Air – Moon Safari
DJ Mag’s Ben Cardew writes that “Air’s debut album ‘Moon Safari’ was a gentle antidote to the wave of French Touch at the time. With an emphasis on melody and mood, it became a ubiquitous soundtrack to the end of the 20th century, and still sounds inspired today… Their music laid a framework for a generation of magenta-hued chill–out bands to idle out of the woodwork in their wake.” Immediately setting the tone with the gorgeous instrumental opening “La Femme D’argent,” Moon Safari is largely centered around Fender Rhodes, bass riffs, and harmonies from the Solina string ensemble, a multi-orchestral synthesizer by ARP. Nicolas Godin reflects on the use of Rhodes in an interview with Reverb: “The Rhodes is my favorite instrument. I spent my entire childhood wondering what that sound was that I heard everywhere on TV and on the radio, but no one at that time pointed out the Rhodes. I could recognize a xylophone, a violin, a tuba, etc. but no one ever told me about Rhodes. One nice day in Pigalle, I saw an old, completely beat-up one in a store, and when I put my finger on it, I finally understood where that sound came from that had haunted me for years.”
Recommended – Full Listen
A1 La Femme D’argent
A2 Sexy Boy
A3 All I Need
A4 Kelly Watch The Stars
B1 Talisman
B2 Remember
B3 You Make It Easy
B4 Ce Matin Là
B5 New Star In The Sky
B6 Le Voyage De Pénélope
Artwork [Production] – The Directors Bureau
Bass – N. Godin* (tracks: A1 to A3, B1 to B6)
Design – Mike Mills (2)
Electric Piano [Rhodes] – J.B. Dunckel*
Lacquer Cut By – Nilz*
Mastered By – Nilesh Patel
Mixed By – Stéphane “Alf” Briat
Mixed By [Assistant] – Jérôme Blondel
Organ – J.B. Dunckel* (tracks: A1 to A3, B2, B3, B6), N. Godin* (tracks: A3)
Producer – Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Nicolas Godin
Recorded By – Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Nicolas Godin, Stéphane “Alf” Briat
Recorded By [Assistant] – Jérôme Kerner
Recorded By [Strings] – Peter Cobbin
Synthesizer [Solina String Ensemble] – J.B. Dunckel* (tracks: A1, A2, A4 to B6), N. Godin* (tracks: A3, B2)