Throughout Dj Sneak's nearly three-decade career, he's influenced the sound of countless producers. In 1997 he released "Sneak's A Freak," one of the earliest iterations of filtered disco house. The groundbreaking sound would go on to dominate dancefloors throughout the late 90s.




Even though many credit French producers for popularizing the sound, DJ Sneak created the blueprint for it. "Sneak's A Freak" was a significant source of inspiration for Daft Punk's 1997 track "Burnin," Dj Sneak even appeared as a background character in the music video shot in Chicago.




The French robots revered those who came before them and name-checked Sneak alongside Green Velvet, Derrick Carter, Paul Johnson, and several other Chicago house legends in "Teachers."









Dj Sneak and Daft Punk kept a close relationship throughout the late '90s and early '00s. Both staples of the halcyon days of Ibiza, they joined forces in 1999 at the now-shuttered El Divino nightclub for a once-in-a-lifetime b2b set.




El Divino's history runs just as deep as the many DJs and residencies that started there. While smaller than clubs like Amnesia and Pacha, it was ranked with the super clubs of the White Isle and was the jumping-off point for parties like Defected and Roger Sanchez's "Release Yourself."




Daft Punk and Dj Sneak's set is a brilliant snapshot of the sound of house music at the time. The trio blazes through hits like Armand van Helden and Dj Sneak's "Psychic Bounty Killaz," Gene Farris' "Low Down Diry World," and "Ghetto Style DJs," by Rhythm Masters. They brought classic disco vibes into the modern era with massive basslines and big banging beats.






The night was also a jumping-off point for even deeper collaborative efforts. Dj Sneak wrote the lyrics for "Digital Love," released in 2001 on Daft Punk's Discovery album.




Epic b2b's are the stuff of legend in dance music. And it goes without saying that this one was historic. We may not have been in the room that night, but at least we can relive the magic through the recording.



This B2B Set from Daft Punk & DJ Sneak is Disco House Heaven 

The acclaimed DJ Sneak began playing out his original disco-infused house cuts in clubs around New York in the early 90s, creating a name for himself while simultaneously building connections with many of the biggest names in music we know and love today. Early supporters of the producer included Kenny Dope, Barbara Tucker, Todd Terry, Louie Vega, Roger Sanchez, Arman Van Helden, and Francois K.




Sneak was one of the first to champion the filtered-disco house sound. His sound largely inspired producers that spanned the globe. The famed electronic music duo Daft Punk name-dropped the “House Gangster” in their 1997 dance single “Teachers,” and also said that his 1997 track, “Sneak’s A Freak,” was the inspiration for their tune “Burnin’” from their iconic debut album Homework. They would go on to release a Dj Sneak remix of the song as part of the 25th Anniversary edition of the album in 2022.




What’s fascinating about Sneak’s championing of the filtered disco house sound is how the artist created it. Sneak limited himself to only four pieces of gear for his first productions. Not out of artistry but out of necessity. Stemming from his experimentation with the AKAI950 sampler, Sneak was ruminating on disco edits from mixtapes created by Ron Hardy and disco played out by Todd Terry.




“I went through each little button, and then one day, I found the filter. And I twisted a button. I was like, ‘whoa, what?’ And that became my trademark... So, Todd was doing straight disco, and I started filtering and making baselines out of shit. And then, sampling the same sample on another channel [for] the high end... The only people that were doing that shit were the drum and bass guys from the UK,” said Sneak in an interview with Gray Area.




And thus, Sneak established his dynamic sound and the filtered-disco house genre, inspiring an entire generation of house and dance music producers.

How Dj Sneak Inspired Daft Punk 

It's hard to argue the impact that Daft Punk had on the modern music landscape. From festival production to the numerous producers they've inspired, Daft Punk's contributions to the culture are innumerable. Veteran music journalist Gabriel Szatan will detail these contributions in a new book set for release in 2023 titled After Daft: How Daft Punk Rewired the 21st Century. The Bookseller announced the publishing deal with John Murray Press on September 22.

The book will draw from a yet-to-be-announced parade of more than 100 contributors to create a narrative of how the French duo has changed the face of modern music time and time again since their career began in 1993. 

The blurb for the book reads, “Following their split earlier in 2021, After Daft will be the most thorough attempt yet to capture Daft Punk’s unique position within the musical landscape. The Parisian duo’s success had profound effects on the sound of pop, the look of the modern concert industry and the acceptance of DJing as a creative artform. As such, After Daft will exceed the remit of a conventional biography by documenting the past three decades of music and culture at large."



Szatan is uniquely positioned to take this on, as he grew up with Daft Punk as a constant part of popular culture. For Millenials, they loom large as cultural icons akin to David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, or Prince in how they galvanized and inspired a generation. 

He said, "Beyond simply making joyous records, there are countless compelling sub-narratives which flow in and out of their career. Who were the teachers to whom the duo owe their sound? What enabled the Alive 2006-07 tour to crack America’s resistance to rave culture? And how did Daft Punk retain anonymity at a time when the internet erased privacy for everyone else? I’m excited to bring it all to light — as well as making the case for how, over 28 years, music really did sound better with them.”  

The London-based writer is well known for his work for Boiler Room, Red Bull Music Academy, DJMag, and Resident Advisor. You can follow him on Twitter

New Daft Punk Book Will Detail Their Impact on Modern Music Landscape

From house pioneers to electronic trailblazers to mainstream sensations, Daft Punk has proven to be one of the world’s most iconic dance music duos. With their first singles and debut album 

 (now celebrating its 25th year anniversary), Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have turned heads and gained great influence in their trade. Their talent for combining their favorite subgenres and composing novel, futuristic forms of music styles has shown their audience true innovation and creativity. Though they have constantly reshaped their sound, Daft Punk exists as a proper leader in the growth of pop music.

Bangalter and de Homem-Christo both attended Paris' Lycée Carnot in 1987, which is where they forged a friendship and began creating music. In 1992, they formed the band Darlin'. Darlin's career was short-lived, their music described as "a daft punky thrash" in a Melody Maker review that broke up the band. However, soon after their band’s demise, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo began experimenting with electronic music, creating their new alias from that same negative review and drawing inspiration from tastemakers in the industry such as Todd Edwards, Juan Atkins, Kraftwerk, and many more.

It was the demo Daft Punk readied for Soma Records in September 1993 that changed their lives. Soma issued the pair's premiere single, "The New Wave," in 1994 which was quickly followed by the duo’s first smash hit “Da Funk” in 1995. Once these singles dropped, Daft Punk was experiencing high praise in the industry by the electronic dance music press in being labeled as a new breed of house innovators. Because of their success, in 1996, Daft Punk signed with Virgin. The discography that follows is unprecedented. Daft Punk’s 1997 debut album, 

, was created and produced at their Paris studio they named Daft House and was a pivotal, commercial success. Their next production, 

, was released in 2001 and incorporated an array of genres into a polished, futuristic sound. Album three, 2005's 

, was an intensely raw track list that was motivated by the work of another great artist, George Orwell. Then came their fourth album, 

, which showcased Daft Punk's most bold live sets. The album and its single "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" won Grammy Awards in 2009. Shortly after that, Daft Punk released more new music in 2010 for Joseph Kosinski's film Tron: Legacy. The pair had a special appearance in the film as well. Daft Punk’s fourth album, 

 (2013), was a work in which the artists emphasized live instrumentation and artist collaboration. The album became Daft Punk’s greatest commercial success, encapsulating different influences from disco to indie to progressive rock. It topped the charts in more than 20 countries and became their first number one album, eventually platinum certified.


As for the late 2010s, Daft Punk kept active. They produced a pair of songs with the Weeknd on his album, 

(2016). The next year, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo performed with the Weeknd at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Later in 2017 and 2018, Daft Punk worked on separate projects. In 2019, they were featured in the Philharmonie de Paris' exhibition Electro. Then in February of 2021, with a special YouTube video to break the news, the duo disbanded. Although the two are now split, their legacy will live on and continue to emit its powerful influence, motivating artists’ inventiveness and expanding the future of electric pop music.

Daft Punk

Articles

Alexander Dias

Melisa Yuriar

Alexander Dias