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.
Universal traveler
Air Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Places in the world
I follow the sun
In my silver plane
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
If you have a look
Outside on the sea
Everything is white
It's so wonderful
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
So far
So far
So far away
I met so many
People in my life
I've got many friends
Who can care for me
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Trust fills everywhere ?
And tomorrow
Is a brand new day
Let's go somewhere else
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
Universal traveler
So far
So far
So far away
So far
So far
So far away
So far
So far
So far away
So far
So far
So far away
The song "Universal Traveler" by Air paints the picture of a free spirit who travels the world in his silver plane. Despite being far away from home and encountering different people, he has found many friends who care for him. The chorus repeats the phrase "Universal traveler" in a hypnotic manner, emphasizing his wanderlust and the feeling of being a citizen of the world.
The lyrics reflect the existential search for meaning in life and the human desire for adventure and exploration. The singer doesn't have a fixed destination; he's chasing the sun and constantly seeking new experiences. The line "everything is white" could serve as a metaphor for his blank slate, the endless possibilities, and a potential fresh start.
The phrase "So far, so far, so far away" is repeated several times, evoking a sense of distance and isolation. The traveler is physically distant from his loved ones, but also metaphorically distant from a life of routine and conformity. The song suggests that being a Universal Traveler is not for everyone, but for those who dare to explore beyond the horizon.
Line by Line Meaning
I know so many
I have a wealth of knowledge about diverse places
Places in the world
Various geographical locations on the planet
I follow the sun
I am most active and energetic during the day
In my silver plane
I travel in an aircraft made of metal having a silvery tint
Universal traveler
I am a person who journeys around the world
Universal traveler
I am a person who ventures to see diverse cultures
Universal traveler
I am a person who explores numerous countries
Universal traveler
I am a person who seeks adventure on a global scale
If you have a look
If you glance or observe
Outside on the sea
Looking beyond the horizon of the sea
Everything is white
The world seems serene and peaceful
It's so wonderful
It is awe-inspiring and fantastic
So far
This journey has been great in distance
So far
I have traveled extensively
So far
It has been a significant amount of time
I met so many
I encountered numerous individuals
People in my life
Folks I have crossed paths with
I've got many friends
I have multiple companions
Who can care for me
Who can support and look after me
Trust fills everywhere ?
I perceive everywhere filled with reliability or dependability
And tomorrow
The next day
Is a brand new day
It's a new beginning
Let's go somewhere else
Let's explore another location
So far
The time and distance crossed has been extensive
So far
This journey has been long and extensive
So far
I have traversed numerous places
So far
It has indeed been a long expedition
So far
I have been venturing far and wide
So far
The journey has been lengthy and distant
So far
This expedition has taken me to faraway locations
So far away
These places that I have been to are a great distance from me
So far away
The regions that I have roamed are remote
So far away
The journey I have taken was prolonged and distanced
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: JEAN BENOIT DUNCKEL, NICOLAS GODIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Blondejam
This album took me through some really dark days.
@adammarquez5203
It’ll always be pretty dark for me guy
@adammarquez5203
Sadly
@ASIF-pr5sg
@Adam Marquez it will get better, hang on! Keep trying your best.
@lukyluk_py
@Adam Marquez stay strong and take care of yourself that's very important
@TruthAwakening
Listened to this song long ago when i was in high school, finally tracked it down not long ago. Words can't describe the happiness when a song means so much to someone.
@jeticusgaming
Whenever I'm down or going through the many things you generally do in life, this song always seems to just clear the waters... Good music for the mind, body and soul, healthy and beautiful music. Very good for the spirit :)
@jjjeeeaaannnnn
Wow, I love this song. I'ts calming and takes me into a fantasy field of ocean, rivers, lakes, flowers, and love...
@maxkiely2636
Who needs drugs when you have this right?
@liquidmercury1783
their talkie walkie album is flawless