Purveyors of delightfully retro electronic space pop, former architect Nicolas Godin (b. 25 December 1969, Paris, France; bass, guitar, vocoder, percussion) and mathematician Jean-Benoît Dunckel (b. 7 September 1969, Versailles, France; keyboards/clavinet) both originate from Versailles, France. They initially met at college, where Godin joined Dunckel in indie rock band Orange, alongside future producer Alex Gopher. After a period spent concentrating on their respective studies, Dunckel and Godin reunited as Air and began forging a new electronic direction, signing to the Paris-based Virgin Records offshoot Source. They released several singles, including the Modulor Mix EP in November 1995 and the Casanova 70 EP in August 1996. These early tracks, since disowned by Godin and Dunckel, were collected on the Premiers Symptomes compilation, and helped to bring the duo to the attention of European DJs. They also embarked on remix work for Depeche Mode and Neneh Cherry.
Godin and Dunckel then decamped to an abandoned eighteenth-century chateau outside Paris to record the new material that appeared on their debut, Moon Safari. Produced on an eight-track console, the 10 songs on the album were a striking mixture of electronic loops and pop melodies, moving from lush instrumentals to effortless electro pop with vocals by Godin and Paris-based American singer Beth Hirsch. The album's retro feel was heightened by Dunckel and Godin's use of mini-Moog and vocoder, and the romantic themes of space travel and stargazing. The first single, "Sexy Boy", reached the UK Top 20 in spring 1998. The follow-up, "Kelly Watch The Stars", was an homage to Charlie's Angels actress Jaclyn Smith. Moon Safari won the UK's Muzik magazine's award for Best Album in October 1998.
Godin and Dunckel were subsequently commissioned to compose the original score for Sophie Coppola's acclaimed film adaptation of Jeffrey Euginedes' The Virgin Suicides (they would go on to work on her later movies Lost In Translation and Marie Antoinette). Their follow-up studio album, 10,000 Hz Legend, was recorded in Paris and Los Angeles. Released in May 2001, the album's restless experimentalism drew a mixed response from critics still enamoured by the lush textures of Moon Safari.
Godin and Dunckel have continued to push the boundaries of their retro-futuristic electronic pop on subsequent releases, including their collaboration with cult Italian author Alessandro Baricco on City Reading: Tre Storie Western, and the studio albums Talkie Walkie (2004) and Pocket Symphony (2007). The duo also contributed to the LateNightTales mix series and Dunckel released the solo Darkel at the end of 2006.
