The Daft Punk anime Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem is coming to movie theaters on December 12, for one night only. It’ll be screened in over 800 cinemas in more than 40 countries throughout the globe. Tickets go on sale November 13, so bookmark this page to make sure you snag one before they sell out.
For the uninitiated, the film was first released back in 2003 and was a joint collaboration between Daft Punk and manga legend Leiji Matsumoto, who passed away last year. The anime acts as a visual companion piece to Daft Punk’s album Discovery. There’s no dialogue and minimal sound effects. It’s all about the music.
There is a plot, but it’s more a loose amalgamation of sci-fi ideas that act as a springboard to play Daft Punk songs. For instance, the band’s iconic “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” begins when the lead character gets a hold of some high-tech sunglasses. It is, however, a visually stunning affair.
To that end, this is a 4K remaster of the original. However, there has already been a bit of controversy surrounding this remaster. Distributor Trafalgar allegedly used AI to upscale some of the footage and, well, people don’t seem to be happy with the results. In any event, we don’t have too long to see how it all came together.
Daft Punk
To commemorate this limited theatrical release, the band’s releasing a whole bunch of affiliated merch. There’s a physical edition of the film, complete with the original Japanese artwork, stickers and a collectible Daft Club card. Fans can also purchase the soundtrack album in multiple formats, including gold vinyl and numbered CDs.
Becky Hill is digging through her purse as I walk into her dressing room. It’s about a half hour or so until she’s headlining at The Brooklyn Steel in New York, and the opening duo act GAWD is getting the already-hyped crowd, who has chanted her name at any lull, ready for her. Arriving at the venue, there was no doubt in my mind people were ready for Becky Hill, but right now Becky is ready for me.
She’s wearing a denim set that glistens in the light thanks to a thousand crystals, it’s reminiscent of Y2K pop queens like Britney Spears. Her face stretches into a warm smile as she hugs me and my photographer hello, ushering us to the couches and introducing herself as if I haven’t been listening to her music for a good chunk of my life. Sitting with Becky Hill already feels comfortable, and it’s all thanks to her.
What Becky was looking for in her purse was her set of press-on nails, which she begins to put on as we speak…like we’re two besties gossiping before she has to perform. We start talking about the year she’s had already, with releasing two new singles: “Disconnect” with Chase & Status and “Side Effects” with Lewis Thompson.
The two singles indicate a new album currently slated to release in May, which she’s so excited about. She knows how to write an album now, it’s a real dance album. She’s shed the fear of not being accepted for her album not being pop enough, and is showcasing her confidence as a woman, songwriter, and singer.
“I found that the music I was putting out wasn’t matching the music I wanted to listen to…and I decided last year that I was going to make a f—ing album that I would rave to, that I would be seen listening to in the clubs.”
She takes me on a journey: moving to London alone at age 18 with no friends or family to help her, she meets Karen Poole (or as Becky lovingly calls her, Auntie Karen) who has since helped her write and create songs like “Remember” with David Guetta. Poole is the melody queen, and Becky Hill has the voice that can take your breath away: powerful, gritty, moving, and real. It’s a match made in music heaven.
“If you would say a lyric to your friend, then that’s what makes the song,”
Becky got her start on The Voice UK as a member of Jessie J’s team, quickly separating herself as a star in her own right when she became the first and only member of the show to score a #1 UK single with Oliver Heldens’ “Gecko (Overdrive).” For the past two years, she’s received the BRIT Award for Best Dance Act. She’s collaborated with David Guetta, Joel Corry, Matoma, Jonas Blue, and more.
Since I’ve spoken with both Joel Corry and David Guetta, I ask her about those collaborations: songs like “Remember” and “Crazy What Love Can Do” with Guetta, and “HISTORY” with Corry. Joel Corry is a friendly face, a hard worker and “an utter sweetheart.” She goes on to tell an amazing story about her relationship with David Guetta, one of the most iconic DJ’s to date.
“David made a turning point in my career that he didn’t have to make. It just shows what a beautiful f****** person he is. “
When Becky Hill proposed her song to David Guetta she left out a few facts: (1) that is was her song and (2) that Guetta wouldn’t own it
for himself. Once she got his approval of the track, she let him in on the secret and he still wanted to work with her. Becky delves into how she hasn’t always been well-received as a woman in the dance sphere.
“I absolutely love and respect David Guetta not for his empire of what he’s built and who he is…but how he has treated me as a woman in dance music, which is quite rare. The respect he has given me has been second to none and I’ll always have him to thank.”
“Remember” is the catalyst track for Becky Hill- the one that changed it all for her and allowed her to unlock new, well-deserved success. It’s the last song she plays on her sets for a reason, the one he allows for her to perform at the BRITS, to celebrate all she’s accomplished summed up in one song.
She shares her dreams of working with Calvin Harris, but being a feature artist is not where Becky deserves to shine. As a woman in a predominately male dance music field, it hasn’t come easy. Someone with Becky Hill’s voice and already impressive track record should be a well-respected titan in her industry…but not everyone is so easy to trust a woman. Becky gets serious as I ask about being a woman in the industry,
“It’s more-so just deflating. I have had to work twice as hard in the industry- I’ve been working for 12 years, I came off The Voice when I was 18 and I just broke the UK two-three years ago. Still to this day I have been having to do features for people to even give a f– about my music. My label is amazing, but there’s still this conversation when I make a song about which DJ to put on. I think people are less responsive to women than they are faceless male DJs.”
She lists faceless DJ’s like Marshmello and Daft Punk, who have found major success while women have to dress and look a certain way to be well-received. She’s not wrong, but she admits since she’s broken through she’s seen more women have the confidence to pursue their dreams.
“It’s the same for all women: you have to be sexy…but not too sexy. You can’t dress too masculine, but you can’t dress too feminine.”
And while Becky Hill has navigated all of this, she’s still a blazing star constantly growing her outreach. It’s a sold-out show, her first for New York, with 8,000 people there only for Becky Hill, and you know it won’t be her last.
Award-winning creator Nick Brick has leveraged the possibilities of the world’s most recognizable colored bricks to immortalize Daft Punk’s capstone album.
It’s difficult to fathom that nearly 10 years have passed since the release of the robots’ Random Access Memories. But as the landmark 10th anniversary approaches of the project that brought us “Get Lucky,” “Doin’ It Right” and so much more, Brick has showcased the iconic album’s art using LEGOs as his creative medium.
Taking to TikTok, the LEGO craftsman showed off his physical recreation of the album’s cover while putting on the finishing touches. Inserting a piece of reflective sticker paper into the middle of the design, Brick adds a shiny flare to a spitting recreation of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo’s robot profiles.
The creator, who has exhibited his brick creations at conventions such as Denver Comic Con, Brickworld Chicago and BrickCon, has made a recent habit of recreating iconic album covers, including Green Day’s American Idiot and Muse’s Origin of Symmetry.
A small band of googly-eyed electric toothbrushes is here with a cover of Daft Punk‘s legendary track, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.”
The cover, which uses an ab belt as a kick drum, comes courtesy of Device Orchestra, a YouTube channel that creates covers of popular music utilizing devices like credit card machines and typewriters.
The toothbrush band’s Daft Punk cover has an audience of two dumbbells and a kettlebell, and one of the “members” performs with a mini 3D-printed dumbbell. Since the toothbrushes’ vibration frequency can be modified, this allows them to play the various notes and rhythms of the timeless electronic hit. The faster the vibration, the higher the frequency and vice versa.
While most of the world is out chasing Pikachu and other creatures in the Pokédex, electronic music fans should have their eyes on a different prize.
Last weekend, the gaming world celebrated the launch of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the ninth generation of the iconic Pokémon game series. There are over 400 monsters to collect and battle, but perhaps the most unique haul comes in the form of a secretive clothing item from the Daft Punk universe.
Players can equip their trainer with a robot helmet similar to the one worn by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, and unlocking it is actually quite simple. All players have to do to access the gilded headwear is find the store in the city of Cascarrafa and spend 4,000 credits.
Check out some screenshots of the “Cool Helmet” from the game below, courtesy of Hypertext.
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Daft Punk helmet in “Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.”
Nintendo/Hypertext
Daft Punk helmet in “Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.”
Nintendo/Hypertext
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are out now on Nintendo Switch. You can learn more about the games and unlock the Daft Punk helmet for yourself here.
If you still need to scratch your Pokémon itch, take a listen to VGM Essentials:Pokémon Remixed, a new remix album recently released in celebration of Scarlet and Violet.
