Biography of Air

The electronic duo known collectively as Air is composed of Frenchmen Nicolas Godin and Jean Benoit Dunckel. The two were both born in Versailles, and first met while attending the same college through their mutual friend, producer Alex Gopher. Gopher and Dunckel had a band called Orange at the time, and soon invited Nicolas to join after their initial meeting. A few years passed (during which Gopher left the band); the band changed their name to Air and signed to the Paris-based record label Source. Their first single for the label, "Modulor Mix," showed that the new band's sound was a departure from the more conventional alternative-rock sounds of Orange. They now used retro keyboard instruments as the foundation for their songs -- such vintage equipment as Rhodes piano and Moog synthesizer (as well as a vocoder, which alters the human voice to sound robotic). "Casanova 70" was the next single, a laidback romantic tune complete with the sensuous sounds of harps and horns. Air's full-length debut, Moon Safari, was released in early 1998, and followed the same sounds and musical formulas that made their singles such a delight. ~ Greg Prato