new order

The world of electronic music is currently coming to terms with news of an international ruse which has seen former Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flür reportedly tricked into a false collaboration with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter.

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Flür, who rose to fame as part of Kraftwerk between 1973 and 1987, issued his third solo album, Times, on Friday (March 28). Early reports of the record indicated the effort was a star-studded affair, featuring collaborations with the likes of Yello’s Boris Blank, New Order’s Peter Hook, and more. One of the most notable collaborations was with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, who was to be credited on the record under the name Thomas Vangarde.

According to a recent interview with Flür, the apparent collaboration began innocently enough when Bangalter got in touch with the veteran musician via social media to request a signed copy of Flür’s 2022 album, Magazine 1. “He said, ‘It’s so wonderful. Can I have a signed album? I collect albums but it must be signed personally from you. We love you guys. Without Kraftwerk we would not find our own robot style, being on stage with the helmets, you know. And I love you Wolfgang. And please, can you send me [an album]?’”

After the signed record landed at Bangalter’s house, Flür explained that he suggested the two work together on a track. Following some technical alterations to ensure Bangalter’s contributions fit the key of the initial musical ideas, his work was combined with Hook’s bass line, and both Flür and musical partner Peter Duggal completed the track. The final record actually features two songs credited to Bangalter/Vangarde; “Über_All” and “Monday to the Moon.”

However, following the release of Flür’s Times album, Daft Punk archivist Luke Perez took to their blog to confirm the collaboration was in fact a hoax, outlining the chronology of events that led up to the release of the final product.

According to research conducted by Perez, Flür had spoken about being contacted by Bangalter via Facebook back in 2023, admitting he was unaware of the Daft Punk member or his influence at the time. 

Though initially suspicious of the news, given the reclusive social media presence of Daft Punk and its members, Perez further noted that something seemed amiss when Thomas Vangarde was credited on the record instead of Bangalter. Further compounding the mystery was the fact that Bangalter’s father had reportedly used the surname as a moniker during his own musical past, providing a reasonable explanation for the different name.

Ultimately, Perez concluded by mentioning that an individual in close contact with Daft Punk’s management had confirmed that Bangalter was not behind the collaboration with Flür, and that the former Kraftwerk musician had been duped by an as-yet-unknown individual on social media.

“I’m assuming the fake Bangalter must have convinced Flür’s camp that he was now going by Thomas Vangarde in some sort of effort to cover their tracks,” Perez concluded in their post. “Bizarrely, it seems no one in the real Thomas Bangalter’s sphere found out about this or brought this up to him until after the tracks released despite over two years of this being known about. It’s equally bizarre that at no point did Cherry Red Records (or any other involved party) question or debunk this bold claim that Thomas Bangalter was involved.”

Daft Punk officially announced their split in 2021, having not released new music since their fourth and final studio album, 2013’s Random Access Memories. The record was their first to top the Billboard 200, and earned the group five Grammys, including album of the year and best dance/electronic album, while lead single “Get Lucky” took out record of the year and best pop duo/group performance.

Since their dissolution, Bangalter has been active musically, curating scores for ballet, film, and other art projects, while fellow Daft Punk member Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo has remained active in the world of production.