Amazon.co.uk Review
French duo, Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicholas Godin's 1998
debut was a glorious anachronism. An analogue bubblebath of synths, saxophones, xylophones, fuzzy guitars and all manner of louche melodies it managed to be both original and utterly retro.
10,000 Hz Legend is the exact meeting point between wearying experimentation and heart-warming melancholia. There's nothing as charming as "Sexy Boy" or as generous as "You Make It Easy" but if you skip the first two tracks, which have more than a touch of Pink Floyd about them, there are a few twisted gems here. Amid the sprawling mass of shrill melody and Kraftwerkian computer voices that is "Lucky and Unhappy", the compressed trash-pop of Radio #1 (a brash cuss down of that infamous institution) and shimmering folk-funk of "The Vagabond" sung by
Beck, verge on classic. As for "Sex Born Poison" sung by Japanese indie duo Buffalo Daughter, there's something about this particularly bewitching blend of cool female vocals and a Bernard
Psycho Herrmann soundtrack that is out of time, beautiful and in your face. Though
10,000 Hz Legend as a whole is inconsistent and a little bit "aren't we weird?", Air have certainly crafted an inventive album worth hearing. --
Reuben Dessay
CD Description
French duo Air's second 'proper' album continues in the same vein as their debut 'Moon Safari', combining retro pop androck styles with electronic experimentation. Features guestappearances by Beck and Buffalo Daughter and includes the single 'Radio #1'.