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Tunequest Topic: air [french band]

High Impact Albums of 2007

January 23rd, 2008

In my last post, I detailed the ten albums that earned the highest ratings from me during 2007. But while I did find them each to be fantastic recordings, ratings don't necessarily reflect popularity. That is to say that the most highly rated albums might not have been the most often played. Indeed that's not the case. I took data from the past year and ran it through my Impact ...

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Tunequest 2007 Albums of the Year

January 2nd, 2008

Another year come, another year gone. After spending 2006 evaluating the status of my iTunes library and trimming some fat, I took the opportunity in 2007 to explore a lot of new material. And I must say that overall it was a pretty good year for both my library and for music in general. I had added 1,891 songs to my library by the end of October, which marks ...

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In search of a definitive album rating formula

March 14th, 2007

When it comes to my iTunes library, I'm a regular statistics nut. Sure, my library exists primarily for my own enjoyment, but it contains so much organically-compiled data about my habits and tastes that I can't help but want to take a look at it and find out what the data says about my interests. But for a while now, I've struggled to quantify, tabulate and analyze the overall sense ...

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Air - Pocket Symphony: A Little Side Step

March 8th, 2007

For these past couple weeks, tunequest has been counting down to Air's fifth full-length record, Pocket Symphony, which was finally released a few days ago. I've had it long enough to give it a handful of thorough listens and I can tell you that this thing oozes craftsmanship. The numbers don't lie and after rating all the songs on the album, I'll confirm that this is good stuff. Upfront, let ...

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Air - Talkie Walkie: Mellow Exuberance

March 3rd, 2007

After being somewhat let down by 10000 Hz Legend, I'd have thought that my interest in Air would had wained, but when Talkie Walkie was released in 2004 I was surprised by how eager I was to get a hold of it. When I did, my surprising anticipation was validated, in spades. I'll just come out and say it: Talkie Walkie is a beautiful record. In direct contrast to its ...

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Air - 10000 Hz Legend: Frustrating Brilliance

March 1st, 2007

Released in 2001, 10,000 Hz Legend is Air's first proper follow up to their smash Moon Safari. Coming three years after taking the world by storm, the record was much anticipated. Air had carved out a particular niche of upbeat, laid-back retro-electro-lounge and the fans wanted more. MORE! Sadly, anyone who was expecting that was sorely disappointed. Including myself. I admit, it took me a long time to fully appreciate ...

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Air - The Virgin Suicides: Downtempo tension

February 27th, 2007

Several degrees of Air. Or, what's it take to get Air to remix a Beck song? Air gets Beck to remix Sexy Boy and provide vocals on Don't Be Light and the Vagabond. Beck dated and is married to Marissa Ribisi. Marissa Ribisi has a twin brother: Giovanni. Giovanni co-stars in Lost in Translation. Lost In Translation is directed by Sofia Coppola. Sofia Coppola also directed The Virgin Suicides. The Virgin Suicides' score was written by ...

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Air - Moon Safari: A lunar adventure

February 24th, 2007

This post is part of the countdown to Air's fifth album, Pocket Symphony, which will be released March 6 in the U.S. If Premiers Symptomes found our protagonists as the house band at "Le Casino dans la Lune," then Moon Safari surely finds Air on its titular sojourn, casting off the confines of the lounge scene and setting off on a mission of exploration. This, Air's first album proper, launched the ...

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Air - Premiers Symptomes: Like in a lounge on the Moon

February 22nd, 2007

Air [french band]'s first album in three years, Pocket Symphony, will be released in a handful of days. In preparation for that event, I thought it would be fun to take a trip through the French band's back catalogue, starting with their earliest works, which range from the 1996 early singles to 1997's debut album Premiers Symptomes. :: Imagine it's 1969 and your thoughts are aimed toward the future. Not your ...

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