AIR - Moon Safari - Album Review

AIR – Moon Safari – Album Review

25 years on from this album arrived and I’m still shocked when i speak to people who aren’t unaware of French band Air.

Their popularity over the past two and a half decades still continues to grow, year on year and this ultimate in debut albums, Moon Safari continues to be a consistent worldwide seller for the duo, and rightly so.

If you asked me to compare Air to another act for descriptive purposes, I would struggle as their sound is very unique. Some of the music they create has an air of, dare I say it – cheesy cool, if such a thing exists.

I remember receiving a few first edition vinyl copies of this album into stock back in my old shop Mixmaster Records when it came out in 1998. My colleagues at the time Roddy, Gavin and myself were very taken by the freshness of this new music and how it sounded like absolutely nothing else out there at the time. I recall the record being on shop rotation for weeks and it being discussed on a daily basis when a fresh set of ears would come into the shop.

For us guys in the shop, who were used to the harder sides of dance music in the shop, this was like a breath of fresh air from the gods themselves.

Moon Safari is a stone cold, genre creating classic, an album that crafted its own unique sound unlike anything that had come before. Call it retro futurism, electro pop-ambient, coffee table lounge music, whatever your choice this masterpiece has stood the test of time now for over 25 years. Combine their blend of futuristic synths, funky Fender Rhodes hooks with the stunning vocals of Beth Hirsch on two of the songs, “All I Need” and “You Make It Easy” and its just an all out winner in my eyes.

I was blessed to see them when they made their only Belfast appearance a few years ago and was just awestruck the entire show.

I still own this personally on vinyl and CD and still play both. This album is truly a fun, uplifting masterpiece. For anyone who may not have checked out these guys, i urge you to grab a nice glass of Rioja (or a Stella will do) and sit back and binge a few of their amazing albums.