Air (French Band)
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Air is a french band that produces a unique mix of synthesizer music and Euro-pop. They are mostly known for the singles Sexy Boy and Kelly, Watch The Stars, but they also wrote the soundtrack for the movie The Virgin Suicides.
Discography
September 1995:
Modular Mix
from the SourceLab 1 collection
(Source/Astralwerks 6641)
November 1995:
Modular Mix
Single
Modular Mix DJ Cam No Protection Remix
Etienne de Crecy Stein House Remix
June 1996
Casanova 70 from the SourceLab 2 collection
(Source/Astralwerks 6639)
August 1996:
Modular Mix
(Mo'Wax - single)
Modular Mix
Source Direct Remix
DJ Cam No Protection Remix
August 1996:
Casanova 70
(single)
"Casanova 70" - Les Professionnels
Casanova 70 (The Secret Of Cool mix, by Brendan Lynch)
Casanova 70 (Moodswings by Brendan Lynch)
January 1997:
Soldissimo (Etienne de Crecy remix)
from the Superdiscount collection
April 1997:
Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi
(single)
Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi
J'ai Dormi Sous L'eau
Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi (Automator Remix)
J'ai Dormi Sous L'eau (Chateau Flight Remix)
April 1997:
Cosmic Bird
from the SourceLab 3 collection
(Source/Astralwerks 6640)
July 1997:
Premiers Symptomes
(album)
Modular Mix
Casanova 70
Les Professionnels
J'ai Dormi Sous L'eau
Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi
January 1998:
Moon Safari
(album)
La Femme D'Argent
Sexy Boy
All I Need
Kelly, Watch The Stars
Talisman
Remember
You Make It Easy
Ce Matin La
New Star In The Sky
Le Voyage De Penelope
April 1998:
Sexy Boy
(single)
Sexy Boy (radio edit)
Sexy Boy (Sex Kino mix by Beck)
Sexy Boy (Cassius radio mix)
Sexy Boy (Etienne de Crecy & The Flower Pistols remix)
Jeanne (feat. Francoise Hardy)
June 1998:
Kelly Watch The Stars
(single)
Sexy Boy (radio edit)
Kelly Watch The Stars (edit)
Sexy Boy (Sex Kino mix)
Kelly Watch The Stars (album version)
Remember
November 1998:
All I Need
(single)
All I Need
Kelly Watch The Stars (Moog Cookbook remix)
Kelly Watch The Stars (American Girls remix)
September 1999:
Premiers Symptomes
(album, re-release)
Modular Mix
Casanova 70
Les Professionnels
J'ai Dormi Sous L'eau
Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi
Californie
Brake On
February 2000:
The Virgin Suicides (album, soundtrack to the movie)
Playground Love
Clouds Up
Bathroom Girl
Cemetary Party
Dark Messages
The Word 'Hurricane'
Dirty Trip
Highschool Lover
Afternoon Sister
Ghost Song
Empty House
Dead Bodies
Suicide Underground
F.A.Q.
Note: Much information for this was taken from or modified from the Air FAQ, as permitted under its copyright license.
General Information
Who are Air?
Air are Nicholas Godin and Jean-Benoit 'JB' Dunkel.
They have worked with several other artists on many of their tracks, discussed later.
The majority of their material is mixed by Stephane 'Alf' Briat.
Who is Gordon Tracks?
Gordon Tracks is the drummer and vocalist on Playground Love. Most likely he just happened to be available at short notice for the recording, as his own band is Phoenix.
Why (French Band)?
Whilst on a photo shoot in New York with Mike Mills for Moon Safari they were booked into the studio as "Air (French band)" and Mills' working file was similarly labeled. Liking the addition they asked him to incorporate it into the artwork.
It is absent on releases before Moon Safari and the re-release of Premiers Symptomes.
What instruments do Air use?
They are known to use moogs, Korg MS20 and Fender rhodes in addition to the usual guitars, drums and other common instruments.
Air's Music
What have they released so far?
Their releases by date:
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 20.11.1995 | Modular Mix |
| August 1996 | Casanova 70 |
| 04.07.1996 | Le Solei est Pres de Moi |
| 07.1997 | Premiers Symptomes (album) |
| 01.1998 | Moon Safari (album) |
| 02.1998 | Sexy Boy |
| 06.1998 | Kelly Watch the Stars |
| 09.11.1998 | All I Need |
| 14.09.1999 | Premiers Symptomes (album, re-issue) |
| 11.1999 | Eating, Sleeping, Writing and Playing (film) |
| 14.02.2000 | Playground Love |
| 29.02.2000 | The Virgin Suicides Score (album) |
| ??.??.2000 | New Album (?) 1 |
Other work by Air (remixes etc.)
| Track Name | Appears on: | By Artist: | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes On Mix | Gordini Mix EP | Alex Gopher | Solid |
| Ralph & Kathy | YouMyBaby&I Album | Alex Gopher | Solid |
| Minor's Son | P-Town Rubies EP Minor's Son EP | Beth Hirsch | Dorado Artefat |
| Purple La Femme d'Argent mix | Purple Single | Crustation | Jive |
| Home Air Around the Golf Remix | Home Single (CD 1) | Depeche Mode | Mute |
| Me Manquer Air Londres en Ete Remix | A New World Single | Etienne Daho | Virgin |
| Rock in the Rain (?) | ? | Money Mark | Mo Wax (?) 2 |
| Kootchi - Air Remix | Neneh Cherie - Remixes Album | Neneh Cherie 3 | Delabel |
| Latitudes - Air Remix | Latitudes Single | Ollano | Artefact |
| Cosmic Bird | Source Lab 3Y | Various | Source |
| Soldissimo | Superdiscount | Etienne de Crecy | Solid |
| Planet Vega | At Home With the Groovebox | Various | Grand Royal |
The Videos
Note: the band mambers appear in all three videos to the singles. All I Need and Playground Love are much less obvious and are covered in the relavent section below.
Where can I see the videos?
The videos can be seen on the official Air homepage. The videos to the singles from Moon Safari appear on Eating, Sleeping, Waiting and Playing.
Who directed the videos?
The videos were directed by Mike Mills who was responsable for the artwork on Moon Safari and subsequent releases.
Sexy Boy
Where was the video shot?
The video is believed to have been shot in and around Central Park, New York.
Kelly Watch the Stars
Who plays Kelly in the video?
Her name is unknown but she was a student, not a professional model or actress, and was spotted by Mike Mills in The Viper Rooms as being ideal for the video.
Who is her opponent?
Nothing more is known about her other than in the video she is identified as Smith, presumably a reference to Jaclyn Smith who played Kelly Garrett in Charlie's Angels.
All I Need
Who are the couple in the video?
Nothing is known about the couple.
Where was the video shot?
The video was shot in California, precise locations are unknown.
Where are Nicholas and JB?
JB can be seen early on watering the garden with a hose-pipe (picture) and Nicholas walks backwards past the diner carying something over his shoulder.
The person checking the mail in a hat may be Nicholas as well.
Note: The cover art on the single features stills from the video.
Le Solei est Pres de Moi
Note: This is not the video for the single in the traditional sense. It is a trailer for Eating, Sleeping, Wating and Playing, first released on the limited edition CD re-release of Premiers Symptomes.
Playground Love
Where are Nicholas and JB?
JB is wearing a goatee and glasses and Nicholas is wearing a mustache and glasses. They are both talking and drinking casually near the end of the video behind Trip and Lux as they are dancing. .
