What do you get when you cross Battle Of The Planets with French electro-pop? That'd be Interstella 5555, the result of a brainstorm by Gallic knob-twiddling duo Daft Punk which lightning-bolted the concept of making their second album, Discovery, into an animated sci-fi musical. Enter Japanimator Leiji Matsumoto to visualise the band's offbeat tale of how the greatest pop group in the multiverse are abducted by an evil Earthling record producer...
Seventies 'dos, glitterball planets and satirical digs at the music industry combine with Daft Punk's infectious retro-tech sounds as the plot unfolds with zero dialogue. Yes, it's effectively a feature-length vid and, occasionally, the synergy of beats and visuals slip as the manga-shaped action doesn't quite match the tunes.
But it largely works, the spectacular space-disco-opera sensibilities ensuring that Interstella shimmers with verve throughout. Of course, it's hard to recommend if you don't like Daft Punk, but everyone else should consider plugging in.
