Daft Punk Officially Announces Break-Up with Dramatic Video

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, otherwise known as the helmet-wearing and groundbreaking Paris-based electronic/dance duo Daft Punk, have officially announced the project’s breakup.

A decision as big as this, coming from a respected musical pair with a global audience and an untouchable legacy in electronic music necessitated special treatment, and that’s precisely what the pair gave the masses. Here’s a farewell video, of sorts, featuring scenes from their 2006 film Electroma in which the two robots say their goodbyes before one explodes, the other walking off into the distance:

Pitchfork asked Daft Punk’s longtime publicist to confirm the news: Asked if Daft Punk were no more, their longtime publicist Kathryn Frazier confirmed the news to Pitchfork but gave no reason for the breakup.

Originally formed in 1993, Daft Punk quickly caught folks’ attention around the world (pun intended), with their 1997 debut album Homework announcing their arrival, with “Around the World” making an impact on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually becoming one of the 1990s’ most memorable singles:

2001’s Discovery elevated their status further, with “One More Time” and “Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger” landing as hits (the latter being sampled by Kanye West in 2007’s “Stronger”:

2013’s Random Access Memories serves as the final Daft Punk studio album of original material. A loving tribute to the music of the 1970s and ’80s, it featured the runaway hit “Get Lucky,” topping charts in 30 countries and earning status as one of the group’s most memorable singles, even 20 years into their career. A collaboration with Chic guitarist and funk master Nile Rodgers and featuring Pharrell Williams on vocals, the song was irresistible:

If this is truly the end for Daft Punk — and, given the scope of that “Epilogue” video shared on Monday, it definitely seems like it is — theirs is a legacy that won’t be touched, and with good reason.