The last time Daft Punk were in Japan, the venue was so packed that security closed the entrance. That was in 2006 at the Summer Sonic music festival, but for the Parisian dance duo's own forthcoming Gallic rave-up, "dafunkfest," anyone with a ticket will at least be guaranteed that they'll see Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo in action rather than listening through a wall.
Though "dafunkfest" is unlikely to get as surreal as their feature-length directorial debut "Electrorama," a wordless art-house flick that turned heads last year, the show itself will feature little of what is expected of standard live performances. Helmeted and wearing leathers straight out of "Spinal Tap" while standing on a pyrotechnic pyramid backed by a huge lighting display, Bangalter and de Homem Christo will perform tracks from a formidable 15-year back catalog of songs that helped move dance music into the mainstream. Fond of sampling (everything from 1970s funk breaks to heavy-metal guitar licks), Daft Punk recently have seen their own music used by the likes of Kanye West.
Also on the bill are French electro newcomers sebastiAn and Kavinsky, both of Paris-based Ed Banger Records, a label that has moved the late-'90s French house sound on and become a staple in electroclash bars from London to Tokyo. Japanese breakbeats-meets-rock duo Boom Boom Satellites, whose latest album, "Exposed," is out next week, will also play at the Dec. 6 and 9 events.
"dafunkfest" takes place at Osaka Kobe World Kinen Hall on Dec. 6 (7 p.m.; tel. [06] 6233-8888); Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, on Dec. 8 (sold-out) and Dec. 9 (both 3 p.m.; tel. [03] 3462-6969). All tickets are ¥8,000.
