REVIEW: Air, Premiers Symptomes (First Signs) (Astralwerks)
- Robin Lapid
What goes up, must come down. Unless, of course, you are Air, the French duo with a particular gift of crafting buoyant, ambient-lounge music that wafts through the ears, allowing one to float through a sonic ether like a relaxed body floats in water. Moon Safari, Nicolas Godin and Jean Benoit Dunckel's first release, became such a hit that the record company wants to stave off fans hungry for a new release with Premiers Symptomes, a re-packaged seven-track EP of earlier Air creations, including two tracks not on the original European release.
Diehard fans will have acquired these songs elsewhere, but in any case the EP is a fitting companion piece to Moon Safari. The old-school keyboard and jazz whispers of opening-track "Modular Mix" flow into the summery, quiet bass-and-bliss sounds of "Casanova 70" and "Les Professionnels," all tracks that could be seamless preludes to Moon Safari's "La Femme D'Argent" or a vocal-less "All I Need." The journey continues into the mellow kitsch and somnolent melodies of "J'Ai Dormi Sous L'eau" and "Le Soleil est Pres de Moi" ("I Sleep Under Water" and "The Sun Is Beside Me" for the French-impaired). "Californie" is a chilled-out, funk-tinged groove, sort of like what Shaft might be listening to in his bedroom while staring into a lava lamp. "Brakes On" is a tail-end exercise in looped and loping beats, striding alongside a build-up of uptempo samples and repetitive techno treachery.
The last two, previously unreleased tracks have a hint of that tacked-on feel, but Air's directive is nonetheless achieved - to make the type of dreamlike mood music that would make you never want to leave the chill-out tent.
