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