Thomas Bangalter | |
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.jpg) Bangalter in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Thomas Bangalter (1975-01-03)3 January 1975 (age 50) Paris, France |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
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Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Thomas Bangalter (French pronunciation:[tɔmɑbɑ̃ɡaltɛʁ]; born 3 January 1975)[1] is a French musician, DJ, record producer, singer-songwriter, composer, and director. He is best known as one half of the former Frenchhouse music duoDaft Punk, alongsideGuy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. He has recorded and released music as a member of the trioStardust, the duoTogether, and as a solo artist. Bangalter's work has influenced a wide range of artists in various genres.[2]
Bangalter owned the music labelRoulé until its liquidation in 2018.[3] Since Daft Punk's breakup in 2021, he has released music under his solo label, Alberts & Gothmaan, an anagram of his name. He has provided compositions for several films, leading the soundtrack toIrréversible, as well as the balletMythologies. Outside of music production, his credits include film director andcinematographer. Bangalter is the son of French music composer and artistDaniel Vangarde.
Bangalter was born on 3 January 1975[4] inParis.[5] He began playing the piano at the age of 6,[6] taking lessons from a music staff member of theParis Opera.[7] Bangalter has stated that his parents were strict in keeping up his practice, for which he later thanked them.[8] His father,Daniel Vangarde, was a songwriter and producer for performers such as theGibson Brothers,Ottawan andSheila B. Devotion.[9] As expressed by Bangalter, "I never had any intention to do what my father was doing".[10] Bangalter's father isFrench Jewish, but the family did not consider themselves religious.[11]
Bangalter met Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo while attending theLycée Carnot in 1987.[4] They discovered their mutual fascination with films and music of the 1960s and 1970s, "very basic cult teenager things, fromEasy Rider to theVelvet Underground."[12] They andLaurent Brancowitz eventually joined to form anindie rock trio calledDarlin',[13] in which Bangalter performed bass guitar. Bangalter felt that "It was still maybe more a teenage thing at that time. It's like, you know, everybody wants to be in a band."[12] A negative review fromMelody Maker magazine referred to their music as "a daft punky thrash",[14] which inspired Bangalter and de Homem-Christo's new band name.[15]
Shortly before reaching the age of 18, the newly formedDaft Punk became interested inelectronic music, which led Brancowitz to leave the group in pursuit of efforts with fellow Parisian bandPhoenix.[12] In 1993 Bangalter presented a demo of Daft Punk material to Stuart Macmillan ofSlam that led to their first single "The New Wave". Daniel Vangarde provided valuable advice for the duo. "He helped us by presenting to us what the situation was with the record industry and how it worked. Knowing that, we made certain choices in order to achieve what we wanted."[15]
Vangarde was thanked for his efforts in the liner notes ofHomework. The title of the album is partially attributed to the fact thatHomework was recorded in Bangalter's bedroom. As he remarked, "I had to move the bed into another room to make space for the gear."[9] In the years following the 1997 release, Bangalter focused on his own record label,Roulé ("rolled" in French). The label released singles byRomanthony,Roy Davis Jr., and Bangalter's own solo material among others. In 1996, Bangalter was in a group known as Da Mongoloids, consisting ofArmand Van Helden, Bangalter, andJunior Sanchez, under the record labelStrictly Rhythm. They created the song "Spark da Meth", which was their only song.[16] Bangalter's solo works were released on two vinyl-only EPs titledTrax on da Rocks in 1995 and 1998 respectively. The songs "Outrun", "Extra Dry", and "Turbo" from the EPs later appeared in the video gameMidnight Club II. The track "On da Rocks" was featured in a "Da Funk" behind-the-scenes video included withD.A.F.T.: A Story About Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes. Bangalter collaborated withAlan Braxe andBenjamin Diamond and in 1998 released the club hit "Music Sounds Better with You" under the nameStardust. Just as forHomework, the single was recorded in Bangalter's home studio.[9]
Around the same time of "Music Sounds Better with You", Bangalter co-producedBob Sinclar's second single titled "Gym Tonic". The single caused a minor dispute as it contained samples from aJane Fonda workout tape, which led Fonda herself to refuse permission for the single to be released officially.[17] A different act calledSpacedust released a re-recorded version of the track, titled "Gym and Tonic" underEast West Records to wider commercial success. "Gym and Tonic" became a number one single in the United Kingdom[18] shortly after "Music Sounds Better with You" had peaked at number two in the same chart.[19]
During 1998, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo collaborated with Romanthony in what would become the first of theDiscovery sessions.[4] One of the tracks produced, "One More Time" became a hit Daft Punk single in 2000. Bangalter also performed on aYamaha CS-60 synthesizer on the track "Embuscade" in Phoenix's debut albumUnited, which was released the same year. He also teamed up withDJ Falcon under the name Together to releasetheir eponymous 2000 single.
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Bangalter produced the score to the filmIrréversible, released in 2002. Asoundtrack album of the same name was later released featuring Bangalter's tracks as well as the works byGustav Mahler,Étienne Daho andBeethoven used in the film. North American pressings of the album feature only the Bangalter tracks. Three of the tracks from theTrax on da Rocks EPs were released on the album: "Outrun", "Ventura" and "Extra Dry". 2002 also saw the release of the Bangalter produced track "113 Fout La Merde" for French hip hop group113. Bangalter can be seen dancing in the music video, wearing his Daft Punk helmet.
Together released the single "So Much Love to Give" in 2003. TheEric Prydz track "Call on Me" based onSteve Winwood's song "Valerie" was mistakenly thought to be a Together release. According to DJ Falcon, Together had previously sampled "Valerie" similarly in their solo mixes prior to Prydz's track, but they had no intention to release it as a single.[20] In 2005 Daft Punk released their third studio album,Human After All. As de Homem-Christo noted, "Every album we've done is tightly linked with our lives. [...] The internal, personal stuff Thomas went through duringHuman After All made it closer to where he was at the time".[21]
Bangalter was the sound effects director for the 2009 filmEnter the Void, his second work with filmmakerGaspar Noé followingIrréversible.[22] He initially had been approached by Noé to compose the soundtrack ofEnter the Void, but Bangalter was preoccupied with work on theTron: Legacy score at the time. Bangalter instead provided various clips of drones and ambiance for the film to be accompanied by music by other artists from the 1960s and 70s.[23] He is billed in the credits as sound effects director, and the film features his track "Désaccords" originally composed forIrréversible.
In 2010, Bangalter and Homem-Christo were admitted into theOrdre des Arts et des Lettres, an order of merit of France. The two were individually awarded the rank ofChevalier (knight).[24] In 2011, Bangalter directed and choreographed a short film featuringÉlodie Bouchez that served as an advertisement for the fashion lineCo.[25] A year later, Bangalter scored the short filmFirst Point directed by Richard Phillips and starringLindsay Lohan.[26]
In 2013 Bangalter and Homem-Christo released their fourth studio album,Random Access Memories. One of the collaborators on the album,Giorgio Moroder, recalled that the duo had a perfectionist approach; he had recorded his vocal contribution on multiple microphones despite the fact that only Bangalter would notice the difference.[27] In 2016, Daft Punk produced and co-wrote two songs fromThe Weeknd'sthird studio album, "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming," the former of which became the duo's first number one hit on theBillboard Hot 100.[28] In June 2017, Daft Punk also produced and co-wrote a single for the Australian electropop bandParcels. The single would be Daft Punk's final released production.[29]
Bangalter was one of the producers onArcade Fire's albumEverything Now, which released July 2017.[30] In 2018 he worked with Noé again, providing two tracks for the filmClimax, including the previously unreleased “Sangria.”[31] He also co-produced and co-wrote two tracks fromMatthieu Chedid's 2019 albumLettre infinie, while also mastering the album.[32]
Later in 2018, Alan Braxe and Benjamin Diamond revealed that they and Bangalter returned to the studio to work on a remastered version of "Music Sounds Better with You" for the song's twentieth anniversary.[33] Bangalter's label Roulé was liquidated the same year.[3] The remaster released on 28 June 2019.[34]
On 22 February 2021, Daft Punk released a video announcing their disbandment.[35][36] Upon request for an official statement regarding the disbandment, Bangalter released a handwritten note quoting the Daft Punk song "Touch" alongside a clip of the 1936 filmModern Times, in which one character tells another to smile before they both walk away into the distance.[37] Friend and collaboratorTodd Edwards clarified that Bangalter and Homem-Christo remain active separately, and that Bangalter in particular was looking into potential solo projects.[38] The two still share a studio and equipment.[7]
The 2022 filmEn Corps, directed byCédric Klapisch, features a score byHofesh Shechter with a brief contribution from Bangalter.[39]
In July 2021, it was announced that Bangalter's first major solo project following Daft Punk's split would be providing the score to a French ballet titledMythologies, presented by Ballet Preljocaj. The 90-minute ballet, premiering in July 2022, features direction and choreography byAngelin Preljocaj and original music by Bangalter, with musical direction by Romain Dumas.[40] The ballet premiered at theGrand Théâtre de Bordeaux, with the show having plans to tour.[41] An album version of the score was later announced for release on vinyl and CD in April 2023 byErato Records, in conjunction with a new solo label from Bangalter called Alberts & Gothmaan.[42]
During the promotion ofMythologies, Bangalter spoke to several news outlets about the solo project, Daft Punk's anniversary releases, and the duo's split. He noted that he would eschew his robotic persona, citing concerns in AI and technological developments: "As much as I love this character, the last thing I would want to be, in the world we live in, in 2023, is a robot."[43][7] When asked if he was renouncing electronic music entirely, Bangalter clarified that, while Daft Punk was a "thing of the past," he had no intention of permanently abandoning drum machines and synthesizers for future projects.[44] The press release ofMythologies included a drawing of his unmasked face byVulture Magazine illustrator Stéphane Manel, and contemporaneous interviews feature Bangalter without a costume.[42][7]
In October 2023, Bangalter was one of the participants in a 25-hour event called "La Grande Veillée" celebrating the reopening of theThéâtre de la Ville in Paris. He performed an original composition alongside 32 dancers on stage choreographed by Saïdo Lehlouh.[45][46][47] In July 2024, a ballet, entitledApaches, premiered with choreography by Lehlouh and music scored by Bangalter.[48]
In November 2023, Bangalter worked with the artistJR and choreographerDamien Jalet on an art project calledChiroptera presented in front of thePlace de l'Opera. Bangalter composed music for the project, with Jalet choreographing over 150 dancers in a cavernous art structure. It was performed to the public for free twice on the evening of November 12.[49][50] The soundtrack was released in June 2024 on digital platforms and released on vinyl in August viaBecause Music. Alongside the finished music of the performance, a nearly six-hour track of raw music by Bangalter from theChiroptera sessions was released as well.[51][52][53] JR and filmmakerAlice Rohrwacher co-directed a 2024 short film connected to the themes ofChiroptera titledAn Urban Allegory, which is scored by Bangalter's music for the project and choreographed by Jalet.[54] Bangalter would provide music to a ballet choreographed by Jalet in 2024 calledMirage.[55] After meeting Kunihiko Morinaga collaborating onMirage, Bangalter composed original music for Anrealage's fall 2025 and spring 2026 shows forParis Fashion Week.[56][57][58]
Bangalter composed the original score forQuentin Dupieux's filmDaaaaaalí! which premiered at the 2023Venice Film Festival and had a wide release in 2024.[59][60] Bangalter's music was released on streaming services and on a limited 10" vinyl viaEd Banger Records in February 2024.[61][62]
In 2022, Bangalter was seen in the studio with rapperLil Nas X.[63][64] In November 2024, Lil Nas X released the single "Light Again!" written and produced with Bangalter.[65][66]
In 2023, it was reported that Bangalter would appear on two tracks of the solo albumTimes from formerKraftwerk memberWolfgang Flür. The tracks, released in March 2025, supposedly featured Bangalter under the name "Thomas Vangarde" alongsidePeter Hook.[67][68] However, it was revealed after the album's release that the person Flür had collaborated with was an online imposter impersonating Bangalter.[69]
In April 2025,Sons of Raphael released the main theme to theAmazon Prime Video seriesÉtoile.[70] Both the theme tune and aB-side were produced by Bangalter and released under his Alberts & Gothmaan label.[71][72]
Bangalter was cast in the filmChien 51 directed byCédric Jimenez. It is his first acting role in a film other than a cameo in Quentin Dupieux's 2014 filmReality.[73][74]
In October 2025, Bangalter was announced as a surprise performer alongsideFred Again,Erol Alkan, andPedro Winter atBecause Music's live show at theCentre Pompidou before its closing for renovations.[75] It was Bangalter's first public DJ set since 2009.[76]
Bangalter will feature onOrelsan's albumLa Fuite en Avant, set for release 7 November 2025. Bangalter worked on the track "Yoroï", the title track for the French film of the same name starring and co-written by Orelsan.[77]
Bangalter is married to French actressÉlodie Bouchez, with whom he has two sons named Tara-Jay (born 2002)[10][78] and Roxan (born 2008).[78][79] In 2004, they took up residence inBeverly Hills, California, a decision attributable to Bouchez's Hollywood career and Bangalter's own interests in filmmaking.[10][78] As of 2013[update], they live in Paris, while Daft Punk's creative offices remained in Los Angeles.[80]
It was reported that Bangalter had quit DJing in clubs due to developingtinnitus in 2002, saying, "I've given up because I want to protect my ears." Orde Meikle ofSlam later stated that Bangalter had sufficiently recovered from the condition, stating that "he had a bit of a scare and thought he'd damaged his ear and had to take obviously reasonably drastic steps to see how bad the damage was".[81]
| Year | Title | Artist | Album | Credit(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "M18" | Manu Le Malin | Memory EP | Composer, producer | Originally credited as featuring "Draft Ponk" |
| 1998 | "Music Sounds Better With You" | Stardust | Non-album single | ||
| "Gym Tonic" | Bob Sinclar | Paradise | Produced with Bob Sinclar | ||
| 2000 | "Embuscade" | Phoenix | United | Synthesizer | |
| 2002 | "Fout La Merde" | 113 | Dans L'Urgence | Featured artist, vocals | |
| 2017 | "Everything Now" | Arcade Fire | Everything Now | Producer, synthesizer | Produced with Arcade Fire,Steve Mackey,Markus Dravs, Eric Heigle |
| "Signs of Life" | Producer | ||||
| "Electric Blue" | |||||
| "Put Your Money On Me" | Producer, programming | ||||
| 2019 | "Supercherie" | -M- | Lettre infinie | Composer, producer | Produced and co-written with -M- |
| "L'autre paradis" | Composer, producer, synthesizer, choir vocals | ||||
| 2024 | "Light Again!" | Lil Nas X | Dreamboy | Composer, producer | Produced with Lil Nas X,Take a Daytrip,Omer Fedi, andJasper Harris |
| 2025 | "Nights Are For Love" | Sons of Raphael | Non-album single | Producer | Produced with Sons of Raphael |
| "At Dawn I Look For You" | Non-album single | ||||
| "Yoroï" | Orelsan | La fuite en avant | Featured artist, composer, producer, bass | Produced with Orelsan,Skread, and Phazz |
DJ Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk) in 1975 (age 44)
We live in Paris, but [...] our creative offices are in L.A. and we kind of commute. (13:47 min)
| Studio albums | |
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| Live albums | |
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| Related articles | |
