While Daft Punk’s role in dance music is unquestionable, part of the duo’s allure has long been both the elusiveness of their sets in recent years and of their own personal identity throughout their careers. Although we know them also as Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, it would hard for anyone that isn’t close to them to really recognize or know how they look like, as they spent years performing behind helmets before they stopped touring.
Since, the helmets themselves have become part of dance music culture and folklore, spearheading a long list of other producers and DJs who have since adopted masks, helmets and disguises while performing. Similarly, fans have been making replica helmets for years, often donning them while attending festivals and shows.
It wasn’t until now, however, that a better helmet than the original had been produced. Love Props have constructed a replica of Guy-Manuel’s helmet that is far better than the original worn by the iconic producer.
The replica borrows from the Discovery days as well as the current RAM aesthetic, all the while improving design and functionality elements to make it far more useful (and cool) than the one worn by Guy-Manuel. The LED panel has USB connectivity which can be used to connect to a computer for live LED animations with any music/midi production software. This means that color, brightness, and timing of the LED lights can be changed to form unique animations without the need of specific pre-coded formulas and sequences.
Further, the helmet incorporates a beat detection algorithm that can read the tempo of incoming music and modify the LED animation accordingly, changing the visor’s display via a tiny screen hidden within the helmet or with a smart phone.
Truth be told, the helmet is far more than just a cool piece of head gear. It’s “a light instrument designed for composing and generating music for the eyes housed on a one-of-a-kind redesigned Guy-Man helmet” made of entirely customized PCB electronics, boasting Wi-Fi capability, motion audio interaction and 210 RGB LEDs.
Cool right? Check out the video below to see it in action.
