Daft Punk have neither announced the name of their upcoming record, reportedly due in May, nor confirmed the album artwork, but when this square image appeared on their website, the reveal had some wondering whether it was the cover after all. Most Daft Punk covers feature variations of the band’s name spelled out, but this departure still feels like something the French DJ duo, who have been making music since the ’90s, would release — with a single glance, you practically can hear their signature hit “One More Time” start playing.
“It doesn’t need any text,” Storey says. “You know that it’s Daft Punk.”
Despite the fact that the image is so simple, Philip Schiffman says the 3-D rendering conveys quite a bit about the sounds behind the art. “It has kind of an iconic feel, like it would stand the test of time,” he says. “It really pops off the black and sums up electronic music.”
That it also showcases the band’s signature helmets only reinforces their brand and their mythology, according to Carney. “Whoever it is, whether it’s the band or somebody behind the scenes that helps their image or branding, that person should get an award,” he says. “They complete cut themselves, who they are as humans, out of the equation. They changed from two guys in Daft Punk to the two masks.”
(Columbia Records)