© Mathieu Rainaud
French duo Air bring their timeless blend of lush analogue sounds and cinematic pop back to the stage, revisiting their iconic Moon Safari album in full at Rockhal this Sunday.
French duo Air, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît 'JB' Dunckel, have never been ones to chase trends. Since their breakthrough with Moon Safari in 1998, their music has floated in that rare space between pop accessibility and cinematic sophistication, an atmospheric blend of vintage electronics, lush melodies, and a distinctly Gallic sense of cool.
Over the years, they’ve left a quiet but undeniable footprint, influencing everything from indie electronica to film scores, and becoming one of France's most beloved musical exports. But for Air, it’s always been about more than hype – it’s about craft, elegance, and a sly wink at their influences.
In conversation, the pair are as disarming as their music – thoughtful, with just enough tongue-in-cheek self-awareness to remind you that beneath the floaty synths lies a deep love for pop history. "We copied our sound from a lot of bands...Kraftwek, The Beach Boys, The Beatles...", Nicolas laughs, when asked about their influences.
They’re quick to credit the great soundtrack composers, and 60s icons whose harmonic sophistication and melodic richness they’ve absorbed, but insist that Air’s true aim has always been to make music that feels rich and timeless, without ever becoming elitist. “We didn’t want to make music only for the...posh, the upper class, you know?” J.B. adds with a grin.
A key part of that philosophy, they explain, lies in their commitment to analogue production "feeling the music under your fingers". In an era of increasingly digital, algorithm-driven sound, Air remains convinced that listeners still crave the human touch. "People can feel when a real instrument is played, they respond to it," JB says.
Their records – from Moon Safari, The Virgin Suicides to Talkie Walkie and beyond, lean heavily on vintage gear, pianos, strings, and analogue synths that give their music its signature softness and depth. It’s this sonic richness that’s helped Air stand apart from colder, more clinical strains of electronic music, making their songs feel like soundtracks to unmade films or daydreams set to music.
As for where they find themselves now? The duo see their legacy not as a fixed point but as an ongoing ripple effect. Air are a live band at heart; they’ve dedicated themselves to recreating their breakthrough album on stage, crafting a backdrop that is symphonic, atmospheric, and cinematic.
French music, they agree, has come a long way, with a new generation of electronic artists drawing from their blueprint. Yet, Air themselves remain grounded, even playful, about their place in music history. When asked which season best reflects their sound, Nicolas is clear that there is one in particular that is clear to him, he loves the reds of autumn probably "because of my hair".
And as they reflect on the state of the music industry, they say to be united in their belief that more needs to be done to support smaller, independent artists. Nicolas suggests that the only way to make it these days is to be an established 'big' act, and laments the days when "even as a smaller band, you could make a living'. J.B. says of A.I that there needs to be better safeguards in place, to protect the rights of the artists, that management companies "use their power to scare and push bands into bad deals and decisions".
Air play their classic album Moon Safari in full at Rockhal on Sunday 6 July. Get tickets and info via rockhal.lu
