Daft Punk - Burnin'

What this video is

Released in September 1997 as the fourth single from Daft Punk's landmark debut Homework, 'Burnin'' arrived at the apex of French house's international breakthrough. The video is an explicit cultural document: rather than featuring the duo themselves as stars, it stages a tribute party populated by the Chicago house originators — including DJ Sneak, Roger Sanchez, Derrick Carter, Roy Davis Jr., Paul Johnson, Robert…

Why it matters

As a French house artifact of the highest order, 'Burnin'' sits at the intersection of European electronic music and its American Chicago house roots. The video's decision to cast real Chicago house DJs rather than actors gives it documentary value as a snapshot of the late-1990s house…

The director

Seb Janiak is a French photographer and video director of Polish origin, born 1966. He began as a freelance graphic designer and post-production specialist before pivoting to fashion photography and music video direction in the early 1990s. He directed…