Thomas Bangalter

“There's something in human performance that is very smooth and very fluid, and at the same time it can be very precise, and that can take a lot of time, trial and error.”

“Artists are overcompensating with this aggressive, energetic, hyperstimulating music - it's like someone shaking you. But it can't move people on an emotional level.”

“When you look at C-3PO and Darth Vader and then look at the actors behind them, you can't really make the connection. It kills the magic.”

“It's very strange how electronic music formatted itself and forgot that its roots are about the surprise, freedom, and the acceptance of every race, gender, and style of music into this big party. Instead, it started to become this electronic lifestyle which also involved the glorification of technology.”

“In 'Scream 2', they have this discussion about how sequels always suck.”

“I think 'Tron' is a good example of minimalism.”

“The late '70's and early '80s is the zenith of a certain craftsmanship in sound recording.”

“When you look at what we can call the golden era of concept albums, which starts in the mid or late '60s and ends maybe in the early '80s, it's an interesting time for music. You see all these very established and popular acts and bands and artists that were somehow on the top of their game but really trying to experiment.”

“Synths are a very low level of artificial intelligence. Whereas you have a Stradivarius that will live for a thousand years.”

“Music was segregated in the '80s, and then in the '90s the boundaries started to break down, and rock kids got into electronic music. But then you got this reverse snobbery where people would only listen to electronic music and not rock.”

“Daft Punk would not exist if there was no technology.”

“The concept of the robot encapsulates both aspects of technology. On one hand it's cool, it's fun, it's healthy, it's sexy, it's stylish. On the other hand it's terrifying, it's alienating, it's addictive, and it's scary. That has been the subject of much science-fiction literature.”

“Electronic music has definitely taken over America. There is more and more interaction with hip hop.”

“'SNL' is this part of American culture with a certain timelessness to it.”

“It's a very subjective, personal, instinctive approach as musicians of saying, 'We don't want to replace what's around; we just want to widen the possibilities.'”

“It's really interesting to just look at the career of a musician and a producer that went into many different genres and many different styles and many different places but always breaking the barriers between genres and at some point reinventing himself all along the way but also inventing things at the same time.”

“Computers were never designed in the first place to become musical instruments. Within a computer, everything is sterile - there's no sound, there's no air. It's totally code. Like with computer-generated effects in movies, you can create wonders. But it's really hard to create emotion.”

“Usually, the 24-hour, high-maintenance celebrity lifestyle can disconnect people from reality.”

“Usually, a band 20 years into its existence doesn't put out its best records.”

“In the history of pop music, a lot of great records cost an enormous amount of money. There used to be a time where people that had means to experiment would do it, you know?”