Air is one of two world-class electronic music groups that have come out of France since the phenomenon began, Jean Michel Jarre being the other.
If you’re a fan of Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd, you’ll most likely find Air and Jarre both attractive and pleasing. If you don’t like Euro-Pop, however, you may have a little trouble liking Air. They’re not as meditative or as cerebral as the other groups I’ve mentioned above, and they’re more club or pop-sounding, but they’re a good, pop-oriented brand of electronic music with a markedly retro, a little commercial, and even a little kitschy flavor that’s both alluring and enticing.
This ten-year limited edition album comes with a DVD documentary about the duo and an extra CD with live performances and remixes, which are well worth the cost. The music on the two CDs totals out at nearly 87 minutes, and contains “remixes, rarities, and radio,” including some live BBC and US radio recordings. The DVD was originally released in 1999 as a one-hour documentary. It’s actually a combination documentary and video clips of several performances, along with some otherwise unpublished graphics. Also, some of the tracks on the CDs include American Beth Hirsch on vocals, whose voice adds ethereal qualities.
“Sexy Boy” is probably Air’s best known cut in the US, popularized by the club and dance crowd. The other readily recognizable sounds would be their Virgin Suicides soundtrack. I would not normally have wanted to see the movie, except after I heard that Air was doing the soundtrack. I didn’t care for the movie, finding it tedious at best, but I did enjoy hearing Air’s accompaniment. The bonus CD adds some interesting and catchy variations on some cuts on the first disc, plus some lesser known tunes from their repertoire. Some tunes have added verses, different phrasing and beat changes which will interest dedicated Air fans, but will also catch the ear of casual listeners.
The DVD was deservedly panned by most of the press, offering little worthwhile to the package. Titled “Eating, Sleeping, Waiting & Playing,” it’s disappointingly short on the playing, and tends to drag overall.
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