From wiki:-
Air is a music duo from Versailles, France, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel.
Air’s sound is often referred to as electronica; their form of electronic music was influenced by the synthesizer sounds of the 1970s such as Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, and Francis Lai. Other influences include psychedelic and progressive rock pioneers Pink Floyd; film composer Ennio Morricone; krautrockers Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk; early pioneers of the eurodance electronica subgenre Space; Jean-Jacques Perrey and Claude Perraudin (although there are some echoes of dance music styles in the production); French crooner Serge Gainsbourg (Histoire de Melody Nelson, for example); and soft rock duo The Carpenters (Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, originally by progressive rock band Klaatu for example).
The thing is, if I was to read all of that before hearing any of the music I’d be expecting something bloody awful and unlistenable to the point of being up its own arse. And yet, this 1998 single is pretty irresistible:-
mp3 : Air – Sexy Boy (radio edit)
It was #13 hit here in the UK which remains the highest-placing they’ve managed to achieve. There were three remixes made available:-
mp3 : Air – Sexy Boy (Sex Kino Mix)
mp3 : Air – Sexy Boy (Cassius Radio Mix)
mp3 : Air – Sexy Boy (Etienne de Crecy et Les Flower Pistols Remix)
The first of these is by Beck Hansen, and as you’d expect, is quite idiosyncratic. The others are by well-known French DJs/performers.
There’s one more track available on the single:-
mp3 : Air (avec Francoise Hardy) – Jeanne
That’s two in a row for Ms Hardy following on from yesterday’s appearance with Blur. This song is one that she has been given a writing credit for alongside messrs Godin and Dunckel. It’s quite tasty….
You should check out the version – complete with a string quartet – by the wonderful La Grande Sophie (Sophie Huriaux) from her “Re:cord EP” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BboBAJGz6ZA
Always welcome some Francoise Hardy