20 Years of ‘Discovery,’ Daft Punk, and The Great Beyond

May Daft Punk always be playing in your house.

Written by Adithya Srinivas

Photo courtesy of Daft Punk

I know what you’re thinking: The title of this piece leaves little to the imagination. Yes, yes, yes — Daft Punk are an immortal and pioneering electronic production duo, and their sophomore album Discovery is an equally legendary and pioneering album that turns 20 today. “So, Mr. Afterglow-Writer-Man,” you say, “why bother writing this? What more could there possibly be to say?” 

See, I could tell you about the cultural ubiquity of “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” with its instantly recognizable vocoded verses, plucky guitar samples over an infectious back beat, and the perfectly paced build-up into a dance floor hit for the ages. I could mention that, even after being in every workout playlist on the planet, the song gained a new lease on life through its sampled inclusion in Kanye West’s “Stronger,” which cemented it as the single greatest electronic track to ever exist.

But you already knew that.

Dance albums don’t become legendary off the back of a single song, so I would probably have to say something about the crescendo of exuberant and youthful energy on the aptly named “Crescendolls,” or maybe the driving bass hits and relentlessly flowing synthetic guitar solo of “Aerodynamic.” I could mention the celebratory staple “One More Time,” its ever-inviting vocal samples, body shaking percussion, and bright, sunny horns. Or the song’s cheeky placement as the album opener, meant to remind everyone playing the album on repeat that they’re in for another go. I also couldn’t forget to highlight “Superheros” and its always-heeded call for “hands in the air,” or the groovy “High Life” either, both being just more feathers in the cap of Discovery.

But even your dad — the Guns N’ Roses stan he may be — knew about all of that.

I could talk about how in the midst of the club-banger energy, Discovery has its fair share of love to give. The downtempo and sensual “Something About Us” and its sexy bassline provide one flavor, while the rock-inspired love letter “Digital Love” provides another — not to mention its knock-your-socks-off keyboard solo. If the vibes were a little too positive, well too bad — because “Face to Face” turns the album’s breakup/rejection anthem into a low-key dance hit.

But even your grandma knew that.

Image courtesy of Parlophone Records

I could tell you about the instrumental prowess of Daft Punk, first showing off their pure musicality in the spacy, ethereal, and dreamy “Nightvision.” The bass-led midnight drive vibes of “Voyager” are ageless and could play on repeat forever without anyone noticing. “Veridis Quo” provides a space in the album for introspection, with its melancholy lead synths adding a moment of serenity to an otherwise relentlessly active tracklist. 

But even grandma’s Bingo and Bridge buddies knew about that.

I would be remiss not to tell you that Discovery is what many consider to be the crown jewel in the long and illustrious career of Daft Punk. Thomas Bangalter and Guillaume Emmanuel de Homem-Christo rose from the demise of their band Darlin’ — panned by some critic as “daft punky thrash” — and debuted with the French House pioneering album Homework. 

Following Discovery and its accompanying animated film Interstella 5555, they went on journeys through the stripped-back, sobering Human After All and cinematic cyberspace of TRON: Legacy, before culminating in the musical genius of Random Access Memories. It was a 28-year career that amassed a discography that is, and will always be, the envy of every DJ and producer on this planet. It was a career that ended with a heartbreaking goodbye and retirement on the morning of Feb. 22, 2021.

But everyone knew that.

So — I guess I never answered the question — what is there to say?

Nothing. Nothing at all. Just listen.

Photo courtesy of Daft Punk

Editor’s Note: A previous iteration of this piece erroneously noted that a Daft Punk song was sampled in Kanye West’s “POWER.” This has now been edited for accuracy.