Nicolas Godin studied architecture at the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Versailles, and Jean-Benoît Dunckel studied mathematics, before forming a band in 1995. Before founding Air (erroneously considered as an acronym of Amour, Imagination, Rêve, which translates to Love, Imagination, Dream), Dunckel and Godin played together in the band Orange with others such as Alex Gopher, Xavier Jamaux and Jean de Reydellet. The former two subsequently contributed to remixes of tracks recorded by Air.
Initially Godin worked alone, recording a demo with members of Funkadelic as his backing band before releasing his first entirely solo effort, "Modular Mix", which featured production by Étienne de Crécy.
Career
After making several remixes for other acts in the first half of the 1990s, Air recorded its first EP, Premiers Symptômes, in 1995. The band released its first album, Moon Safari, in 1998. Its first single, "Sexy Boy", was heavily played on alternative radio stations. The album received universal acclaim and became an international success. In 1999, Air composed the score The Virgin Suicides to Sofia Coppola's debut film of the same name; in 2012, Air wrote its second score to Georges Méliès' Le voyage dans la lune.
Other works
Air has often collaborated with Coppola. Air drummer and former Redd Kross member Brian Reitzell put together the soundtrack to 2003's Lost in Translation, including one original contribution by Air titled "Alone in Kyoto". The soundtrack for Coppola's October 2006 film Marie Antoinette featured a track by Air ("Il Secondo Giorno"). Air wrote and played the music of the album 5:55 by Anglo-French actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, which was released in August 2006. Air has 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, in September 2006. Darkel, a solo album by Dunckel, was released that same year.
City Reading (Tre Storie Western) (2003) started as an idea for a collaboration with contemporary Italian writer Alessandro Baricco, known for his unusual characterizations and lyrical, poetic style. Baricco contacted Air in summer 2002 with the idea to marry narration of texts from his book City with live original musical accompaniment. The performance premiered live in November 2002 at Rome's Teatro Valle and was deemed such a success that both parties resolved to make a full studio recording.
Influences and musical style
Air is associated with a variety of musical styles: electronica, space pop, dream pop, progressive rock, downtempo, chillout, trip hop, ambient, electronic pop and space rock. Dunckel grew up listening to both classical and electronic music, especially Kraftwerk. He later took an interest in what he called the "English dark rock" of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division, while being a fan of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed. Brian Eno and Cluster were two of the electronic acts who inspired him the most. He cites among his favorite artists: Maurice Ravel for classical music, François de Roubaix for music soundtracks and Siouxsie and the Banshees for pop music. Dunckel shared with Godin a special liking for the music of Michel Legrand, Philip Glass and Grace Jones. During his childhood, Godin was fascinated by the Beatles before later discovering the soul of Sly and the Family Stone. The duo were influenced by progressive rock pioneers Pink Floyd.
Air uses many of its studio instruments (like Moog synthesizers, the Korg MS-20, Wurlitzer and Vocoder) 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 collaborates (both in the studio and live) 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) and Jean-Michel Jarre ("Close Your Eyes" from Jarre's Electronica 1: The Time Machine). They also invited Dave Palmer on their 2004 tour and drummer Earl Harvin, Vincent Taurelle and Steve Jones on their 2007 tour.
Studio albums
Moon Safari (1998)
10 000 Hz Legend (2001)
Talkie Walkie (2004)
Pocket Symphony (2007)
Love 2 (2009)
Le voyage dans la lune (2012)
Soundtrack albums
The Virgin Suicides (2000)
Music for Museum (2014)
Extended plays
Premiers Symptômes (1997)
Collaborative albums
City Reading (Tre Storie Western) (2003)
Mix and remix albums
Everybody Hertz (2002)
Late Night Tales (2006)
Compilation albums
Twentyears (2016)
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Air is one of the many aliases of Pete Namlook. He has been releasing ambient music under this name since the release of an eponymous album in 1993.
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Japanese noise rock, Air is an alias of Koji Kurumatani first released album Wear Off in 1996.
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Air is a late 90s Indonesian Pop band that became popular with their "Bintang" song.
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Air was a jazz trio with its roots steeped in Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), and was formed originally in 1971. The jazz trio Air formed from within the Muhal Richard Abrams Sextet, which was active on the Chicago scene contemporaneously with the birth and growth of the AACM and groups such as the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Henry Threadgill on reeds, hubcaphone, and percussion; Fred Hopkins on bass, and Steve McCall on drums formed the trio when Threadgill was commissioned by Columbia College to score and adapt Scott Joplin's work for a performance honoring Joplin's centenary (Joplin's birth has been established now as sometime in 1868) and a rebirth of interest in the noted ragtime composer. All three men were Air signs in the zodiac, and so adopted the name.
They performed first around Chicago, while maintaining residency with Muhal Abrams group, which also featured Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre and Wallace McMillan, both reed players. The Air "brand" remained a side project until all three reunited in New York in 1975, and began recording under that name for India Navigation, Nessa, Black Saint, and Novus. The trio broke up when Steve McCall left in the early 1980s, and when Pheroan Aklaff joined in 1982, they recorded as New Air, and recorded several albums under that name, including Air Show No. 1 in 1986, which featured Cassandra Wilson on vocals. Andrew Cyrille ultimately replaced akLaff before the band eventually was superceded by the burgeoning careers of its members: Threadgill with his groups Sextett and Very Very Circus, and Hopkins as the go-to bassist for Threadgill, David Murray, and Hamiet Bluiett. McCall's health forced his retirement from touring around 1980, and the dynamic drummer and effusive and gracious man who was a cofounder of the AACM with Muhal Abrams and Fred Anderson, died of a stroke in 1989.
This Air is listed as Air (4) on Discogs and is also been identified on last.fm as Air (Fred Hopkins, Steve McCall, Henry Threadgill) and Air with Fred Hopkins, Steve Mccall, Henry Threadgill (sic: McCall's name misspelt), and possibly also other alternative spellings of the group's name exist.
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Air was a psychedelic folk rock band featuring Googie and Tom Coppola, John Siegler and Mark Rosengarden. They released their first self titled album in 1971.
Deadweight
Air Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're so alone today
Like a ghost town I've found
There's no relief, no salt in the sea
Is it true what they say
You can't behave
You gamble your soul away
Measuring your dreams of this life seems
Don't let the sun catch ya crying
Don't let the sun catch ya crying
Like an nice age nice days
On your way sipping the golden dregs
On a rip tide freaks ride
Sleep inside a parasite's appetite
Oh say can't ya see the chemistry
The parasites, the cleanup fee
Death leather hands recycled cans
Get well cards to the hostage vans
Don't let the sun catch ya crying
Don't let the sun catch ya crying
You're a dead weight right straight
On your way sunk in the midnight shade
Skies burn eyes turn
Learning to counterfeit their disease
In this town where we roam
We bluff our souls on canteen patios
Drink the greatest draft
The music drags the music drags the music drags
Don't let the sun catch ya crying
Don't let the sun catch ya crying
The lyrics of Air’s “Deadweight” describe a world of loneliness, emptiness, and desperation. The singer is traveling on an unpaved highway, feeling completely alone and empty. He compares his surroundings to a ghost town, emphasizing the sense of desolation and abandonment. He notes the absence of relief and the lack of meaning, symbolized by the line “there's no salt in the sea”.
The song speaks to the idea that some people constantly gamble their lives away and measure their dreams of this life. The singer suggests that this tendency leads to a life filled with gristle of loneliness. Meanwhile, there are parasitic forces at work in the world, sucking the life and energy from people. The singer warns against being caught crying by the sun, cautioning against revealing any vulnerability in a world where this can be exploited.
The lyrics of this song, along with the music, perfectly capture a sense of ennui and desolation. The verses are almost dreamlike in their descriptions, with the singer seemingly drifting through this stark landscape. The surreal imagery, combined with the mournful melody and the stirring chorus, evoke a powerful sense of melancholy and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
On a highway unpaved going my way
I am on a difficult path and I am heading towards my destination.
You're so alone today
You are feeling isolated and lonely at the moment.
Like a ghost town I've found
The place feels empty and abandoned, as if everyone has left.
There's no relief, no salt in the sea
There is no comfort, nothing to ease the pain or make things better.
Is it true what they say
I wonder if the rumors or beliefs about something are accurate.
You can't behave
You are unable to control your actions or emotions.
You gamble your soul away
You are risking something important, perhaps even your own life, for a chance at something else.
Measuring your dreams of this life seems
Assessing your aspirations and goals in this existence appears to be an uphill struggle.
Like the gristle of loneliness
It is as if loneliness has become a part of your being, like an unpleasant, hard-to-chew bit of meat.
Don't let the sun catch ya crying
Don't let others see you when you're vulnerable and emotional.
On a nice age nice days
During pleasant times in the past, when everything seemed alright.
On your way sipping the golden dregs
Drinking the last bit of value left in something or someone, even if it is not worth much anymore.
On a rip tide freaks ride
During unpredictable, dangerous times, only the reckless and fearless take risks.
Sleep inside a parasite's appetite
To remain unaware, literally or metaphorically, of the dangers or unhealthy aspects of one's surroundings.
Oh say can't ya see the chemistry
Realize or acknowledge the underlying forces, connections or interactions between things or people.
The parasites, the cleanup fee
The unwanted, harmful things or people that need to be removed or taken care of, and the cost that comes with it.
Death leather hands recycled cans
The grim, unpleasant reality of poverty and desperation when one is forced to scavenge for sustenance.
Get well cards to the hostage vans
Hopeful messages sent to a group of people who are currently unable to free themselves from a difficult situation.
You're a dead weight right straight
You are a burden on yourself and others, and show no signs of changing or improving.
On your way sunk in the midnight shade
Heading towards a dark, uncertain future with a lowered, pessimistic attitude.
Skies burn eyes turn
A fiery, turbulent atmosphere that forces one's attention and emotions to shift.
Learning to counterfeit their disease
Acquiring the ability to fake or mimic other people's illnesses or issues, perhaps as a means of protection or to fit in better.
In this town where we roam
In this place where we wander or move aimlessly, with no solid purpose or destination.
We bluff our souls on canteen patios
We deceive ourselves or others to feel better or more secure, often in establishments or public spaces with limited options for emotional connection or release.
Drink the greatest draft
Imbibe the best or most potent solution or remedy available.
The music drags the music drags the music drags
The music keeps going, plodding along without any significant change or improvement.
Don't let the sun catch ya crying
Don't let others see you behaving weakly or emotionally, especially when not in control of the situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BECK HANSEN, JOHN ROBERT KING, MICHAEL S. SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ibrahim
Today is the 20 years anniversary of this incident. I work at this hangar today. Rest In Peace to all those who lost their lives during the accident.
snoobeagle
I read the accident report about a year later. It was a combination of a mis-rigged elevator cable and tail-heavy passenger load, although the CG was in limits for a properly rigged plane.
FlatSpin2001 OnTomahawk
They didn't push forward at all, neither dropped flaps to avoid stalling, let the nose get up by itself. The plane was flown safely 5 times before. They just pushed down before and didn't stall.
AirTransatModelsOFFICIAL
i love the sound it makes while its climbing.that prop engine sound is chilling :D
charodon
I think of this crash nearly every time I take off.
BellyUpFish
I love how they used piston engine sounds for a turboprop Beech 1900.. :) Good stuff...
mdb831
A good laugh 11 years later
BellyUpFish
Idiot Beach Productions Because they don’t know any better…
John Smith
😂
DeltaEagle7700
Now this is very interesting. It's just to bad it never came on soon, or hadn't watch it before I crashed on my flight simulator. You see, I was going to Tahiti form Honolulu, Hawaii, and withen 15 miles from the safety of the runway, I cashed!! The cause was an imbalance in the weight setting I set my plane with. I fly the Boeing 737-800.