I heard a bunch of wonderful things about Air through the musical grapevine and in reviews such as this one, it wasn't until I bought the mp3 and listened that two things were confirmed:
1. Moon Safari among the best ambient music mp3's of our time; and
2. I'd been listening to this mp3 for years.
As it turns out, the owner of a local lounge (Blue Agave in Santa Barbara CA.) has had it on rotation for the last few years. I'd been intoxicated (literally and figuratively) to (and by) this music for quite some time now standing outside on their little patio, drinking, smoking, carousing...
I usually like to call out certain songs on album I review as noteworthy. I won't in this case however because every track is excellent. They did a wonderful job stitching their arrangement too, each track, while different, blend seemlessly into each other.
Unlike allot of ambient music, this mp3 will chill you out, lift your mood, but won't put you to sleep. I'm sure this was by design....a noteworthy accomplishment in that unlike the equivalent to musical smelling salt, whenever a faster paced track comes on, it doesn't offend with overly loud or obnoxious beats.
If you love this album, consider trying a few other similar artists. The first one that leaps to mind is Zero 7. Their new album "When it Falls" is a brilliant and similar comparable. Another wonderful new talent is Solar House, they have a newer CD called "Magic of the City" that is a bit more upbeat, but still very seductive and ambiance friendly...
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Talkie Walkie
French duo Air returns to top form with the excellent "Talkie Walkie," a charming collection of cool, soft electropop. Air fans won't be disappointed by the combination of the strong points of past releases. It sounds fresh and new, but not TOO new. Air stays connected to what it's done in the past.
"Talkie Walkie" is a solid collection of pop (the haunting "Run" and beautiful "Cherry Blossom Girl"), quiet psychedelica (catchy, futuristic-sounding "Surfing on a Rocket") and beautiful instrumentals (the acoustic-based "Mike Mills"). It's cool and quietly sweeps across your senses, like sitting on the beach and letting the waves run over your feet.
Don't expect the second chapter of "Moon Safari." The latest Air release has a more experimental sound, as if they're trying to make everything balance out. And their attempt is pretty much successful. The dreamy, slightly vulnerable songwriting blends perfectly with a mix of acoustic and electronic music.
At times, "Talkie Walkie" sags slightly with a riff that doesn't belong or a song that could have been shorter. Most of the time, though, it boasts some pretty impressive instruments -- piano, strings, electric drums, bells and smooth soundscapes. Lyrics are simple, especially in the sweet love song "Venus" ("If you walk in the sun/I will be your shadow").
Smooth, cool and otherworldly, "Talkie Walkie" is a beautifully-made release by a talented band. This elegant album is a must-have for music fans.
"Talkie Walkie" is a solid collection of pop (the haunting "Run" and beautiful "Cherry Blossom Girl"), quiet psychedelica (catchy, futuristic-sounding "Surfing on a Rocket") and beautiful instrumentals (the acoustic-based "Mike Mills"). It's cool and quietly sweeps across your senses, like sitting on the beach and letting the waves run over your feet.
Don't expect the second chapter of "Moon Safari." The latest Air release has a more experimental sound, as if they're trying to make everything balance out. And their attempt is pretty much successful. The dreamy, slightly vulnerable songwriting blends perfectly with a mix of acoustic and electronic music.
At times, "Talkie Walkie" sags slightly with a riff that doesn't belong or a song that could have been shorter. Most of the time, though, it boasts some pretty impressive instruments -- piano, strings, electric drums, bells and smooth soundscapes. Lyrics are simple, especially in the sweet love song "Venus" ("If you walk in the sun/I will be your shadow").
Smooth, cool and otherworldly, "Talkie Walkie" is a beautifully-made release by a talented band. This elegant album is a must-have for music fans.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Premiers Symptomes
Since "Premiers Symptomes" means "first symptoms," it's appropriate that it's the name of Air's collection of early singles. This French duo created a warm sweep of electronica that sounded like a complete , which is only marred by two funky, rather awkward songs pasted on to the end.
"Modular Mix" kicks it off -- a dreamy song that sounds like the soundtrack for an underwater movie. "Casanova 70" and the languid "Les Professionals" add a lounge-y sound. And "J'Ai Dormi Sous L'Eau" and "Le Soleil Est Près de Moi" are sweet and slow , almost like a pair of trip-hop lullabies.
The rerelease of "Premiers Symptomes" was given a bonus -- two new tracks, "Californie" and "Brakes On." Well, they're a mixed blessing. They're actually very fun songs -- funky, dancey and "Californie" has a stretch of ethereal electronica halfway after about a minute. But they just don't quite mesh with the early work.
"Premiers Symptomes" was compiled of singles released before the hit "Moon Safari," and so it has something of the same dreamy feeling. It's only a half hour long, but it's worth it to get the the romantic blend of ambient, trip-hop, funk and a hint of 60s psychedelic pop -- in a word, sensual chillout music!
Songs like "Modular Mix" have layers upon layers of shimmering keyboard. But "Casanova 70" and "J'ai Dormi Sous L'Eau" favor a more jazzy sound, with synthesized horns behind some twittery synths, while the spacey beats of "Les Professionals" sounds like a rainy morning near an alien city. Beside all these smooth sounds, the brash, bass-heavy extra songs sound harsh to the ear.
"Premiers Symptomes" is a must-have for Air fans (newbies had better start with something else), although the last two tracks aren't quite in sync with the first five. A beautiful experience, smooth and soft and sensual.
"Modular Mix" kicks it off -- a dreamy song that sounds like the soundtrack for an underwater movie. "Casanova 70" and the languid "Les Professionals" add a lounge-y sound. And "J'Ai Dormi Sous L'Eau" and "Le Soleil Est Près de Moi" are sweet and slow , almost like a pair of trip-hop lullabies.
The rerelease of "Premiers Symptomes" was given a bonus -- two new tracks, "Californie" and "Brakes On." Well, they're a mixed blessing. They're actually very fun songs -- funky, dancey and "Californie" has a stretch of ethereal electronica halfway after about a minute. But they just don't quite mesh with the early work.
"Premiers Symptomes" was compiled of singles released before the hit "Moon Safari," and so it has something of the same dreamy feeling. It's only a half hour long, but it's worth it to get the the romantic blend of ambient, trip-hop, funk and a hint of 60s psychedelic pop -- in a word, sensual chillout music!
Songs like "Modular Mix" have layers upon layers of shimmering keyboard. But "Casanova 70" and "J'ai Dormi Sous L'Eau" favor a more jazzy sound, with synthesized horns behind some twittery synths, while the spacey beats of "Les Professionals" sounds like a rainy morning near an alien city. Beside all these smooth sounds, the brash, bass-heavy extra songs sound harsh to the ear.
"Premiers Symptomes" is a must-have for Air fans (newbies had better start with something else), although the last two tracks aren't quite in sync with the first five. A beautiful experience, smooth and soft and sensual.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
10,000 Hz Legend
Air's excellent new album "Talkie Walkie" made me revisit their previous (2001) album "10000 Hz Legend", which frankly I hadn't listened to in quite a while. My loss! It's an outstanding album.
"10000 Hz Legend" (11 tracks, 60 min.) starts with one of its very best tracks, "Electronic Performers", which invites comparisons to Kraftwerk's "We Are the Robots" both musically, as well as lyrically with lines like "We Are the Synchronizers/Machines Gave Me Some Freedom". But it's not all about syntesizers: piano and accoustic guitars come through as well in the album. Other stand-out tracks include the brooding "Lucky and Happy", "Radio #1", a coulda-shoulda been radio hit (which it wasn't of course, given the dismall state of US radio generally), and a wildly pulsing "Don't Be Light". Guest artists appear on the album, including Beck singing on "The Vagabond".
It's difficult to categorize Air, and that's one of the strenghts of the French duo. It'll be interesting to see if Air can cross over to the main stream with their new "Talkie Walkie" album. "10,000 Hz Legend" is equally a great album.
"10000 Hz Legend" (11 tracks, 60 min.) starts with one of its very best tracks, "Electronic Performers", which invites comparisons to Kraftwerk's "We Are the Robots" both musically, as well as lyrically with lines like "We Are the Synchronizers/Machines Gave Me Some Freedom". But it's not all about syntesizers: piano and accoustic guitars come through as well in the album. Other stand-out tracks include the brooding "Lucky and Happy", "Radio #1", a coulda-shoulda been radio hit (which it wasn't of course, given the dismall state of US radio generally), and a wildly pulsing "Don't Be Light". Guest artists appear on the album, including Beck singing on "The Vagabond".
It's difficult to categorize Air, and that's one of the strenghts of the French duo. It'll be interesting to see if Air can cross over to the main stream with their new "Talkie Walkie" album. "10,000 Hz Legend" is equally a great album.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Everybody Hertz - 10,000 HZ Legend Remixes
First came the brilliant Moon Safari, then the excellent Premiers Symptomes, then the wierd but vaguely interesting Virgin Suicides. Then Air released 10,000Hz - tolerable but not very good... and now this! Yuck. This album is just terrible. Amazingly bad. Most of it is insanely repetitious and boring. That which rises above boring is downright unpleasant. I had to turn it off 3/4 of the way through because it was giving me a headache.
Avoid at all costs. Dont even accept this disk for free, unless you need a coaster.
Avoid at all costs. Dont even accept this disk for free, unless you need a coaster.
Pocket Symphony
Ever since Air's instant-classic debut album, 1998's "Moon Safari", the French duo has sought to try and follow up to and meet that high standard. Their output since then has divided the fan base. I, for one, absolutely love the often-maligned 2001's "10,000 Hz Legend" album, but was disappointed with 2004's "Talkie Walkie" album. Now comes the new album.
"Pocket Symphony" (12 tracks, 48 min.) is as atmospheric as Air will get while not making a movie soundtrack. The instrumental opener "Space Maker" sets the stage. First single (in the UK--can you imagine Air getting a single released in the US?) "Once Upon a Time" is a beautiful dreamscape. Jarvis Cocker is the vocalist on "One Hell of a Party", which reminds me almost of cabaret-style music. Another instrumental "Mayfair Song" flowes into "Left Bank", bringing the duo back home. "Mer du Japon" ironically enough does not feature some of the Japanese sounds found on several other tracks here (such as the beautiful "Somewhere between Waking and Sleeping" and "Redhead Girl"), and in fact I find this song to be somehwat out of whack with the rest of the album. The instrumental closer "Night Shift" is the perfect ending to this album.
Is this album as good as "Moon Safari"? No, but Air may never be that good again, who knows. That said, "Pocket Symphony" is a fine album, which I have been enjoying ever since its release a few months ago. I happen to catch Air at Coachella in late April, and due to technical difficulties they only put on a brief set, which was very disappointing. I'd love to see them again in concert in better circumstances.
"Pocket Symphony" (12 tracks, 48 min.) is as atmospheric as Air will get while not making a movie soundtrack. The instrumental opener "Space Maker" sets the stage. First single (in the UK--can you imagine Air getting a single released in the US?) "Once Upon a Time" is a beautiful dreamscape. Jarvis Cocker is the vocalist on "One Hell of a Party", which reminds me almost of cabaret-style music. Another instrumental "Mayfair Song" flowes into "Left Bank", bringing the duo back home. "Mer du Japon" ironically enough does not feature some of the Japanese sounds found on several other tracks here (such as the beautiful "Somewhere between Waking and Sleeping" and "Redhead Girl"), and in fact I find this song to be somehwat out of whack with the rest of the album. The instrumental closer "Night Shift" is the perfect ending to this album.
Is this album as good as "Moon Safari"? No, but Air may never be that good again, who knows. That said, "Pocket Symphony" is a fine album, which I have been enjoying ever since its release a few months ago. I happen to catch Air at Coachella in late April, and due to technical difficulties they only put on a brief set, which was very disappointing. I'd love to see them again in concert in better circumstances.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sexy Boy
I got turned onto Air a few years ago when I heard that Madonna liked them, and I've become a big fan too. "Sexy Boy" is definitely one of Air's catchiest songs, and about as close to pop-dance as they get. It sounds terrific on their debut album (Moon Safari), and the remixes here are very good. The highlight is the Sex Kino mix, which was done by Beck. It includes an odd sound bite of a person biting into an apple (?). It's kind of bizarre, but it works and really does sound sexy. In addition to these remixes, Air includes a B-side - "Jeanne." The lyrics are sung in French by Francoise Hardy, and it fits in nicely with their overall sound. If you like "Sexy Boy," then please check out "Moon Safari," which is one of the best techno albums ever.
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