Review: Greg Phillips. Photos: Jason Rosewarne.
1998 was an interesting year for alternative rock music. The grunge star was fading and we were left in a state of flux in regard to what new musical direction was coming next. Quietly acclaimed albums released during that year included Hole’s Celebrity Skin, Fugazi’s End Hits, Beastie Boys’ Hello Nasty, Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Pulp’s This Is Hardcore, Beck’s Mutations, PJ Harvey’s Is This Desire?, and Silver Jews’ American Water to name a handful. Sitting brazenly amid the musical imperfections, raw riffs and sometimes intense lyricism of those records was the perfectly recorded, lounge-style sounds of French electronic music duo Air’s debut studio album Moon Safari. The album is credited with setting the stage for the budding downtempo music style we’ve enjoyed ever since.
Moon Safari was re-released on 14 April 2008 to mark the album’s 10th anniversary, including a bound book, a DVD documentary about the duo, and a bonus CD with live performances and remixes, and on 15 March 2024, to mark the album’s 25th anniversary.
Also marking the band’s 25th anniversary of Moon Safari have been a series of concerts by Air in America, the UK and two shows at the Sydney Opera House in May this year as part of the Vivid festival. Finally the show had made it’s way to Melbourne as part of the Always Live celebrations and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl was the perfect venue to host this special event.
Opening the show was Melbourne-based electronic-pop artist Alice Ivy, playing tunes from her recently released album Do What Makes You Happy. The album features an impressive array of collaborators including BJ The Chicago Kid, Josh Teskey, Mallrat, Mayer Hawthorne, Sam Sparro, Kah-Lo and more. On stage Ivy does it all herself, producing a background of beats and synth lines from her modest rig, then laying down some funky rhythm guitar and lead licks on her Fender Strat. Ivy’s music is upbeat and infectious and with a determination to have a good time no matter what, she won over the ever-increasing crowd numbers as they filed in for the main act.
What surprised me most about this concert was the incredible audience energy. Even before the band had hit the stage, many with expensive, prime view seats had instead gathered at the front of the stage or stood in the aisles to hear an album which Pitchfork described as featuring “dainty sonics and polite arpeggios.” As good as the band is, it was never going to be a dancefest.
Air’s multi-instrumentalist Nicolas Godin and synth-maestro Jean-Benoît Dunckel strolled onto stage to thunderous applause in their signature whites, looking like they were more prepared for a duel with fencing sabres than performing a concert. Accompanying them, also attired in white was touring drummer Louis Delorme.
Playing the album in track order, AIR eased into La Femme D’Argent, with Godin’s luscious bass lines accentuated by the sheer volume and pristine sound system delivering the mix. Sexy Boy followed, the closest the audience was going to get to a dance tune. Surprisingly though, with the vitality of the music played live and the reciprocal enthusiasm of the audience, the atmosphere created was electric. Also Godin’s deep loping bass lines and Delorme’s hard hitting drums really did pack a punch.
Interestingly, the original Beth Hirsch vocal parts on All I Need were replaced with a Hirsch sample of just the title line, used in a dub-like fashion. Perhaps it might have been a nice touch to utilise a local female guest vocalist for the part but the show is very much moored to its longstanding production elements.
With the stage bathed in blue, Kelly Watched The Stars! was a clear crowd favourite. Visually, the design element of the production was stunning, all emanating from a rectangular light box behind the band radiating colours and shapes, depicting the space age themes of the album. An elegant version of Talisman was enhanced by a dramatic red toned stage.
Godin donned his red Fender Mustang bass and contributed vocoder-effected vocals on Remember, such a beautiful, meandering tune. Then swapping his bass for an acoustic guitar, the band swept into You Make It Easy. For such a genteel melody, the audience remained standing with their spark well and truly intact.
While Godin was interchanging basses and a Gibson Les Paul guitar, Jean-Benoît Dunckel’s station consisted of a *Fender Rhodes Mark I stage piano 73, on which stood a Moog Sirin played with an Arturia Keystep Pro MIDI controller on one side of him and on the other, a Fender Rhodes Mark II or Wurlitzer 200A, with a white Korg MS-20 FS sitting on it. Godin also contributed to the soundscape, utilising a stage e-piano (Fender Rhodes or Wurli), a black Korg MS-20 analog Synthesizer, and a vintage RE-501 Chorus Echo.
New Star In The Sky (Chanson Pour Solal) was enhanced by the dazzling star projections behind the band, switching to a circular blue and white-toned setting for Le Voyage De Pénélope, the final track from the Moon Safari album.
With the main course done, the second set began with a cinematic version of Radian from the 2001 album 10 000 Hz Legend. Next, Venus, Cherry Blossom Girl and Run, all from 2004’s Talkie Walkie record, took our minds further away from the world’s woes. Run was particularly mesmerising. HighSchool Lover from The Virgin Suicides movie soundtrack was warmly appreciated too. Don’t Be Light emphasised the incredible musicianship of this skillful trio, with Godin laying down some wonderful distorted lead bass lines before the band headed off stage again.
Returning soon after, the band delivered a breathtaking Alone in Kyoto and a stirring version of Electronic Performers … which at face value is obviously what they are but my god, they are so much more live in concert. Back in the day, Moon Safari was always an album I’d play in the car to wind down but last night at the music bowl, AIR managed to inject a magical vivacity into the music I never would have imagined. The post-Moon Safari second half of the show only increased my admiration of the artistry and genius of AIR.
*source – https://synthanatomy.com
SET LIST
La Femme D’Argent
Sexy Boy
All I Need
Kelly, Watch The Stars!
Talisman
Remember
You Make It Easy
Ce Matin Là
New Star In The Sky (Chanson Pour Solal)
Le Voyage De Pénélope
Radian
Venus
Cherry Blossom Girl
Run
Highschool Lover
Don’t Be Light
Alone in Kyoto
Electronic Performers
