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AIR
10000 HZ. LEGEND |
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| | Reviews: 146 |
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| Average Rating: 7.42 |
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Dirty Beautiful
by "gillyann24" Rego Park, New York USA
Reviewed on October 2nd, 2002
Everyone's favorite Moog-minded Frenchmen, Air returned with the follow-up to their stellar debut, "Moon Safari". Of course, Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin have hardly been idle in the three years between their two studio albums. 1999's excellent compilation "Premieres Symptomes" collected their early singles; and in 2000, they composed the haunting score to Sofia Coppola's tragic film, "The Virgin Suicides". In retrospect, the latter project hinted at the direction the duo would take on their sophomore effort. Where "Moon Safari" invited listeners to travel the most ethereal vistas, "10,000 Hz Legend" takes us on journey into a murky underworld, from which we may or may not want to emerge.Things start off pleasantly enough, as the lilting opener "Electronic Performers" beckons the listener to Air's familiar vocoder/synth-based world ("synthesizers gave me some wings"). "How Does It Make You Feel" is a gooey love song (somewhat reminiscent of "Moon Safari's" "All I Need"), featuring robotic vocals and dripping with sarcasm. The kitschy "Radio #1" humorously sends up its namesake institution ("If you need some fun/some good stereo gum/Radio #1"). The first curveball comes on "The Vagabond", a folky duet with Beck, wherein the acoustic and the electronic combine to create a hangover-induced haze. The sparse, haunting "Radian", the gleaming synthfest "Lucky and Unhappy, and the glorious prog-rock of "Sex Born Poison" (this last one featuring vocals from Buffalo Daughter) provide the album's flawless midpoint, and reveal its dark heart. On "People in the City", an acoustic guitar, a moog, and a cacophony of city sound effects create a grainy, urban feel; while the sexual tale "Wonder Milky Bitch" unfolds against a Serge Gainsbourg-like musical backdrop. On the two songs that close the album, the duo float into classic rock ("Don't Be Light") and Pink Floyd territory ("Caramel Prisoner"). Eager to distance themselves from the easy listening label earned by their debut, Air crafted an eerie, unsettling piece of music. Like its predecessor, "10,000 Hz Legend" succeeds in creating and sustaining a mood. Unlike that joyful debut, the mood here is stark and full of dark, sexual themes. A captivating excursion into a forbidding sonic landscape, "10,000 Hz Legend" shows Air in no mood to embrace complacency.
More "10000 Hz. Legend" reviews:
[2005-01-13] better (8)
[2004-12-23] Air..........Smooth, Flowing and addictive (10)
[2004-12-22] fools be trippin'. (10)
[2004-12-20] Another amazing album (8)
[2004-12-10] Wonderous music from the future! (10)
[2004-08-16] not your normal album (8)
[2004-06-08] its different but good (8)
[2004-05-28] Really good! (10)
[2004-04-10] Disappointing!!!!!!!!! (4)
[2004-03-18] It Makes Me Feel......Amazing (10)
[2004-02-23] We Are the (Human) Robots (8)
[2004-02-18] HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!! (10)
[2004-02-17] No, this is not Moon Safari 2, but that is a good thing! (10)
[2004-02-16] How does it make me feel? (8)
[2004-02-06] Better than its reputation (8)
[2004-01-25] The only Air album to avoid... (4)
[2003-11-29] Indie pop continues to ruin electronic music (4)
[2003-09-18] Blowing. (2)
[2003-09-14] Ugh... (2)
[2003-07-15] Ouch! (4)
[2003-06-13] SONIDOS DE URBANIDAD (10)
[2003-06-12] Amazing... (10)
[2003-03-23] Only the single minded achieve greatness (10)
[2003-03-09] Air?s best album to date (8)
[2003-01-02] There's a bad smell in the Air ! (2)
[2002-10-02] Dirty Beautiful (8)
[2002-09-06] moon safari this ain't (8)
[2002-07-27] Going on a moon safari with a pocket full of downers (8)
[2002-07-13] When I first got it I hated it.... (4)
[2002-05-26] Sounds more like gargabe, and I don't mean the group (2)
[2002-05-22] machines give me some freedom (6)
[2002-05-15] Disappointing (6)
[2002-05-13] The Future is Here. (10)
[2002-05-03] Not like moon safari - that's why I like it! (8)
[2002-04-16] melancholy AI pop (8)
[2002-04-01] is good (8)
[2002-03-25] A very mixed and mostly misguided effort (4)
[2002-03-23] Air Is Ahead Again (8)
[2002-03-07] Bleah! (2)
[2002-03-05] Far too experimental (4)
[2002-02-28] amazing (10)
[2002-02-17] Light as Air... (10)
[2002-02-15] Experimentation (10)
[2002-02-06] Wonder Air (10)
[2002-01-20] I Like Air. (10)
[2002-01-15] Huh? (2)
[2001-12-29] Quelle mal! (2)
[2001-12-27] End this "funeral of sadness' I'll be a "meloncholy sniper (10)
[2001-12-24] Keep the cover, toss the album (2)
[2001-12-18] Poor effort (4)
[2001-11-19] Not the Air Apparent (6)
[2001-11-14] Propelleronique (6)
[2001-11-06] An Uneven Album (6)
[2001-10-30] Why would you build a house right on a cliff? (8)
[2001-10-16] Real Nice (8)
[2001-10-10] Ambient Pop? Rock? (10)
[2001-10-04] Blech! (4)
[2001-09-29] Not the old ELO-thieving Air (8)
[2001-09-27] spiritual shoc! (2)
[2001-09-26] different (6)
[2001-09-23] DREAM (10)
[2001-09-23] 10,000 Hz from a new listener! (10)
[2001-09-21] A summer memory. (10)
[2001-09-05] pretty cool (8)
[2001-09-05] Not quite as good as Moon Safari (8)
[2001-09-02] Bold, different and haunting. (8)
[2001-08-31] Dissapointing (4)
[2001-08-29] Sounds like a bunch of experimental crap (4)
[2001-08-26] A so-so album (6)
[2001-08-21] What blows your hair back? (8)
[2001-08-13] Kraftwerk meets Pink Floyd (8)
[2001-08-10] Intelligent, catchy, and it can space you out (8)
[2001-08-10] Dark and dirty (6)
[2001-08-08] Wonderful album! (10)
[2001-08-06] 2001: the year PROG broke?! (10)
[2001-08-06] breakfast in america (2)
[2001-07-28] Changing... For the better? (6)
[2001-07-27] Why did they try so hard just to be different? (8)
[2001-07-27] Very worthwhile and decent effort... (8)
[2001-07-23] Another letdown (4)
[2001-07-13] Solid work (8)
[2001-07-09] Disappointing . . . (4)
[2001-07-09] Don't miss it it is quite special (10)
[2001-07-08] Bizarre (8)
[2001-07-05] Now this is good music... (10)
[2001-07-04] A very unusual, but great album! (10)
[2001-07-02] VERY interesting (8)
[2001-06-30] A breath of fresh AIR (10)
[2001-06-28] Whoa..... (8)
[2001-06-28] Very good! (8)
[2001-06-27] Visual (8)
[2001-06-27] Dandy-pop from subterranean debts (8)
[2001-06-27] Outstanding Album (10)
[2001-06-25] Listen to it some more (10)
[2001-06-25] Is this a joke? (4)
[2001-06-24] Definitely an interesting CD!! (10)
[2001-06-24] Tragic Perfection (10)
[2001-06-24] fools! (10)
[2001-06-23] Definitely A Legend (10)
[2001-06-22] Give the new Air album a break (10)
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