thomas «Technology is getting cheaper and I think that will spawn another underground revolution, not just with music, but with art and with cinema. All this you can do with a computer, outside the traditional boundaries people have set up.»
>>You did a Gap advert and got slated for selling out. That must have hurt?
Guy «We worked with Juliette Lewis.»
Thomas [talking over Guy] «It was an opportunity to reach a winder audience than normal. Let's say Run DMC, George Michael and Guns 'n' Roses defined certain sounds in the 90s. We got the chance to bring new sound to homes all over the world. You can criticise global brands, but you are already living within the system. I buy trainers [gestures to his Nikes]. I am signed to a major record label. Now can I be a sell out just after the ad?»
Guy «Even if you go off to Thailand and be rebellious you are a cliche. To live totally outside the system you have to drop all contacts with most of the world, and then how can you change anything?»
>>We hear that one of you is living in LA. Any new celebrity friends?
Thomas «No! [laughs with exasperation] We rented a house there about two years ago. LA and America have both changed since then. We were living in East Hollywood, a cheap neighbourhood. It was full of struggling bands. It had a good vibe, then September 11 happened and America bacame less free.»
Guy «We where never Bel Air, Beverly Hills. That's too plastic for us. We both live in Paris now We chose freedom.»
>>Your lyrics are always in English, not French. Why?
Thomas «French sounds great spoken, but sung? Ugh. You know you say 'hey baby' in a song and it's cool, you know? You sing it in French and oh dear [cracks up laughing].»
«AT THE MOMENT IT'S ALL POP IDOL AND FAME ACADEMY. IT'S VERY DEPRESSING»