Air On Making New Music: ‘Maybe We Could Do Something Completely Different’
Air have spoken to Variety about their recent appearance at the Olympics closing ceremony, touring their classic album Moon Safari and the possibility of making new music together.
Buy Air’s ‘Moon Safari (25th Anniversary Edition)’ here
Nicolas Godin opened up about the experience of playing the Paris Olympics closing ceremony. “We rehearsed two or three weeks [beforehand],” he said. “We did a show at the Parisian airport, Charles de Gaulle, and we rehearsed the track there and played it live. And then when we arrived at the Olympics, we thought we would have time to rehearse the track, but it was just a briefing.
“And then I saw Tom Cruise rehearsing his jump. Even he rehearsed! But that was it. It was fun, because Phoenix and us grew up in the same town. We spent the afternoon with them in the dressing room, and it was a nice friendship moment.”
He went on to talk about the decision to tour Moon Safari in its entirety, “I was thinking that it’s better to play your best stuff because it sounds better on stage, but performing one album on stage delivers a certain unique atmosphere to the audience. They really like that special, unique, childlike atmosphere of Moon Safari. And I think it works because we do Moon Safari, and then we do four or five of our best songs, and it gives a unique show.”
Jean-Benoit Dunckel also spoke about the possibility of Air making music with one another again, “For me, it’s a matter of mood. The mood has to be right, the environment has to be right, and I don’t know how it’s going to be.It’s not only a matter of vision about a new album, I have to believe if it’s necessary or not. Maybe I need also to feel the audience really wants it. Maybe there are fans who say they’re interested by [new music from] Air, but maybe they will be not actually because they are pleased with what we have done already.”
Godin added, “Maybe we could do something completely different than we did in the past, so fans will not be able to compare it to our old albums. In a way, when we did Virgin Suicides after Moon Safari, when we did the soundtrack that was a way for us to escape the problem. Maybe we need this kind of project to avoid the comeback.”