The venerable grounds of Trinity College, Dublin might have been buzzing with incredulity owing to the middle-aged pairs in attendance at the Sunday night Air gig, struggling to comprehend that a quarter of a century has elapsed since Moon Safari made its debut. I, too, was finding it challenging to understand. The ground-breaking retro-futurist album, unveiled back in 1998, acted as a catalyst for a wave of French electronica. Doubling as mood music for countless evening gatherings and cocktail soirees, its creators, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, skillfully blended old-school synthesiser effects and sexy bass lines, incorporating a dash of cheese and plenty of chic.
Their following creations allowed them to perfect their style, morphing into a French version of a laid-back Pink Floyd. Nevertheless, they failed to surpass the enchantment of Moon Safari, encompassing that indefinable quality. Now, after 25 years, we congregate at Trinity’s Summer Sessions solely to experience the band’s recreation of the album from start to finish, which, rest assured, lived up to expectations.
The stage seemed to be crafted by Le Corbusier, evoking images of a futuristic singleton’s hideaway or a spaceship from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dressed head to toe in cosmic white, the band, composed of bass guitarist Godin and keyboard player Dunckel, along with drummer Louis Delorme, enthralled us as the familiar bass tune of “La Femme d’Argent” embarked on a retrofuturistic odyssey, accompanied by a light show reminiscent of the stars themselves. This was undoubtedly a walk down memory lane, but also an exploration, with ‘Sexy Boy’ propelling us into space with its Soviet satellite sounds and voice-altering vocals. To everyone’s delight, the absence of original vocalist Beth Hirsch left no impact on “All I Need”. Instead, it harked back to its earlier, instrumental form, “Les Professionnels”, before launching spectral echoes of Hirsch’s vocals into the musical void.
“Kelly Watch the Stars”, inspired by Jaclyn Smith’s character in Charlie’s Angels, is a dazzling and dynamic track. Remember and Ce Matin-La truly flourish played live. The tempo slows slightly as the tunes return to a more ambient rhythm, yet the last song on the album, Le Voyage de Pénélope, revitalises the pacing with dynamic synths from Godin and Dunckel, putting it squarely back in the spotlight.
The Moon Safari performance at Trinity College by Air was a glittering journey back in time, vividly manifested in vibrant technicolour.
Van Morrison’s performance at Iveagh Gardens included a guide to stage times, the included songs, ticket details, and straightforward directions.
In the latter part of the concert, Air performed a range of songs from three of their more reputable albums: 10,000 Hz Legend, which included Radian and Don’t Be Light; Talkie Walkie, which had Venus, Run and Cherry Blossom Girl; and their The Virgin Suicides soundtrack for the Sofia Coppola movie, which included Highschool Lover. For their encore, they performed Alone in Kyoto, another track from a Coppola film, Lost in Translation, and concluded with the impressive Electronic Performers. An indeed spectacular technicolour triumph.