As the Dec. 17 premiere of Disney’s “Tron: Legacy” approaches, The Robots are coming out of hibernation.
Daft Punk, the celebrated French duo who
composed the film’s soundtrack and are
expected to make a cameo appearance as themselves in the 3D sci-fi epic, will unveil the first new Daft Punk music since 2005’s “Human After All” with the November release of “Tron Soundtrack” and are plotting a series of public appearances in the weeks leading up the the film’s release. The duo is also actively designing and routing a 2011/2012 tour that will headline stadiums internationally.
Rob Light, Managing Partner and Head of Music of CAA, which represents Daft Punk, has said he expects the film soundtrack and tour will lead a dance music juggernaut worldwide. “This is going to be the biggest tour of next year,” he recently told the Daily Swarm.
The film’s soundtrack is due in November, although the exact release date remains undecided. A
dedicated website for the soundtrack launched this week, and the registration confirmation reveals that the album is coming out through Universal (and not Daft Punk’s longtime distributor
EMI). At least some of the distribution is going through
Topspin, which suggests several collector’s editions and a vinyl release will be available (like the Beastie Boys reissue series). Several snippets of the new Daft Punk music can be heard on the
film’s official site, while fake versions have plagued music and film blogs all summer.
Daft Punk are expected to make several in-person appearances in the lead-up to the film’s release: a series of surprise live sets at film screenings in major international cities, the group’s first ever live television performance (they performed with Kanye West on the Grammys in 2008), and a set at the film’s gala Hollywood premiere are all under consideration.
The group may also make several appearances at “ElecTRONica”—what
Disney is promoting as “the greatest nighttime dance party to ever rock Disney California Adventure park.” Set to open Oct. 8 on the Hollywood Studio backlot, “ElecTRONica” will have a food court, open air dance club, a recreation of the “Flynn’s Arcade” set from the film, and promises “live entertainers, complete with lasers, glow accessories and the hottest music ever to rock the grid.”
But Daft Punk are not planning a full scale tour until 2011, and according to Daily Swarm sources, the new production isn’t likely to be ready until late next summer at the earliest. The group debuted its iconic pyramid stage and light show at the 2006 Coachella music festival and
toured festivals and amphitheaters on and off for the next 18 months, ending with a 5-date trek through Japan and Australia in Dec. 2007.
It remains unclear whether or not Daft Punk will release further new music prior to the tour, and if the “Tron” theme will carry over into the tour’s production.