Interstella 5555, Daft Punk’s most remembered space adventure

Throughout its more than 20-year career, Daft Punk was able to take electronic music to an interstellar level thanks to the evolution of each of its albums. This week they announced through a video posted on their official YouTube account that they are separating.

Faced with the shock, we wanted to remember one of his coolest works. At the beginning of the 2000s, they released Discovery, one of the albums that marked a before and after in the industry, not only because of its great songs and sounds but also because it inspired a fantastic story that ended in the great display: Interstella 5555.

The ambition of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo to bring that project to life was due, in large part, to the fact that they both grew up under the influence of Japanese manga, such as Space Pirate Captain Harlock. As the duo said in the blu-ray edition of Interstella 5555, "It was during the first sessions of our Discovery album that we came up with an animated film, mixing science fiction and the decadence of the world of show business: limousines and spaceships." How to make it happen? Well, with the help of the renowned cartoonist Leiji Matsumoto.

By mid-2000, both Daft Punk and screenwriter Cédric Hervet traveled to Japan with the album and the full synopsis to meet with Matsumoto. The oriental artist was pleased with the idea after hearing a copy of the album, and in the blink of an eye, he formed a working group with producer Shinji Shimizu of Toei Animation and director Kazuhisa Takenouchi. It only took 28 months to have a true work of art that still has a fantastic reception to this day.

An unforgettable space adventure

Discovery has 14 songs and a total duration of 60:50. The idea of making the audiovisual production was based on the fact that each song had to tell an episode in the story of the kidnapping and rescue of an extraterrestrial pop band. The videos followed a sequence that began where the previous one ended. The most curious and spectacular of all was having a film without dialogue, but with a perfect narrative enlivened with great music.

The film was presented during the 56th Cannes Film Festival and currently has an 86% approval rating according to the US review and review website Rotten Tomatoes. If you have not seen this intergalactic story yet, or if you want to enjoy it again, here are the 14 chapters of the adventures of guitarist Arpegius, drummer Beryl, keyboardist Octave, and bassist Stella. To enjoy!

One More Time

It all starts with the presentation of another planet, where the musical band is giving a concert in front of thousands of people, all blue-skinned. Immediately afterward, an invasion of spaceships appears in the place and they show us a dark figure in a tuxedo.

Aerodynamic

Soldiers leave the ships and lull those present with a gas in order to capture the members of the group. After doing so, they take them back to their ships to go to Earth.

Digital love

From a watchtower they manage to send an alarm signal to the only ship nearby: a guitar-shaped space fighter. Shep, the pilot, realizes the situation and chases the kidnappers through a wormhole until he reaches Earth, where he has a crash landing.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

In a secret installation, the four protagonists go through a process to replace their memory (saving the originals on discs). In addition, they change their skin color to make them look human. In the end, they show the mysterious man in charge, a music manager named Earl from Darkwood.

Crescendolls

Darkwood goes with the protagonists to the record company Records, where they accept them and become a worldwide phenomenon in the blink of an eye. Now the band is known as The Crescendolls.

Nightvision

Later, the protagonists look exhausted from their lifestyle and Darkwood's pressure to make them work. A hooded Shep stands in the shadows watching everything.

Superheros

Shep sets his plan in motion during a concert and using a laser frees everyone except Stella. Darkwood's bodyguards begin to pursue them, but they manage to flee in a truck, although Shep is seriously injured.

High Life

Stella is still under mind control and represents the band at an awards show. Among the nominees is Daft Punk. In the end, Baryl uses Shep's device to free Stella and help her flee.

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Something About Us

They arrive at the hideout and Stella discovers Shep, who in his last moments confesses his love to her. Before dying, Shep reveals to the four his origins.

Voyager

The protagonists flee the city and look for a place to bury Shep, doing it at the foot of a tree next to a cliff. His spirit comes out, he smiles at them and wishes them good luck. While traveling by road they decide to go to Darkwood's mansion to find out more about the kidnapping.

Veridis Quo

After infiltrating the mansion, they find a book called Veridis Quo, which reveals the origin of Darkwood. The macabre plan is to collect 555 discs to obtain the power to control the universe. The Crescendolls is the last band to do it. After being captured and Stella about to be sacrificed, the boys manage to get away and Arpegius throws the last gold disc into a lava pit. Darkwood throws himself to save him and apparently dies, though his evil essence remains alive. The gang flees the place that begins to collapse.

Short Circuit

Back in town, Octave infiltrates the Records building to get the master record backed by his memoirs. He is captured by security and paralyzed with a stun gun, causing the release of his alien appearance. Meanwhile, in the remains of the mansion, Darkwood's evil energy emerges.

Face to face

The revealed news of the book and the origins of the band is released and causes a worldwide impact. Scientists help the boys regain their true looks and memories. In turn, the IASO company collaborates to repair Shep's ship and have everything ready for the gang's departure to their planet.

Too Long

When crossing the black hole, the essence of Darkwood attacks them although it is defeated by the spirit of Shep. Stella has flashbacks of everything that happened, the band decides to move on to continue with their lives. Upon reaching their planet they are greeted with ovations. The band plays another of their songs which is also broadcast on earth. In the end, Stella reveals a statue in honor of Shep, while looking up at the sky.