AIR (Electronica)

Origin: France
Genre(s): Electronica, Downtempo, Ambient, Trip Hop, Pop
Years active: 1995–present

Website www.intairnet.org

Members:
Nicolas Godin
Jean-Benoît Dunckel


Nicolas Godin studied architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles whereas Jean-Benoît Dunckel studied mathematics before forming a band in 1995. Before founding Air, Dunckel and Godin played together in the band Orange, with others such as Alex Gopher, Xavier Jamaux and Etienne de Crécy. These musicians have subsequently contributed to remixes of tracks recorded by Air.

Air's music is often referred to as electronica; their form of electronic music was influenced by the synthesizer sounds of the 1970s such as Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, and Francis Lai. Other influences include: psychedelic rock pioneers Pink Floyd; Krautrockers, Tangerine Dream; Jean-Jacques Perrey (although there are some echoes of dance music styles in the production); and French crooner Serge Gainsbourg.

Air uses many of their studio instruments (like Moog synthesizers, the Korg MS-20, Wurlitzer and Vocoder) live on stage, where their ability to improvise is more clearly highlighted. The band performs the well-known tracks from the albums live as extended or altered versions. Air often works together, both in the studio and live on stage, with artists like Beth Hirsch (Moon Safari), Françoise Hardy ("Jeanne"), Jean-Jacques Perrey ("Cosmic Bird"), Gordon Tracks ("Playground Love" and "Easy Going Woman" - Gordon Tracks is a pseudonym of the French singer Thomas Mars from Phoenix), Beck (10 000 Hz Legend), on the 2004 tour with Dave Palmer and drummer Earl Harvin and on the 2007 tour with Earl Harvin, Vincent Taurelle and Steve Jones.

On September 18, 2006, Darkel, a solo album by Jean-Benoît Dunckel, was released.

Air have also recorded a DJ mix album, Late Night Tales: Air, for Azuli Records' Late Night Tales series. The release was initially scheduled for October 2005, but was delayed several times. It finally was released, complete with a new sleeve design, on 11 September 2006.

Air have often collaborated with American film director Sofia Coppola. They composed the music to her debut film The Virgin Suicides. Air drummer and former Redd Kross member Brian Reitzell put together the soundtrack to Lost in Translation including contributions from Air. The soundtrack for Sofia Coppola's latest film Marie Antoinette also features contributions from Air.

Air wrote and played the music of the album 5:55 by French actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, which was released in August 2006. This is of interest as Air listed Charlotte Gainsbourg's father, Serge Gainsbourg, as a major influence.

Discography:

Albums:
* 1997 Premiers Symptômes - (5 tracks) - 12"/CD Source (Re-released in 1999 with 2 extra tracks)
* 1998 Moon Safari - 12"/CD/MD Source - #6 UK, #21 France
* 2000 The Virgin Suicides - 12"/CD/MD Record Makers - #14 UK, #17 France, #161 US
* 2001 10,000Hz Legend - 12"/CD Source - #7 UK, #7 France, #88 US
* 2003 City Reading (Tre Storie Western) with Alessandro Baricco - 12"/CD Source
* 2004 Talkie Walkie - 12"/CD+DVD/CD Astralwerks/Source - #2 UK, #3 France, #61 US
* 2007 Pocket Symphony - #22 UK, #8 France, #40 US

Singles/EPs:
* 1995 "Modular Mix" - 12"/CD Source (the title alludes to Le Corbusier's modulor system)
* 1996 "Casanova 70" - 12"/CD Source
* 1996 "Modular" - 12"/CD Mo'Wax
* 1997 "Le Soleil Est Prčs De Moi" - 12"/CD Source
* 1998 "Californie" - 7" Source
* 1998 "Sexy Boy" - 7"/12"/Cassette/CD Source - UK #13
* 1998 "Kelly Watch The Stars" - 7"/12"/CD Source - UK #18
* 1998 "All I Need" - 12"/CD Source - UK #29
* 2000 "Playground Love" - 7"/12"/CD Record Makers #25
* 2001 "Radio #1" - 7"/12"/CD Source - UK #31
* 2001 "How Does It Make You Feel?" - 7" Source
* 2001 "People in the City" - 12" Source
* 2002 "Don't Be Light" - 12" Source
* 2002 "Everybody Hertz" - CD/EP Source UK
* 2004 "Cherry Blossom Girl" - CD/12"/7" Source
* 2004 "Surfing on a Rocket" - CD/12"/7"/DVD Source
* 2004 "Alpha Beta Gaga" - CD/12" Source UK #44
* 2004 "Surfing on a Rocket" E.P. - CD Source (US-version)

Compilations:
* 1995 "Modulor Mix" on SourceLab - 12"/CD Source
* 1996 "Casanova 70" on SourceLab 2 - 12"/CD Source
* 1997 "Soldissimo (EDC Remix)" on Superdiscount - 12"/CD Solid
* 1997 "Cosmic Bird" (with Jean-Jacques Perrey) on SourceLab 3Y - 12"/CD Source
* 2000 "Planet Vega" on At Home With The Groovebox - 12"/CD Grand Royal
* 2002 "Dirty Trip (Live)" on Rarewerks II - CD Astralwerks
* 2006 "Il Secondo Giorno (Instrumental)" on Marie Antoinette OST - CD Verve Forecast
* 2007 "Once Upon a Time" (Radio Edit, High Point)
* 2007 "Mer Du Japon" (Radio Edit, Remix by Kris Menace, Remix by The Teenagers)

Remixes, non-album and live tracks:
* 1996 Ollano "Latitudes (Air Remix)" on Latitudes - 12" Artefact
* 1997 Crustation "Purple (La Femme D'Argent Mix)" on Purple - 12"/CD Jive Records
* 1997 Neneh Cherry "Kootchi (Air Remix)" on Neneh Chérie Remixes - 100% French Mixes - CD Hut Records
* 1997 Depeche Mode "Home (Air "Around The Golf" Remix)" on Home - 12"/CD Mute Records
* 1997 Alex Gopher "Brakes On Mix" on Gordini Mix Remixes - 12"/CD Solid
* 1998 Étienne Daho "Me Manquer (Londres En Été - Air Remix)" on A New World - 12"/CD Virgin
* 1998 Air with Françoise Hardy "Jeanne" (Sexy Boy B-Side)
* 1998 "Mabrouk" (Moon Safari Tour, version of the title track of the French TV show "30 Millions D’Amis")
* 1998 "Be A Bee" (Moon Safari Tour)
* 1998 "Le Slow" (Moon Safari Tour, cover of "Melissa" by Francis Lai, Bilitis soundtrack)
* 1998 "Maggot Brain" (Moon Safari Tour, cover "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic)
* 1998 "Tomorrow Never Knows" (Moon Safari Tour, cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles)
* 1998 "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" (Moon Safari Tour, cover of the soundtrack by John Williams (composer))
* 1998 "Blue Monday" (Moon Safari Tour, cover of "Blue Monday" by New Order)
* 1999 Beth Hirsch "Minor's Son" (with J.B. Dunckel on Rhodes piano)
* 1999 Alex Gopher "Ralph And Kathy" (with J.B. Dunckel on keyboards and MS20)
* 2002 David Bowie "A Better Future (Air Remix)" on Heathen (Ltd. Edition) - CD Virgin Records
* 2002 "You Make It Easy (Demo Version)" (Deck Safari Part 2)
* 2002 "Summer Love (Demo Version)" (Deck Safari Part 2)
* 2002 "Flowerhead" (Everybody Hertz Japan Bonus Track)
* 2004 "Easy Going Woman" (Talkie Walkie Japan Bonus Track)
* 2005 "Heaven Hammer" (Air's remix of Beck's "Missing", from the Beck remix album Guerolito)
* 2007 "Crickets" (Pocket Symphony Bonus Track, the song from The Architecture of Reassurance)
* 2007 "The Duelist" (Pocket Symphony Bonus Track, feat. Charlotte Gainsbourg & Jarvis Cocker)
* 2007 "Time Capsule" (Pocket Symphony Japan Bonus Track)
* 2007 "High Point" (Once Upon A Time Single B-Side)

Additional single and album remixes:
* 1998 "Sexy Boy" (Bertrand Version, Bertrand Burgalat)
* 1998 "Sexy Boy" (Deep Dish Remixes, Promo Only 12")
* 1999 "Sexy Boy" (QAF Remix)
* 1999 "All I Need" (BB Breakbeat Mix)
* 2002 "Le Soleil Est Prčs de Moi" (Money Mark Remix, Premiers Symptômes Japan Bonus Track)
* 2002 "Le Soleil Est Prčs de Moi" (Buffalo Daughter Remix, Premiers Symptômes Japan Bonus Track)

Videos and movies:
* 1998 Kelly Watch The Stars (video, Mike Mills)
* 1998 All I Need (video, Mike Mills)
* 1999 Le soleil est prčs de moi (video, Mike Mills)
* 1999 Eating Sleeping Waiting & Playing (Moon Safari Tour documentary by Mike Mills)
* 1999 The Architecture of Reassurance (short film by Mike Mills)
* 1999 10 Things I Hate About You (movie by Gil Junger)
* 2000 The Virgin Suicides (movie by Sofia Coppola)
* 2000 Playground Love (video, Sofia & Roman Coppola)
* 2001 Startup.com (documentary by Chris Hegedus and Jehane Noujaim)
* 2001 Radio #1 (video, Alex & Martin)
* 2001 How Does It Make You Feel (video, Antoine Bardou-Jacquet / Ludovic Houplain)
* 2001 Don't Be Light (video, Jean-François Moriceau / Petra Mryzk)
* 2002 Sexy Boy, Kelly Watch The Stars, All I Need, Le soleil est prčs de moi, Playground Love, Radio #1, How Does It Make You Feel (limited promotional DVD for Everybody Hertz which also features two Sébastien Tellier videos)
* 2003 Lost in Translation (movie by Sofia Coppola)
* 2004 Electronic Performers (video, Arnaud Ganzerli / Laurent Bourdoiseau / Jérôme Blanquet)
* 2004 Electronic Performers (35 minutes film by Bruno Dunckel featuring live performances of Electronic Performers, Talisman, Don't Be Light, People In The City and La femme d'argent filmed in the summer of 2002, intercut with interviews and takes of Air on the road, released on a bonus DVD with some pressings of Talkie Walkie)
* 2004 Cherry Blossom Girl (video, Kris Kramski)
* 2004 Surfing On A Rocket (video, Antoine Bardou-Jacquet / Romain Guillon)
* 2004 Alpha Beta Gaga (video, Mathieu Tonetti)
* 2006 Marie Antoinette (2006 film) (movie by Sofia Coppola)
* 2007 Inside Pocket Symphony (15 minutes promotional video by Guillaume de la Perričre)
* 2007 Once Upon a Time (promo video, Mathieu Tonetti / Jonathan Lagache)
* 2007 Mer du Japon (promo video, Guillaume de la Perričre, choreography: Angelin Preljocaj)

Special projects:
* 2002 Monochromaticomouss (Hormonorium, Installation by Décosterd & Rahm)
* 2002 Polyvibratorwaves (Hormonorium, Installation by Décosterd & Rahm)
* 2002 Orange Blossom (Peinture Placebo, Installation by Décosterd & Rahm)
* 2002 Ginger (Peinture Placebo, Installation by Décosterd & Rahm)
* 2003 Near Life Experience (Ballet, Angelin Preljocaj)
* 2004 Pink TV (TV Signation)
* 2006 Late Night Tales: Air - CD Azuli Records
* 2006 collaboration on Charlotte Gainsbourg 's album 5:55
* 2007 Aerolite at the Centre Georges Pompidou (Museum of Modern Art in Paris)
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