Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter announces debut solo album, Mythologies

Former Daft Punk member Thomas Bangalter has announced his first solo album - a 90-minute orchestral score for a new ballet known as Mythologies.

The album promises to see Bangalter “reinvent his relationship to composition”, so those hoping for an electronic record to fill a Daft Punk-shaped hole in their life may be disappointed. Instead, we can expect an orchestral piece of work that showcases Bangalter’s “love of Baroque music and traces of American minimalism”.

It was confirmed that Bangalter would provide the music for Mythologies back in 2021. He was commissioned by choreographer Angelin Preljoca, and the ballet was performed last year under the musical direction of Romain Dumas.

Dumas is also on board for the Mythologies soundtrack recording, a “large and lyrical work” that’s performed by the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. The album will be released on April 7 via Erato/Warner Classics. 

It remains to be seen if the record will be to the taste of disco producer Daniel Vangarde, Bangaleter’s father, who recently admitted that he “didn’t always understand” what Daft Punk were up to in their early days, and wondered when they’d put some vocals on top of their instrumental workouts.

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, the other half of Daft Punk, has yet to announce a solo project following the band’s split in 2021, but presumably sanctioned their decision to join TikTok in 2022.

Bangalter, meanwhile, also offered advice to French band Phoenix during the recording of 2022 album Alpha Zulu, helping to fill the void left by the death of producer Philippe Zdar.