By now, most people have seen Daft Punk’s iconic pyramid set-up, they’ve been playing in at all of their shows pretty much since Coachella. It’s got lights all over the side that respond to the music as well as fog and lasers and any other high-tech thing you can think of. But I’d always wondered what the inside of their crazy pyramid looked like.

Well I stumbled across a photo a couple days ago over at Crackers United, and had to post it. It was taken by the folks over at Mixmag, who also got descriptions of what all that stuff is as well, from half of Daft, Thomas Banghalter:

1 ABLETON
The show revolves around Ableton Live software on custom made super-computers, which we remotely access and control with Behringer BCR2000 midi controllers.

2 SCREENS
Next to the ethernet remote computer screens there are four Minimoog Voyagers, the classic analog synthesizers. They’re a 30-year old design.

3 MOOGS
We can mix, shuffle, trigger loops, filter, distort samples, EQ in and out, transpose or destroy and deconstruct synth lines. We keep some surprises on the side too!

4 VISUALS
There’s a direct connection between our rig and the lights and visuals of the show. The light and video engineers can also add or control layers during the show.

5 SYNTHS
Inside the pyramid are synthesizers and remote controls connected to the rest of the music equipment and computers, which are in rack-mounted towers off stage.

6 TEAMWORK
Working the music equipment, lighting and video equipment, and building the pyramid for each show takes around 10 people, including both of us.

I know what little of that means, but I think it’s so amazing that they can fiddle with all of that shit in masks and leather suits. Daft Punk also has a new live album out on Tuesday called Alive, but it’s kind of boring and filled with same things we’ve all been hearing for the last 5 years. Make new music and stop making crappy movies!

Bobby

8 Comments »

1. totally disagree with you. The new album is great The remixes excellent & quite different from the original often blending 2-4 new songs and old songs… The movie was also really interesting and visually artistic. In the same idea of the last album with relation between human and robot. Finally it’s also great to have them touring for a while so we had the chance to see them live!

   Comment by sephil — December 3, 2007 #

2. I saw Electroma at the New Beverly here in Los Angeles. It was completely packed with people. I was with four other people. Myself and one of my friends were the only ones that were awake. Most of the theater had fallen asleep, and you could hear snoring halfway through the movie.

   Prepare to get attacked by my friends who saw/fell asleep during it.

   As for their albums, Discovery was amazing, but Human After All really wasn’t that good. Everyone wants to like it, but common, Steam Machine? The Brain Washer? Those songs are really hard to listen to.

   Comment by Bobby S. — December 3, 2007 #

3. if you enjoy the sound of cars trying to start, or if you like watching paint dry, you will LOVE electroma.

   daft punk is way better than that. i don’t know what they were thinking.

   Comment by Jeff — December 3, 2007 #

4. If you ever wondered what boring slices of life would play out like if only humans had robot heads (spoiler: exactly the same - still boring), or if you get hard-ons when you see unending shots of deserts, desert roads, or cars driving along the desert on a road, than you will LOVE electroma.

   As an added bonus, if you see this film at the New Beverly, there will be an unknown someone/monster that tries to violently break through the back door of the theater during the first fifteen minutes… And it will be the most exciting thing that happens during the whole movie.

   Comment by Garrett — December 3, 2007 #

5. the photos are just great

   Comment by Horst — December 3, 2007 #

6. Garrett: those were definitely velociraptors. and it was definitely the most exciting thing about electroma.

   that and the AMAZING line drawings we did.

   Comment by Jeff — December 3, 2007 #

7. The Alive album is amazing but not seen the movie they made yet and i dont think im guna rush out and buy it. as for they guy who hates steam machine and brainwasher, i absolutely love those tracks, i know they arent classic daft punk but they still kick ass.

   Comment by Kris — December 22, 2007 #

8. Daft Punk still rock big time..

   Comment by Ray — February 1, 2008 #

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