Album art for the album Homework (Meissner, 2019)

The creation and popularization of Digital Audio Workstations, or DAWs, was the primary driving factor in the popularization of EDM music in the late 1990s.  One specific example of this phenomenon is Daft Punk, as their use of DAW technology had an integral role in shaping the sound of their 1997 debut album, Homework.  The major factors that molded and progressed the recognizable sound of Daft Punk were all clearly contained within this specific album – making it the perfect case study through which musical scholars can gain the most insight into their sound and style. Homework encompassed all of Daft Punk’s signature musical elements – specifically speaking, their incorporation of synths and drum loops, fed into DAWs from analog hardware such as the Roland TR-707 drum machine, the Roland Juno-106 synthesizer, and the Roland MC-202 synthesizer. These inputs were then arranged in DAW software, thus creating the unique EDM sound of the album- danceable, funky tracks dominated by a thick, gritty sonic texture. Through the use of academic journals, in-depth music reviews, and primary sources from the date of Punk’s release of this album, this site will prove that the album’s release was a monumental step for Daft Punk and the role of DAWs in the genre. Furthermore, this album was a testament to the abilities of DAWs to enable the creation of hit tracks, even when produced at home without a fully equipped recording studio.

The duo posing in front of a depiction of their music production strategies and equipment list (Hinton, 2021).

An advertisement for Sound Tools, an early DAW that laid the foundation for its widely used successor, Pro Tools. Sound Tools was initially released in 1989, and this workstation evolved into Pro Tools by 1991 (Mixdown Mag, 2021).