Air release debut album Moon Safari

First posted 4/2/2008; updated 9/13/2020.

Moon Safari Air

Released: January 16, 1998 Peak: -- US, 6 UK, -- CN, 24 AU Sales (in millions): 0.39 US, 0.6 UK, 2.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: electronica

Tracks: (Click for codes to singles charts.) La Femme d’Argent Sexy Boy (2/21/98, 13 UK) All I Need (11/21/98, 29 UK) Kelly Watch the Stars (5/16/98, 18 UK) Talisman Remember You Make It Easy Ce Matin La New Star in the Sky (Chanson Pour Solal) Le Voyage de Penelope Total Running Time: 43:35 The Players: Nicolas Godin Jean-Benoît Dunckel

Rating: 4.201 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings) Quotable: “Pushing the barriers of what ‘electronica’ could or should sound like.” – John Bush, All Music Guide Awards:

About the Album: French electronica duo Air burst out of the gates with “a thoroughly appealing, otherworldly debut album.” AMG All Music Guide’s John Bush said the album “delivered the emotional power of great dance music even while pushing the barriers of what ‘electronica’ could or should sound like.” WK “A cavalcade of analog synthesizers, organs, electric pianos, and processed voices populate Moon Safari.” AMG Mixmag’s Alexis Petridis called it a “superbly inventive” WK album that “creates a soundworld in your living room, a world where everything’s more shiny, chic and sophisticated than reality.” WK “Most of their dance contemporaries push the boundaries of trip-hop or jungle, Air blends Euro-dance with new wave. Any futuristic element on their album feels strangely outdated, since they’re borrowed from the early ‘80s, which gives their music an odd, out-of-time feeling. The waves of gurgling synths beneath the spacious, colorful chords and melodies give the impression that the music is floating in space. For all the atmospherics and layers of synths, there’s a distinct pop sense to Moon Safari that makes it accessible and damn near irresistible.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: Air’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide WK Wikipedia