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.
Electronic Performers
Air Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Send messages through time code
Midi clock rings in my mind
Machines gave me some freedom
Synthesizers gave me some wings
They drop me through twelve bit samplers
We are electronic performers
We are electronics
We need to use envelope filters
To say how we feel
Riding on magnetic waves
We search new programs for your pleasure
I want to patch my soul on your brain
BPM controls your heartbeats
We are the synchronizers
We are electronic performers
The lyrics of Air's song, "Electronic Performers," speak to the transformative power of electronic music and the machines and tools used to create it. The opening lines, "We are the synchronizers, send messages through time code," suggest that the performers are not just creating music, but transmitting something deeper through their art.
The use of terms like "Midi clock" and "envelope filters" adds to the sense of technical precision that is required to make electronic music work. The machines and synthesizers are not just tools, but extensions of the performers themselves, giving them "wings" and dropping them through the 12 bit samplers.
The phrase "We need to use envelope filters to say how we feel" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the cold, hard machines required to make electronic music function can also be used to convey raw emotion. The metaphor of riding on magnetic waves and searching for new programs further emphasizes the idea of electronic music as a journey of discovery and experimentation. Ultimately, the lyrics celebrate the power of electronic music to connect people across time and space, and to create something new and transcendent.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the synchronizers
As electronic musicians, we use technology to synchronize the delivery of our music in order to make the performance flow as smoothly as possible.
Send messages through time code
By using time code, we can send signals to each other when it is time to switch to a new part of the performance or change the melody.
Midi clock rings in my mind
Even when not performing, we are constantly thinking about our music and the technical aspects necessary to create a seamless performance.
Machines gave me some freedom
Without technology, we would be limited to performing acoustically. Using electronic machines allows us to be more creative and provide a unique experience for our audience.
Synthesizers gave me some wings
The ability to use synthesizers added to our creative toolset, and allows us to produce and manipulate sounds in a way that was previously impossible.
They drop me through twelve bit samplers
Technology has moved so quickly that what was once cutting edge, like twelve bit samplers, is now considered outdated. However, we still use these machines for creative purposes, even if they are not as efficient as modern equipment.
We are electronic performers
Our music is completely dependent on technology, which allows us to create and deliver an entirely different type of performance from those who rely on acoustic instruments alone.
We are electronics
Our music is a reflection of the electronic age, and the way that technology has changed the way we interact with one another and experience the world.
We need to use envelope filters
Envelope filters are necessary for us to convey the emotion and complexity of our music, and it is a testament to the intricacies of technology that we can use it to evoke feeling while remaining somewhat detached.
To say how we feel
Our music is emotional, even if it does not always seem that way to the listener. Our use of technology allows us to express ourselves in a different way than through traditional musical instruments.
Riding on magnetic waves
We are using technology to manipulate sound waves - it is a tribute to the power of the electronic age and how our relationship with sound is changing.
We search new programs for your pleasure
We are always looking for ways to update our equipment and programs to provide a better experience for our audience, and to stay on the cutting edge of technology.
I want to patch my soul on your brain
Our music is intensely personal and a reflection of our own experiences and emotions. We want to connect with our audience in a deeper way than just playing music - we want to create an experience that impacts them on a personal level.
BPM controls your heartbeats
The rhythm of our music is a reflection of the rhythm of life - heartbeats, breathing, the cycles of day and night. The BPM (beats per minute) of our music has a physiological effect on the listener and can affect their mood and energy levels.
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: JEAN BENOIT DUNCKEL, NICOLAS GODIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roiy Benkel
We are the syncronizers
Send messages through time code
Midi clock rings in my mind
Machines gave me some freedom
Synthesizers gave me some wings
They drop me through twelve bit samplers
We are electronic performers
We are electronics
We need to use envelope filters
To say how we feel
Riding on magnetic waves
We search new programs for your pleasure
I want to patch my soul on your brain
BPM controls yoour heartbeats
We are the syncronizers
We are electronic performers
Ross Turcotte
ICONIC.
so haunting & epic.
possibly my favorite AIR jam ever, but there's just so many bangers.
the legendary 'dark side of the moon safari' era.
the boys were feelin' it in a big way;
super stoned out 24/7 and overwhelmed with how to follow up an "instant classic".
so they got high. went weirder & spookier and made another masterpiece. 🤷☁️
totally, utterly rad and still so forward sounding. possibly their most artistic statement. 🖤🌛
Roiy Benkel
We are the syncronizers
Send messages through time code
Midi clock rings in my mind
Machines gave me some freedom
Synthesizers gave me some wings
They drop me through twelve bit samplers
We are electronic performers
We are electronics
We need to use envelope filters
To say how we feel
Riding on magnetic waves
We search new programs for your pleasure
I want to patch my soul on your brain
BPM controls yoour heartbeats
We are the syncronizers
We are electronic performers
We Love Roy
Is any electronic lyrics better than this one?
The Wither Channel
this is absolute musical greatness, creative genius, and beauty combined
ralph K.J
that string section gives me goosebumps
Matt -
Yeah, this song is beyond genius. Can listen to it all day long and never tire of it.
We Love Roy
Best electronic lyrics ever.
smjk
To me this track sounds like some kind of warning sign given by future humans where society is run by robots with human consciousness but without depth of feelings
Jimmy ButtWhiff
That intro/outro needs it's own song/remix. Reminds me of EarthBound, kinda when you're drinking with the Saturns/Tenda.
Vaughan Jackson
I'm hoping there is more than one upload of this album to YouTube as the current 63 thousand ish hits is a travesty to this amazing music! But...good on you those who tuned in and listened 👍👍👍