Electronic music duo Daft Punk have called time on their chart-topping career by announcing their retirement.
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter confirmed the news in an eight-minute video shared online on Monday (Feb 22), titled ‘Epilogue’, lifted from their 2006 film ‘Electroma’.
In the clip, the pair are seen walking around the desert, wearing space helmets and leather jackets in their trademark robot look.
After a few moments, one of the members looks at the other, removes his jacket and reveals an energy pack on his back. A countdown begins as he walks away and, as the pair stand apart, he eventually explodes.
The scene cuts to a sunrise as a choral version of the group’s song Touch plays in the background.
Asked if Daft Punk were no more, their longtime publicist Kathryn Frazier confirmed the news to Pitchfork but gave no reason for the breakup.
Homem-Christo and Bangalter formed Daft Punk in Paris, France in 1993.
They released their debut album, ‘Homework’, in 1997 and went on to record a total of four studio albums, culminating with 2013’s ‘Random Access Memories’, featuring the hit single, Get Lucky.
The LP won the pair the Best Album award at the 2014 Grammys.
Other hit singles, including One More Time and Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, cemented them as global superstars, along with LP’s including third album ‘Human After All’, live LP ‘Alive 2007’, and the ‘Tron: Legacy’ soundtrack album.
Since releasing their fourth album, Daft Punk have kept a low profile, with their most notable work featuring on The Weeknd’s ‘Starboy’ album in 2016.
