Air- 10,000 HZ Legend

It’s been three years now since Air released their debut album, Moon Safari. Hailed by both public and press, the atmospherically kitsch album turned the little known French duo of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel into international superstars or more precisely the new visage of chic. This no doubt led to Sophia Coppola’s decision to ask Air to create the ace soundtrack for her film The Virgin Suicides as well as their subsequent branding as the new Pink Floyd.

It is however in this Floyd comparison where the true paradox of Air’s perplexing new album 10,000 Hz Legend lies. Though the sound and structure of The Virgin Suicides did in many ways mimic the Floyd boys’ often imitated Dark Side of the Moon (as well as several of their other albums), it’s quite obvious from the opening track “Electronic Performers” that 10,000 Hz Legend has no such pretense. In fact, it sounds little like anything else in general, Air’s previous albums included. Those who were expecting another Moon Safari was forthcoming are in for a huge shock. It comes when the synthetic voice on the first track eerily drawls under slow churning beats, “We are the electronic performers.” We, of course, always knew that, but the extent to which they prove it on this album is astonishing. The second track, “How Does It Make You Feel”, only furthers this estrangement, with nary a glimpse of humanity in earshot except for the harmonic chorus repeating the track’s title. By the track’s close, your own personal answer to the question is at hand. Really, how does this make you feel? Strange. Very strange, indeed.

Perhaps it is just this thought that defines it. This discomforting strangeness and alienation is a result of two possible factors that Air plays upon throughout 10,000 Hz Legend: familiarity with their previous albums and expectations of the listener. Both of these factors are present in the first two tracks, and just when you think you have a grasp on their direction, in comes “Radio #1” with its deceptive return to normal pop, a song that by its close mocks the territory it so aptly occupies: contemporary radio pop. Similarly, the almost straightforward and alt-country “The Vagabond”, with Beck on guest vocals, upsets the mood set by “Radio #1”. “Radian” bursts with harpsichords and tangled beats while “Don’t Be Light” is a brilliant mess of pulsing beats, classic rock guitar, Tom Waits-style spoken word, and carefree daydream whistling. And to add a little spice to an already overwhelming stew, Air tosses in a song about blowjobs. See the pattern here? 10,000 Hz. Legend sets out to do precisely what Radiohead, Pink Floyd, and others did when following up great successes in upsetting, overwhelming, and overreaching expectations. Just as Kid A and now Amnesiac lowballed listener expectation by redefining who Radiohead is, 10,000 Hz Legend does the same for Air. An utterly shocking yet wholly effective redefinition of a band.

+ Marc Ruppel
06.27.01