Where do they come from, and did the song make the UK charts?
2006-09-04 07:43:07 · 9 answers · asked by TrueBrit 3 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
Air is a French duo, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. The two studied architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles before forming a band in 1995. Their debut EP, Premiers Symptômes, was followed by the critically acclaimed album Moon Safari, the re-release of Premiers Symptômes, The Virgin Suicides (soundtrack), 10,000Hz Legend, Everybody Hertz, and Talkie Walkie.
Although Air's music is often referred to as electronica, their form of electronic music really owes more to the synthesizer sounds of the 1970s such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis and Francis Lai. Other influences are 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's music also has jazz inflections at times. Before founding Air, JB and Nicolas played together in the band Orange, with others such as Alex Gopher, Xavier Jamaux and Etienne de Crécy – names that have recently reappeared in connection with Air's remixes.
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-Jaques Perrey ("Cosmic Bird"), Gordon Tracks ("Playground Love" and "Easy Going Woman"), Beck (10,000Hz Legend) and, on the 2004 tour, with Dave Palmer and drummer Earl Harvin.
Their music has also frequently been used in commercials. "Surfing on a Rocket" is the background music for the Nissan Armada commercial (2004). "Playground Love" was used in a Levi's jeans commercial (2002). "La Femme d'Argent" is played in the background on Dublin's FM104 Adrian Kennedy phone show. "Alpha Beta Gaga" was used in the "Orange" network advert (the try commercial) 2004.
In June 2006 Jean-Benoît Dunckel said in an interview with NME that they had recorded most of the material for a new album. It is expected to be released sometime in 2007, and is apparently a new direction for the band. He also stated that he has a solo album coming up on September 19, 2006, and that most of the tracks will contain piano. The album will have the songs "TV Destroy" and "My Own Sun". Two out of ten songs on the album are instrumental [1].
Air have also recorded a DJ mix album, Late Night Tales: Air, for Azuli Records' Late Night Tales series. The release was initially sheduled for October 2005, but it has been delayed several times. The most recent estimated release date given by Azuli is 11 September 2006.
* 1 Discography
o 1.1 Albums
o 1.2 Singles/EPs
o 1.3 Compilations
o 1.4 Remixes, non-album and live tracks
o 1.5 Additional single and album remixes
o 1.6 Videos and movies
o 1.7 Special projects
* 2 External links
Discography
Albums
Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel
Enlarge
Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel
* 1997 Premiers Symptômes - (5 tracks) - 12"/CD Source
* 1998 Moon Safari - 12"/CD/MD Source - UK #6
* 1999 Premiers Symptômes - (7 tracks) - 12"/CD Source - UK #12
* 2000 The Virgin Suicides - 12"/CD/MD Record Makers - UK #14
* 2001 10,000Hz Legend - 12"/CD Source - UK #7
* 2003 City Reading (Tre Storie Western) with Alessandro Baricco - 12"/CD Source
* 2004 Talkie Walkie - 12"/CD+DVD/CD Astralwerks/Source - UK #2
Singles/EPs
* 1995 "Modulor Mix" - 12"/CD Source (the title alludes to Le Corbusier's modulor system)
* 1996 "Casanova 70" - 12"/CD Source
* 1996 "Modulor" - 12"/CD Mo'Wax
* 1997 "Le Soleil Est Près 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
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)
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 Près de Moi" (Money Mark Remix, Premiers Symptômes Japan Bonus Track)
* 2002 "Le Soleil Est Près 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 Près De Moi (Video, Mike Mills)
* 1999 Eating Sleeping Waiting And Playing (DVD, Moon Safari Tour)
* 1999 The Architecture of Reassurance (Short Film by Mike Mills)
* 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-Francois Moriceau / Petra Mryzk)
* 2002 Sexy Boy, Kelly Watch The Stars, All I Need, Le Soleil Est Près De Moi, Playground Love, Radio #1, How Does It Make You Feel (Promotional DVD for Everybody Hertz)
* 2003 Lost in Translation (Movie by Sofia Coppola)
* 2004 Electronic Performers (Video, Arnaud Ganzerli / Laurent Bourdoiseau / Jérôme Blanquet)
* 2004 Electronic Performers, Talisman, Don't be Light, People In The City, La Femme D'Argent (Talkie Walkie Bonus DVD)
* 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)
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)
2006-09-04 07:51:34 · answer #1 · answered by tommorphy 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Air Kelly Watch The Stars
2016-11-02 00:54:56 · answer #2 · answered by ikeda 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're French. They did the soundtrack for Sophia Coppola's 'The Virgin Suicides', 'Keely Watch the Stars' is about one of Charlie's Angels (whichever actress or character was called Kelly!). Umm...they did a really good sped up version for the Evening Session many moons ago.
2006-09-04 07:46:40 · answer #3 · answered by Vic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If its the same group I'm thinking of, they are French and also did "sexy boy" a few years back which was in the UK charts.
2006-09-04 07:53:47 · answer #4 · answered by . 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From France. Check the UK Billboard.
2006-09-04 07:45:17 · answer #5 · answered by Fonzie T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's what allmusic.com said about them:
Biography by John Bush
More apt to cite stately rock paragons Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson as their inspirations than Derrick May or Aphex Twin, the French duo Air gained inclusion into the late-'90s electronica surge due chiefly to the labels their recordings appeared on, not the actual music they produced. Their sound, a variant of the classic disco sound coaxed into a relaxing Prozac vision of the late '70s, looked back to a variety of phenomena from the period — synthesizer maestros Tomita, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Vangelis, new wave music of the nonspiky variety, and obscure Italian film soundtracks. Despite gaining quick entrance into the dance community (through releases for Source and Mo' Wax), Air's 1998 debut album, Moon Safari, charted a light — well, airy — course along soundscapes composed with melody lines by Moog and Rhodes, not Roland and Yamaha. The presence of several female vocalists, an equipment list whose number of pieces stretched into the dozens, and a baroque tuba solo on one track — all of this conspired to make Air more of a happening in the living room than the dancefloor.
Though Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel both grew up in Versailles, the two didn't meet until they began studying at the same college. Dunckel, who had studied at the Conservatoire in Paris, played in an alternative band named Orange. One of Dunckel's bandmates, Alex Gopher, introduced Godin into the lineup. While Gopher himself departed (later to record for the Solid label), Dunckel and Godin continued on, becoming Air by 1995. During 1996-1997, the duo released singles on Britain's Mo' Wax ("Modular") and the domestic Source label ("Casanova 70," "Le Soleil Est Prés de Moi"). Though Air often evinced the same '60s Continental charm as Dimitri From Paris — due no doubt to the influence of Serge Gainsbourg — the duo had little in common musically with other acts (Daft Punk) in the wave of French electronica lapping at the shores of Britain and America during 1997. That same year, Air remixed Depeche Mode and Neneh Cherry and joined French musique concrète popster Jean-Jacques Perrey for a track on the Source compilation Sourcelab, Vol. 3. Signed to Virgin, Air released their debut album, Moon Safari, in early 1998. The singles "Sexy Boy" and "Kelly Watch the Stars" became moderate hits in Britain and earned airplay on MTV. Later that year, Godin and Dunckel mounted an ambitious tour throughout Europe and America, though they had originally decided to forego live appearances. Their early singles were collected in 1999 under the title Premiers Symptomes; the duo's soundtrack to the Sofia Coppola film The Virgin Suicides followed in early 2000. Air's second studio effort, 10,000 Hz Legend, appeared in spring 2001 with a subsequent tour of the U.S., but critics and fans alike didn't appreciate the darker, more experimental direction. They bridged the gap between the pop of Moon Safari and the experimentalism of 10,000 Hz Legend with their 2004 release Talkie Walkie.
2006-09-04 07:58:52 · answer #6 · answered by Abi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, they're from France and yes they did make the uk charts.
Check their album, Moon Safari, by far the best one they've released over here. x
Enjoy. x x x
2006-09-04 07:49:54 · answer #7 · answered by Little Miss B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Their French.
2006-09-04 07:47:28 · answer #8 · answered by pignut 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=24769773
2006-09-04 07:46:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋