Juno Disco's Nick Bond details the importance of the record, and its remaining impact
Image: Lil Huidenstraat.
Having announced their disbandment only weeks ago, Daft Punk's debut album Homework will remain as a pivotal body of work that reintroduced progressive house music to the world. Released in 1997, the sixteen track record revived house music, whilst weaving together influences of techno and punk, ushering in a new avenue of genre-defying sonic exploration.
Taking influence from the iconic duo within their own music, Melbourne-based dance-pop duo Juno Disco have penned a love letter to the record. Detailing the importance and impact of the album, Nick Bond recalls on his own experiences and rediscovery of the record in recent years.
Juno Disco's latest track, Dreamin, harkens back to 90s Big Beat and House, with threads of UK garage and rave mixed with nostalgic, polished pop to create an infectiously driving piece of dance music. The duo will be taking to the stage next month, performing their first headline show in over a year at Melbourne's The Leadbeater Hotel. Tickets are on sale now.
Dreamin is out now! Read Juno Disco's love letter to Daft Punk's Homework below.
To my dearest Homework,
You are special.
You may not have the glitz and the glamour of your younger siblings. You might not get the recognition you truly deserve, but you are incredibly important to me and I’m sure there are millions more Dance Music-converts out there who would feel the same way.
I’ve known you a long time - Around The World and Da Funk were Saturday morning staples on Rage and Video Hits when I was growing up. But it’s been in recent times that I’ve been able to discover your more nuanced beauty.
Your tracklisting is a veritable onslaught of Proto-House heat that would set the standard for a decade of Dance Music to come. It’s the grimier, angrier cuts that always get me going and prove that your Daft Daddies truly were the punks of their generation.
The heaving bassline on Burnin’ is as nasty as it is clever, ever-ascending like a musical Penrose Staircase up to house-party-heaven. Revolution 909 instantly transports the listener to a sweaty nightclub with it’s perfect flip of Chic’s iconic I Want Your Love bassline providing the central groove for the track. Rollin’ & Scratchin’ puts the Punk in ‘Daft Punk’ with a squealing and squelching lead line sure to piss off even some of your more progressive listeners. There’s even a Brian Wilson shoutout on the track Teachers, as if the album wasn’t already counter-cultural enough.
Even your title Homework couldn’t be more apt. You are rough, raw, and imperfect. A peak behind the curtain at a duo discovering their own musical capabilities. That the group hadn’t yet achieved their signature level of precision on this debut only adds more intrigue to the listening experience.
Whilst there will always be those who underestimate your legacy, there are legions of fans who share my love for your untamed, unadulterated, unrivalled entrance onto the global stage. If nothing else, I will always love you for showing me that, in this day and age, nothing is more Rock & Roll than House Music.
Homework, I love you.
Xx Nick from Juno Disco