by benduhamel

Around noon on Feburary 22nd a video was uploaded to Daft Punk’s Youtube channel for the first time in five years. The 8 minute long video showcased the robots in their outfits from the “Human After All” music videos and Alive 2007 tour. They walked across the desert as seen in their 2006 film Electrorama. One robot takes off his jacket, the other presses a now exposed button, and a self destruct timer ticks down from 60 seconds.

The timer runs out, and so does their career. The robot explodes, and a  title card saying 1993-2021 is shown, featuring the hands of each robot forming the iconic pyramid from the Alive tour. The 28 year long run of the music duo had come to a close after 8 years passed without a new album. As a huge fan, I was left with many questions. 

Fortunately, Daft Punk had read my previous article assigning them praise and was interested in setting up an interview with the Water Tower. The two sat with me, still cladden in their helmets and gloves. 

Thanks so much for coming out to chilly Burlington, VT. I understand that you must have your reasons for ceasing future music production and probably don’t want to talk about how you came to that decision. I’d love to start by asking you: How do you feel now that it’s over?

Emotion.

Giovanni Giorgio had a blast working with you on Random Access Memories. When he performs the track ‘Giorgio by Moroder’ he laments that it is such a complicated piece and that his orchestra loathes playing it. Was this large collaboration with multiple orchestras playing difficult pieces a large contributor as to why you never toured after the release of RAM? 

Oh Yeah.

I’d love to hear your take on the current political climate in the US, and even in your homeland of France.

Television Rules the Nation.

Couldn’t agree more. Now for RAM you both had some serious collaborators. Giovanni Giorgio, Todd Edwards, Nile Rodgers, Pharrell Williams, Panda Bear, Chilly Gonzales, DJ Falcon, Paul Williams, and countless others, not to mention your collaboration with Kanye West. Is there anything you’d like to say to your former collaborators?

I need you more than anything in my life. I want you more than anything in my life. I’ll miss you more than anyone in my life. I love you more than anyone in my life.

We at the Water Tower have been asking our staff members ‘what is going through your head when you’re giving head?’, and I’d like to extend that question to you.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.

This last year has been especially difficult given the pandemic. Do you have any words of reflection or motivation you would like to share with fans?

Touch? I remember Touch.

Ah, I get it. You’re responding with clips from your songs. Very funny. 

Rock. Robot Rock.

That didn’t even make sense? Can you say anything new? Prove to me you’re the artists and not actually robots.

We are human. After all. 

Fucking robots.

Categories: 8, ben duhamel, interviews, march 9 2021