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Moon Safari

Air

1998
Moon Safari
Album Summary

Moon Safari is the debut studio album by French electronic music duo Air, released on 16 January 1998 by Source and Virgin Records. 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. Moon Safari was acclaimed by critics. It is credited with setting the stage for the budding downtempo music style. By February 2012, it had sold 386,000 copies in the United States.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.55

Votes

8530
Genres
Pop
Electronica

Reviews

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Thu May 13 2021
3

This record shows in some cases a similar style to Daft Punk, but with fewer extremely annoying "experimental" sirenes and blaring synthesizers that make you want to pierce your eardrums with a toothpick. However, some songs do depend too much on generic elevator/video-game menu music vibes, or take a little bit too long to become exciting. Songs that are worth being added to my collection, are Voyage, Ce matin-la, Femme d'argent, Kelly and All I Need. I feel that each of these songs adds something new to the experience, different instrumentals, different tempo but the same funky and relaxing atmosphere. With me liking exactly 50 percent of the album, I feel it deserves an overall score of 6/10.

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Tue Oct 19 2021
5

Breathy and tasty like a whipped chocolate mousse.

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Tue Sep 14 2021
2

Oh, it sounds like this?! Saw this album dozens of times as a kid without ever hearing it. Expected it to sound like proto-Landfill Indie but it actually sounds like a coma patient waking up. Because it renders 60's positivity with a 90's futurism whose grasp almost exceeds its reach, that patient could be any number of dead, buried and long-forgotten bands. And because the silly-spooky voices and cute piano figures are imbued with a wry whimsy, I'm guessing the band find their venture both fun and funny. I do too, without ever being totally roused out of my hospital bed. Also has the MASSIVE benefit of featuring THAT song from 10 Things I Hate About You, which I probably watched as many times as I saw this album cover in HMV.

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Fri Jan 15 2021
5

Psychedelic synth porn got me drooling omg. The basslines are varied both in melody and in tone with some upright, some electric, and lots of synth bass everywhere. It's like a retro Avalanches record. Which, notable difference is how analogue everything sounds and I can't really describe it any other way. I also love the mixing in this - very much an album for headphones and drugs. My only gripe is that Sexy Boy doesn't hit and some of the songs run a bit long.

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Tue Sep 14 2021
4

Surprisingly enjoyable. I thought, upon hearing the first track “okay some more ephereal French flim flam - let’s see how this goes” but with a light hand on the tiller, Air guide us through the rivers of the world. Unusual, and quite unique sounding - there’s plenty of tonal variety and texture within the gestalt of waifish French flim flam. You know what? I’ve talked myself into a 4. In reality probably a 3.5, but I’m feeling good after that, so yeah. 4.

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Tue Jan 19 2021
2

I’ve officially reached one full week of experiencing and giving my impressions of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It’s been a fun and rewarding project and this is album number seven. The second of which I knew absolutely nothing about.. The album of the day is titled Moon Safari by the French band Air. This effort was released in 1998, one of my favorite years in music in my lifetime in that I was old enough to really start making my own decisions in what I like but more importantly, when I was able to buy my own collection of cassettes and tapes. Full disclosure, I’m not all that knowledgeable about electronic music, EDM, techno and all other related music. I can’t name a single Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers or The Prodigy song. (I do know Fire Starter though!) While I’ve never been able to relate to a lot of this style of music, I respect it and acknowledge it’s influential impact on many, many other genres, including my first love, hip hop. Now that I’ve gotten the homage paying part out of the way, I have to give my honest thoughts on Moon Safari with having only 24 hours with it... There are so many other better albums that could have taken the place of this mediocre record. I don’t intend to offend, but I doubt that I will. Sure, if you put this cassette in the tape deck of my 1988 Acura Integra in 1998, I won’t go rushing for the eject button. It’s not bad at all in any way. I really didn’t mind it. It just didn’t scratch any particular itch for me. I didn’t find myself yearning to hear any of these songs again. Sometimes I’ll listen to a new song obsessively on repeat. Not the case here. I do really like the bass on most tracks. The few songs that actually had vocals were okay. The 70’s synthesizers were dope. I’m not hating on Air or their debut album Moon Safari.. But.. In the end, I won’t go back to this album. I need re-playability in my music. If I’m watching a movie and hear a song from this cut in the soundtrack, I may not even recognize it. There are a couple stand out cuts from a project that, to me, sounded more like a demo from a couple of really talented producers that have yet to find their muse. The second song on the record, Sexy Boy, was the most satisfying with the synthetic voice as a catchy rift. The title song, Moon Safari, one of the two only songs that featured a singer, is a cool 90’s love song. I just feel like their are many other really good albums that should have had their place in this collection. Such as Salt’n Pepa’s Hot Cool and Vicious, or The Barenaked Ladies Stunt album released the same year as Moon Safari, a massive hit. Those are just two examples of monster records that were left off of the list. Oh well. At the end of the day, I didn’t write the book, I’m just consuming it. I’m enjoying every album no matter what. Please share your thoughts, memories and impressions, especially if you’ve experienced Moon Safari for the first time because of this post. If you know and love this album to death, and hold it dearly to your heart please feel free to tell me how wrong I am, because we all perceive music differently and that’s okay!! ✌️

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Tue Jan 12 2021
4

Man, I'd totally forgotten about this band. There was a short period where this album was on regular rotation in my college apartment. I had a roomate who became totally enamored with them after hearing one of their tracks on a commercial. I actually really like several of these tracks despite Air being part of that same European school of electronic music as Daft Punk. The repetitiveness of the songs tends to annoy me after three minutes in or so. The songs are, on average, about a minute longer than they should be. That said, it's an album full of good, chill, background jams. I still a fan of La Femme d'Argent, All I Need, and Talisman.

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Tue Feb 09 2021
3

This is a sexy album. It conjures the vision of a chic lounge sparsely filled to capacity with beautiful, well dressed Parisians. Perhaps tonight I will dream of being invited in.

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Thu Feb 18 2021
1

Wow, it's incredible how boring they are able to be. I don't think I've heard many more boring albums in my entire life (OK, Bob Marley is still worse). Not sure why anyone would ever put this on except for just letting something play in the background that won't distract people and which they won't remember.

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Tue Mar 02 2021
5

So many memories of young adulthood. Original, immaculate and superbly produced album

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Sat Mar 27 2021
5

Put this record on, fix yourself a cocktail, close your eyes and you can almost feel those Cafe Del Mar come-downs.

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Tue Jun 01 2021
5

31st May 2021 Listened on the drive home to London. Sometimes an album catches you perfectly, and this says a lot about the importance of when and where you listen to an album. Summer afternoon, window down, perfect. Air walked so Daft Punk could do the robot?

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Tue Jan 18 2022
2

dont give me this shit ever again

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Fri Nov 05 2021
5

So I was thinking, I've been handing out too many 5 stars lately, therefore Moon Safari needs to get 4 stars. But then I started listening to the album again after, admittedly, way too long a break. The bass lines on the first track (La femme d'argent) were all it took to make me shiver and recall taking the chance and buying the CD based on an old friend's recommendation. And then Sexy Boy, and then Beth Hirsch's voice, and on and on - each and every song on this album is something special. I'm sorry to say it, but this is "another" 5 stars album. How I loved Air! But I still need a lot of Air.

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Tue Mar 08 2022
5

<3333 Prefs: La Femme d'Argent, Sexy Boy, Talisman, Ce Matin-Là, New Start in the Sky, Le Voyage de Pénélope Moins pref: Remember

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Tue Mar 22 2022
5

Really fantastic album, enjoyed it a lot. Kind of reminiscent of Portishead in the downtempo instrumentals with the occasional Daft Punk-esque vocoded vocals. Didn't know what to expect going in but it was excellent.

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Sun Mar 27 2022
5

What a breath of fresh air. It's easy to understand how this kind of thing could take over the world. I remember first hearing Air during the worst hangover I had in my life - new year's day after a night of too many different types of alcohol - beer, whiskey, wine, champagne, gin... I was debilitated, couldn't go out, couldn't move, and my friend put them on and it provided a nice cool atmosphere to make me feel, at least temporarily, a little less miserable. That memory aside, I found this album irresistible.

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Sun May 22 2022
5

This album manages to create an entire atmosphere bubble in your living room. It's so original and fresh, I highly recommend the adventure!

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Tue Feb 09 2021
4

I can't believe this was released in 98! This was so influential when it came out, I was into Sophia Coppola's films at the time also, particularly Virgin Suicides so this really hit the spot. The way they were able to blend groovy sounds from the 60s and 70s into this new \"chill out\" sound was really innovative and this album holds up surprisingly well today.

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Sat Mar 27 2021
4

Blissfully drifted away on a sunny Friday morning. The mellow sounds made be want to swim in a tranquil sea...with a group of people, in order to stop the tyranny of our Hollywood paedophile overlords.

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Tue Oct 12 2021
4

I'm not sure how it's taken me almost a quarter of a century to listen to this, but I certainly won't be leaving it 23 years before its next spin. A brilliant album from start to finish. A really nice, vibe that hits the perfect spot between fun and relaxing. Some bangers that I was already familiar with, interspersed with chilled out tracks, giving this album a great flow and feel. Effortlessly cool and catchy without being cheesy. Instantly love it.

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Thu Sep 14 2023
4

Not sure how I slept on this when it was released, given how much downtempo I enjoyed at the time it was released. Definitely rings of the Bristol trip-hop sound; bringing notes of Zero 7, Everything but the Girl (particularly "All I Need"), Massive Attack). Enjoyable listen, for sure.

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Tue Sep 26 2023
4

Instant transport to 1998, and it stands up pretty well, if of its time. Loved it back then. As an album now, there are more longueurs than I remembered. But rather this a million times than that Simon and Garfunkel. Retrospectively demoting S&G to a 2, and giving this a 3.5, rounding up.

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Tue Oct 19 2021
3

There are some gorgeous songs here. These guys really know how to craft a relaxing and wondrous atmosphere to get lost in. Unfortunately, the line between "relaxing and wondrous" and "just kinda boring:" is a thin one, and it is nearly a coin flip to determine which side any song falls on. It is a nice album, but not consistent enough for me in its execution.

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Mon Sep 25 2023
3

Sophisticated elevator music. Innovative but kind of boring.

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Wed Feb 03 2021
2

Starting to think this 1001 albums thing is bullshit. I can write a better book and curate a better list.

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Mon Sep 13 2021
1

Garbage. Boring repetitive garbage. One of the worst albums I've ever heard in my life.

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Mon Feb 13 2023
1

Jesus, another French techno band. Pretty sure back to back French groups is some kind of cruel joke my son is playing on me. And much like the French, I surrendered very early into this one. Think I took it easy on the previous album, probably because it was only 1/2 French. These guys should have waved the white flag right about the time they started the first song. Only listened once and will not listen again. Very slow, very boring. F the French and F this album. I see Van Halen coming up so at least I'll hear some great music soon. 0 Can't give zero, so 1 it is..........

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Tue Apr 11 2023
1

Incredibly, incredibly BORING.

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Fri Mar 12 2021
5

Lot's of big hits on this one. Will need to listen deeper. "Sexy Boy" and "All I need" are staples of the 90s.

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Sun Mar 14 2021
5

Amazing vibes. Give me more!

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Sun Jan 24 2021
5

I was not expecting to love this album the way I did. It is a level of chill and relaxing that is just sublime, and the choices of pads and synths carry the sound without ever getting stale. Best one so far.

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Tue Jul 06 2021
5

Moon Safari my baby. Didn't know it was on this list.

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Wed Jun 09 2021
5

a truly beautiful album of art

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Thu Jan 21 2021
5

Luftig, veldig fint, hører igjen

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Thu Jan 14 2021
5

Smoother than a gillette commercial

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Sun Mar 28 2021
5

Perfect, just what I was looking for on a cloud Saturday. Really well made.

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Mon Mar 01 2021
5

I knew this album and forgot I knew it. I listen to the first track pretty often on a playlist I like. I've heard the 2nd song a lot. I finally listened to the whole album sometime last year and really like it.

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Fri Jan 22 2021
5

Very light eletronic music with a disco touch. I like it

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Wed Jan 20 2021
5

I was surprised to find this album, totally rocks #1001albumsgenerator https://1001albumsgenerator.com/ssb

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Tue Feb 09 2021
5

Smooth, elegant & timeless. When I listened to it 25 years ago I thought there was a bit of "filler" on side 2 but not now.

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Sun May 16 2021
5

Excellent! Great songs on this album which I would never have known the artist unless listening to JLAC.

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Tue Mar 02 2021
5

A classic album of its time. Could listen to it all day long, and yet for some reason hadn't put it on in years. Thanks for the reminder of how bloody good it is.

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Tue Mar 02 2021
5

Stunning album and a genuine all-time favourite of mine. So this gets maximum possible points for the music but I'm slightly less sure about the legacy/influence/significance (although I'm basing this largely on Wiki). Either way a sick album, with no weak points. 9.5/10

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Tue Mar 02 2021
5

Stone cold classic. Haven’t listened to the full album in years and forgot how good it is. No dud tracks.

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Thu Jan 28 2021
5

This album is an all-time favorite

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Wed Feb 10 2021
5

Excellent album, added to library

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Wed Feb 10 2021
5

Was intrigued by this one. Thought I'd not come across them before but found 1 track already on a playlist of mine. Enjoyed it - great music 4 working from home.

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Thu Feb 25 2021
5

Half Daft Punk, half Khruangbin, all sexy

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Sat Mar 27 2021
5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_psebBaOFM that was my reaction to seeing this superb album.

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Tue Mar 30 2021
5

Classic, heard this album many many times in my life!

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Wed Jul 28 2021
5

Ya lo conocía. Tengo un cd de ellos, pero no es éste. Venga, le doy un 5.

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Thu Sep 16 2021
5

This album was on constantly at the photo studio I worked at in the late 90's. I loved it then and love it now.

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Thu Sep 16 2021
5

Идеальный летний альбом для любого времени года

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Sat Oct 02 2021
5

I mean, it's an all time classic.

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Tue Oct 12 2021
5

I always used to think French pop started and finished with Serge Gainsbourg. This is the album that changed my mind

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Thu Nov 18 2021
5

A true lo-fi, lo-tempo, chill-out synth classic

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Fri Nov 19 2021
5

An old favourite - nice to revisit and one track made it into the wedding playlist

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Thu Dec 02 2021
5

Lekker dromerig. Maar toch interessant genoeg om er de aandacht bij te kunnen houden. De 3 singles uit het album kende ik al. Maar de rest is ook zeker de moeite waard.

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Fri Dec 10 2021
5

Great album. Reminds me of working nights at a TV studio and playing that in the background while working.

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Mon Dec 20 2021
5

Brought back some good memories of listening to this and The Virgin Suicides.

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Tue Dec 21 2021
5

Cool versatile album. Love thd wontempo chill wave, also cool that they did this back in the late 90s,seems very ahead of its time!

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Wed Jan 26 2022
5

We have really failed as a species considering the fact that we don't make more music that sounds like this.

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Mon Feb 21 2022
5

My first listen was while working (coding) and it was nice, would give a 5 based on that, but ofc didnt pay much attention. Second listen I actually payed attention and have to say I like this. 4.5 but rounding it up

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Wed Mar 02 2022
5

An indie classic. Feels like hanging out at a cool wine bar.

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Sun Mar 06 2022
5

That was genuinely amazing. It's like Pink Floyd Daft Punk, which sounds like the stupidest thing ever, but actually works really well. I found that the weakest track for me was yet again the first one. Maybe my ears needed some warming up, I don't know. After that it's great song after great song. The biggest highlights for me were "Sexy Boy", "You Make it Easy", "New Star in the Sky". Turns out French electronic elevator music goes HARD. This and Oxygene, which I just had four days ago.

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Wed Mar 09 2022
5

Loved this album when it was released, still love it now.

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Mon Apr 18 2022
5

This is share-housing in 1999 for me. Great album.

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Fri May 20 2022
5

Great album. Absolute pioneering chilled electronics which has wel stood the test of time.

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Tue May 31 2022
5

So many songs I love in this album and inadvertently listening to them for years on chill out albums before I knew who they were !

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Wed Jun 15 2022
5

Love this. Always have. Always will.

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Sat Jun 18 2022
5

I'm a bit biased since this is one of my favourite albums already. This is like pure silk through the avenues of my mind, so cool it defies classification and about as mellow as you'll ever need.

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Mon Jun 20 2022
5

I remember hearing & digging this album when it came out, but I seem to have lost track of it sometime over the course of the last 24 years.

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