http://source.astralwerks.com/air/

Their sound – "a variant of the classic disco sound coaxed into a relaxing prozac vision of the late 70s."

Their style – smooth, simple, ambient and acquiescent.

Their texture – simply ethereal and atmospheric.

Despite both growing up in Versailles, it wasn’t until Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoet Dunckel went to college that the two met and became Air. The timing was perfect. 1997 was a crucial year for the life of electronica. French artists like Daft Punk and Dimitri from Paris were gaining momentum in Britain and America and Air wouldn’t be left behind.

In order to break into the consciousness of popular music, Air began remixing singles for such artists as Neneh Cherry and Depeche Mode and lending their tracks to electronica compilations like Source Lab 3. After initiating a buzz, Air released their debut record, Moon Safari, in 1998. "Sexy Boy" and "Kelly Watch the Stars" became moderate hits in Britain and earned the band airplay on MTV.

Certainly Air’s collaboration with Sophia Coppola for the music to her film adaptation of The Virgin Suicides helped to evolve Godin and Dunckel from electronica archetypes to mainstream musical maestros. Nothing captured the teenage torment and torture than Air’s musical playground.

-Leslie Simon