Da Funk

In 1995, Daft Punk were listening to American G-funk records for weeks before making "Da Funk," wanting to create a track in the style of gangsta rap and electro. Thomas Bangalter had purchased a Roland TB-303 synthesizer in 1993 and programmed several bassline patterns with it; when the time came, the duo simply picked the pattern that fit best. The riff was originally a siren sound, but it was replaced to better reflect the aesthetic they were chasing. Bangalter later said the melody was meant to evoke the Italian producer Giorgio Moroder, and noted that despite the hip hop inspiration, no one ever compared the finished track to hip hop.

The single came out as a 12-inch on 8 May 1995 through Soma Quality Recordings, with "Rollin' & Scratchin'" on the B-side. The pressing was limited to 2,000 copies and was virtually ignored at first. Popularity grew after the Chemical Brothers began playing it in their live sets, and the track also received early support from BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale. After a bidding war among several labels, Daft Punk signed with Virgin Records, which re-released "Da Funk" in early 1997 with "Musique" as the B-side. The Homework version went on to sell 30,000 copies, and the album also closed with "Funk Ad", a reversed excerpt of the track.

Spike Jonze directed the accompanying music video, titled Big City Nights, in February 1997. It follows Charles, an anthropomorphic dog on crutches who carries a boombox blasting the song through New York City. When a bus arrives bearing a "NO RADIOS" sign and his boombox cannot be turned off, Charles stays behind at the stop while his childhood neighbor Beatrice rides on without him.