Daft Punk Went in “Different Directions Musically” Before They Broke Up: Todd Edwards

In the latest episode of Daft Punk’s Memory Tapes docuseries, collaborator Todd Edwards says a lapse in creative vision preceded the duo’s split.

In the latest installment of Daft Punk‘s Memory Tapes docuseries, seminal UK garage producer Todd Edwards shed some light on the French duo’s breakup. He explained that their creative differences took hold long before they finally parted ways.

Prior to that, however, Edwards illuminated unexpected details of his own career. He started his interview segment recounting how Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo had invited him to attend the kickoff performance of their Alive Tour at Coachella 2007. Having reached a personal low point, he was unable to take them up on their offer.

After a two-year hiatus, Edwards reached back out to Daft Punk right when they were wrapping up the Tron: Legacy soundtrack and getting ready to start working on Random Access Memories in earnest. Having previously worked with Edwards on “Face to Face” from their 2001 album Discovery, Bangalter and Homem-Christo tapped him to help with a single titled “Fragments of Time” that would appear on their final 2013 effort.

The collaboration ended up changing Todd Edwards’ life. Not only did it inspire him to move from New Jersey to Los Angeles at long last, but it won him his first GRAMMY Award.

The opportunity also afforded Edwards front-row tickets to the unfolding tensions surrounding Daft Punk’s working relationship. “When they broke up, they were already going in different directions musically,” he pointed out. “Guy-Man seems to be drawn more to the hip-hop realm, and Tomas was also a director. It kind of felt like they weren’t on the same page anymore, anyway, so I wasn’t shocked.”

Edwards managed to find an inspiring message in it all. “I think that the fact that it was so devastating to people shows that there need to be more Daft Punks out there. You can’t just look to one musical messiah to take care of all your musical needs. You’ve gotta be the creative force behind it. If anything, it should inspire people to be more creative and take more chances — stop doing the same thing and playing it safe all the time,” he said.

Daft Punk’s Memory Tapes videos are proving to be a veritable treasure trove of nostalgia for fans of the iconic duo. Who knows what gems will be unearthed in the next edition of the series.

Watch episode 5 of Daft Punk’s Memory Tapes docuseries below.