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Ambient. It is a must own if you are an AIR fan, and the perfect album to buy if you are looking to start listening. This album is fantastic. Soulful. Innovative. Fresh (still after over a decade). Dynamic. Do yourself a favor and give it a try.
This second track seems much more like a song that could be played in an edgy, urban atmosphere, although it retains much of Air's characteristic ambient sound. This album, Moon Safari, is the band's second studio-produced album and was released in 1998 by France's division of Virgin Music. The tracks on Moon Safari which have proved to be most popular worldwide are "Sexy Boy" and "Kelly Watch the Stars." The latter, which is the fourth song on the album, essentially repeats the songs title, but makes significant use of electronic instruments. However again with very quiet vocals, and another super slow beginning, the piece is dreary. "Tailsman," Moon Safari's fifth song is boring, especially falling directly after "Kelly Watch the Stars." There are no vocals, and the piece's rhythm, which thankfully picks up halfway through the song, is missing something.
Additionally in this piece, the duo uses synthesizers, and in particular a Moog synthesizer, to create an eerie, almost alien back melody, perhaps to represent the sky at night, and what perhaps exists in outer space star galaxies. In addition to the female voice, the song incorporates heavenly-sounding bells and wind, which further exemplify the song's slow, ambient nature. This distinct, Air sound also plays off of the band's name, truly capturing elements of dream and imagination. Also at a closer listen, there is a lot going on in the background, which is very interesting to pay attention to. "Sexy Boy" is a much different piece, with a significantly faster and louder rhythmic melody. Here, the band maybe could have elaborated more with detailed vocals about the meaning behind the song.This is not to say however that Air's album deserves little praise; in contrast, Moon Safari is an extremely interesting and creative collection of experimental, electronic music. For perhaps the same reasons, "You Make it Easy" is another favorite. First, the female vocals which are used throughout the album are from a computer-generated voice.
It is said that band members, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel, have drawn upon 1970s synthesizer music, pyshedelic rock, lesser-known Italian film soundtracks, and European dance music to create their own unique sound. This song however is sadder, and the lyrics go into much more detail and development than the other pieces on the album. Their sound is melodic and dreamy, however the multiple electronic instruments and computer-generated composition techniques that the artists use succeed in creating catchy, danceable tracks that have made their way into popular music. The female vocals in this seventh track are similarly slow and high pitched like "All I Need," and the same soft, dreamy sound is at work.
"Kelly Watch the Stars" sounds like a piece that while listening, one could lose themselves in thought. A personal favorite on the album is "All I Need." This second track maintains less use of computer-generated and electronic instrumentation, making the melody very catchy and relaxing. It almost sounds as if the main rhythm is played by a guitar. KMO 4-19-2010 MUSI 2350-108 TECHNOSONICS SPRING 2010Air, which is an acronym for the French equivalent of Love, Imagination, Dream, is an electronic music duo from Versailles that began releasing music in the 1990s. With many different sounds at work, the main melody is played by an electronic piano which towards the end of the songs, sounds like it has evolved into a string-based orchestra. From a technical standpoint, the most experimental and creative songs on Moon Safari are "Remember" and "Le Voyage de Penelope," as the seemingly constant use of synthesizer technology and computer-instruments are almost a challenge to follow.From an individual standpoint, the pieces "Tailsman" and "New Star in the Sky" are the least impressive tracks on the album. Additionally, "New Star in the Sky" is very plain, with a confusing ending. With such a title, it seems as if the artists could have had so much to work with.
The overall sound of this album is dreamy and imaginative, exactly what the band's name represents. It is no surprise that this album reached Great Britian's Top 10 list, as Air's soft and ambient compositions make full use of current technology to produce edgy, relaxing electronic songs. It is no wonder that Moon Safari is the band's most successful and inspirational album, as it truly exemplifies melodic, ambient music while allowing its audience to simply listen and relax. The use of synthesizer technology is also clear, as well as the band's use of computers to produce a much more varied vocal chorus and verse lines.Although these two hits definitely have more popular appeal, Air excels at producing weird, but interesting and creative ambient pieces that perfectly characterize the "chill out" vibe that many critics use to describe their sound. The female vocals are very soothing, creating a very dreamy and slow sound that is calming. The end of the song, which seems to sample children playing outside, is confusing, and does not seem to fit in with the rest of the piece or the title.
This purchase was a crap shoot. My young daughter (20's) likes it even more. Heard this music on an E Mail about 1920's San Francisco and thought it was interesting. Ordered the Cd and I find the music to be different and easy to listen to. Good base, and some amusing arrangements. When I can find time , I want to check to see if this group has more music out there.
Great CD, although I was a little disappointed to find that Disk 1 had some scratches on it.
Just want to say that this album has played to many many good times for me. I would say that this probably is the best CD to get it on with ever. This review is just my way of giving back. Buy it, play it, enjoy it.
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