Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk announces new solo album
French producer Thomas Bangalter, most famed as one half of the electronic duo Daft Punk, has announced his first full-length studio album since the pair split in 2021. The upcoming album, titled Mythologies, was originally composed for the ballet performance of the same name, as choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj. The ballet premiered in 2022 at the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine.
Arriving on April 7th, Mythologies will hear Bangalter take a step away from his usual form of dance music. In the press materials, he is said to have “reinvented” the ballet’s composition, generating a collection of music that he was reportedly “itching” to write. He began working on the music in 2019 after being invited by Preljocaj to create a score for the ballet’s resident orchestra.
The new album consists of 23 tracks that “embrace the history of orchestral ballet music”. The press announcement adds that over the last 30 years, Bangalter has “explored the world of technology” within electronic music and now looks to explore “humankind” in this album, complete with references to ancient and modern myths.
The forthcoming album marks a new era for Bangalter, who is seen in the new project’s artwork without the helmet to which fans have become accustomed. “We’re not performers, we’re not models – it would not be enjoyable for humanity to see our features,” Guy-Manuel once told Rolling Stone. “But the robots are exciting to people.”
In February 2021, Daft Punk announced their indefinite disbandment after nearly three decades of cutting-edge electronic music that frequently topped the charts and inspired scores of subsequent acts.
Last summer, the Mythologies ballet performance was open to the public for eight days at the beginning of July. Bangalter was spotted during the performance and received a standing ovation alongside the cast and crew at its conclusion.
See the full tracklist for Mythologies below.
Mythologies tracklist:
- Premiers Mouvements
- Le Catch
- Thalestris
- Les Gémeaux I
- Les Amazones
- L’Arrivée d’Alexandre
- Treize Nuits
- Danae
- Zeus
- L’Accouchement
- Les Gorgones
- Renaissances
- Le Minotaure
- Eden
- Arès
- Aphrodite
- Les Naïades
- Pas de Deux
- Circonvolutions
- Les Gémeaux II
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