THIS year two stadium-sized titans came
together for some special shows that
saw them play back-to-back. Although
both Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten
have been decidedly trance until now,
they billed themselves as an EDM duo
and offered a broader sonic picture as a
result. Going under the New World Punx
banner, the pair played their ?rst show
at Madison Square Garden, promise
many more future dates and have even
been collaborating in the studio.
AS well as also touring plenty of far?ung territories on his own, Schulz
also hooked up with The M Machine — a
dance band who have previously released
on Skrillex’s label — for a month-long
tour of the States. Somehow, also this
year the man known as a Unicorn Slayer
(because of his harder, darker style of
trance) has been putting the ?nishing
touches to his ?fth album, ‘Scream II’,
due for release soon. KRISTAN J CARYL
Have DJs’ fees got out of hand? “I don’t handle that part of the
business. That’s why we have agents.” Has dance music become
the new pop? “Yes, this is the sound of the new generation, and
with it they have given it new twists. It is an exciting time.” If you
could be any animal what would you be? “One of my dogs, they
are spoiled, live well, and get to hear the best music before anyone
else.” Should DJs do ‘heart hands’? “If you can’t show your
appreciation and affection for the fans supporting you then there is
something wrong.” Do DJs have a duty to speak out about drugs?
“I think it’s a conversation that not just DJs should be involved
in. Promoters, clubbers, VJs... everybody needs to speak up about
responsibility.” What’s on your fantasy rider? Not answered.
IF Daft Punk seem like improbable inclusions on
this list, that’s only because they’re not strictly DJs.
Extremely sporadic appearances aside, the French
duo barely even played a live show this side of 2013,
with their much hoped-for festival gigs (particularly
at Coachella and Glastonbury) ultimately failing to
materialise. Even so, it’s testament to Guy-Manuel de
Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter’s unwavering
popularity that they continue to make an impression
in the Top 100, and even by their own lofty standards,
they still enjoyed a pretty spectacular past year.
2013, of course, was the year when Daft Punk’s popularity
— quite aptly in their case — reached stratospheric levels.
Much of that was attributable to the success of ‘Random
Access Memories’, their fourth studio album proper (not
including the Tron Legacy soundtrack) that was ?nally
unleashed on the world back in May. While the LP’s
accompanying reviews veered between the inspired to
the mundane, it still made use of one of the most inspired
marketing campaigns in recent musical history (the public
were drip-fed tidbits of music samples and information
from as far back as 2008), and — for the most part at
least — it also had the goods to back up such grandiose
promotion, with its lead single, ‘Get Lucky’, very much
indicative of the fact.
The track (a bona?de pop gem that married the brilliance
of Daft Punk, Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams) soon
became the feel-good, crossover anthem of summer 2013,
and it’s only in the past few weeks that the recent hysteria
surrounding the duo has begun to subside. Even so, the
facts speak for themselves: 7.3 million copies sold, Top 10
in over 32 countries, 200 million YouTube plays. And that’s
just some of the statistics surrounding ‘Get Lucky’, never
mind ‘Random Access Memories’. The smart money would
be on the duo touring in 2014, but as always with Daft
Punk, they’re sure to keep us guessing for some time yet.
STEPHEN FLYNN
21
?08
MARKUS SCHULZ
From: Germany. Style: “Unicorn-slaying trance.” Best
known for: “Slaying unicorns and marathon DJ sets.” Tune
of 2013: “Fisherman & Hawkins ‘Apache’.” Breakthrough
DJ/producer of 2013: “Beat Service.”
22
?22
DAFT PUNK
From: France.
Style: Disco-in?uenced electronic funk.
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