Daft Punk - BE@RBRICK
No musician or band-shaped the musical landscape of the 21st century to the same degree as Daft Punk. The French duo revamped electronic dance music and brought the genre to the mainstream through collaborations and sampling, Daft Punk both took inspiration from and shaped the hip hop, pop, and even funk genres. In Medicom Toy's "BE@BRICK 400% Daft Punk 2 Pack (Random Access Memories Ver.)" the duo appears in their final album costume appearance in a perfect memorialization.
Daft Punk and BE@RBRICK Collaboration Background
Daft Punk and Medicom Toy enjoyed a long collaboration resulting in figures representing some of the biggest eras in Daft Punk's career.
Collaboration Planning and Launch History
The first Daft Punk figure set was the Tron Legacy version two-pack set released in 2011. Next, a 1000% set simply titled "Daft Punk" was included in the Medicom Toy Exhibition in 2012. This design, a replica of their Random Access Memories costumes, would be altered and rereleased for mainstream sale in 2014. In 2015, Medicom Toy released a super alloy version of the Random Access Memories BE@RBRICKs. This year also saw the release of a 100% size White Suits version two-pack. The White Suits version gained a 400% size upgrade in 2016. In 2018, the non-alloy Random Access Memories set received a 1000% size. The 400% size Discovery version came out the same year and received its own 1000% size in 2019.
BE@RBRICK 400% Daft Punk 2 Pack (Random Access Memories Ver.)
Electronica legends Daft Punk appear as they do in their Random Access Memories era in this BE@RBRICK set. The figures, each 11 inches tall, feature a light metallic finish, representing Daft Punk's robotic alter egos. Both bears wear a shiny black suit complete with ties and pyramid pendant necklaces. Homem-Christo's golden bronze helmeted figure features a matching bronze metallic plate on the figure's hands. Similarly, Bangalter's figure has silver-plated hands. This detail references the gloves Daft Punk wore to the 2014 Grammy Awards. The same set is also available in a 2.8-inch 100% size.
- Product Name: BE@RBRICK 400% Daft Punk 2 Pack (Random Access Memories Ver.)
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: character block-type figure
- Height (Approx.): 280mm | 11"
Daft Punk Background
Daft Punk was a French electronic music duo formed in Paris in 1993. The duo wrote some of the most iconic dance songs of the 21st century. After a nearly 28 year run, Daft Punk officially split up in February 2021.
Daft Punk Background: History
Daft Punk members Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter met while attending secondary school together in Paris in 1987. In 1992, the two formed a guitar duo, Darlin', but failed to gain traction. A negative review of their performance, dubbing them "daft punky trash" inspired their name as a reformed electronica group. In 1994, the group released their debut single "The New Wave" followed by their first commercial success "Da Funk" in 1995. Both songs were featured on their 1997 debut album, Homework. The group's second studio album, Discovery, came out in 2001 and contained one of their most recognizable singles, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."
Daft Punk's third album, Human After All, was the first to receive mixed reviews. In 2008, they made a surprise appearance alongside Kanye West at the Grammy Awards during his song "Stronger." The song marked Daft Punk's first televised performance. In 2011, the duo created 24 tracks for the film Tron: Legacy. They then released their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories, in 2013. The next few years saw the group working as producers and in features for other artists. They announced their split on February 22, 2021, with a video posted to their YouTube channel.
Daft Punk Background: Reception
As French artists, Daft Punk received more critical attention in Europe and on the global scene at the beginning of their career. In 1998, their second single, "Around the World" was nominated for a Grammy and won "Best Dance Video" at the International Dance Music Awards. The group won their first Grammy in 2009 for their second live album, Alive 2007. Their fourth album, Random Access Memories, proved to be the group's greatest critical success. It won Album of the Year at the 2014 Grammy Awards. Outside of critical attention, the group became a mainstay in pop culture due to their futuristic, masked appearance.
Notable Releases
Over Daft Punk's almost three decades long run, they redefined dance and electronica music in the 21st century. Some of their most recognizable releases even shaped popular culture as a whole.
"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"
Daft Punk recorded "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" on their second studio album, Discovery. The song centers around a keyboard riff from the 1979 funk song "Coca Bottle Baby." It gained renewed attention as the stand out performance on Daft Punk's live album Alive 2007. Kanye West sampled the song in his single release "Stronger" in 2007. In 2016, NME named the song one of the best 150 songs of the last 15 years. The song remains a staple in the dance electronica genre and influenced pop music of the following decade. The song's title has also become a popular meme format, reinstating Daft Punk's position in popular culture.
Random Access Memories
Random Access Memories is Daft Punk's fourth studio album and their greatest critical and commercial success. The album took inspiration from American music from the late 1970s and early 80s. Daft Punk broke from tradition and used more live session recordings instead of looping and sampling when composing the album. The album's lead single, "Get Lucky," reached the top 10 in music charts in 32 countries. It won Record of the Year in the 2014 Grammy Awards and sold over 9.3 million copies. Random Access Memories ended up being the duo's final studio album as well as their first to achieve Platinum sales.
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BE@RBRICK 400% Daft Punk 2 Pack (Random Access Memories Ver.)
BE@RBRICK 100% Daft Punk 2 Pack (Random Access Memories Ver.)
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