Air

Formed in Versailles, France, by Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Air gained international recognition with their debut album, Moon Safari, released in 1998. Previously, in 1997, the duo had released Premiers Symptômes, an EP featuring their first singles.

Using analog synthesizers, organs, vocoders, and acoustic instruments, Air created a sound that blends electronic music, pop, and psychedelia. The blend of immersive atmospheres and striking melodies made Moon Safari one of the most celebrated electronic albums of the 1990s. “Sexy Boy,” “All I Need,” and “Kelly Watch the Stars” are among its standout tracks.

In 2000, the duo released The Virgin Suicides, the original soundtrack composed for the film The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s feature film directorial debut. Predominantly instrumental, the album includes “Playground Love,” featuring vocals by Thomas Mars of Phoenix, credited under the pseudonym Gordon Tracks.

This was followed by the albums 10,000 Hz Legend (2001), Talkie Walkie (2004), Pocket Symphony (2007) and Love 2 (2009), which expanded the duo’s repertoire to include electronic experimentation, delicate arrangements, and pop songs.

Their connection to cinema entered a new chapter in 2012 with Le Voyage dans la Lune. The album was inspired by the soundtrack created for the restored version of Georges Méliès’s short film of the same name, originally released in 1902 and known in Brazil as Viagem à Lua.

In 2014, Air released Music for Museum, a work conceived for the Open Museum project at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, France. Featuring nine tracks, the album was released as a limited-edition vinyl. Two years later, the compilation Twentyears revisited the duo’s career, bringing together hits and rarities.

Starting in 2024, Godin and Dunckel once again celebrated Moon Safari on a tour dedicated to performing the album in its entirety.