The most important event of the year 2010 in St. Petersburg was the performance of the cult representatives of modern electronic scene - a French band called Air. Air is Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. They started to be popular with the classic album Moon Safari. Soft sound, super melodies, analog Moog and Rhodes, and the so-called "French charm". To St. Petersburg these sentimental French dudes arrived with their last album Love 2. This is the fifth studio release of the group in collaboration with English producer Nigel Godrich. We talked with Jean-Benoît Dunckel the day before concert...
Your last album seems to be really sad...
Yeah, probably this album is more melancholic than the previous ones. I love to be sad. Besides, sometimes it’s much better than to be stupidly optimistic... To be honest being sad is our national trait (laughs). Frankly, we’re the sentimental romantics. I do believe that women are much stronger than men. Guys stupidly trying to match the classic stereotype of the "stronger sex", but in reality we are - crybabies and jerks...
Both of you soon will be forty years old. How do you feel?
Honestly, it's annoying me. I used to think that getting old is something that will never happen to me... A few days ago I was in a depression; the whole day didn’t leave the house, trying to forget my birthday (laughs)...
You got to know each other in the college. Do you remember that time?
Well, it wasn’t boring - messing with the girls, drinking, not sleeping a lot - the ordinary life of ordinary teenagers. But, you know, we changed our lives. We both had a passion - music - but we didn’t really know how to use it. Bustled about, trying to get through, playing punk... and nothing worked. And then - happened by itself. It's like when you wake up, habitually opens the window - and suddenly you realize that life is good.
That’s how you became famous?
Hey, dude, we are not very famous!
Common, five million sold CDs and you are not VERY famous?
Well, it's nothing compared to Madonna. And, actually, in France it’s impossible to be rich. High taxes. Although, I don’t need these billions. I don’t collect cars. I like beautiful clothes, and I spend money on them...
Now you are your own, without support from any major labels. Why?
The amazing thing is that we’ve realized it just now. Over the past ten years we’ve worked with a bunch of studios, but for some reason just now recorded an album as we wanted. You see, we are now - free men. Go to the studio in two, sit there until nine o'clock. Drink coffee. Discuss ideas. Record... Though, to be honest, I imagine that someday it will end and I’ll start a new career - as a wine-seller, for example. I think it would be terribly interesting to try. Just imagine, you wake up in the morning, go down to your shop, open the door and the whole day talking with visitors about the wines! Such a beautiful life...
Are you really so tired of being in a band?
Probably not... We do things we love. Things that we want to do even for free - but we are still get paid. This is great to wake up and do just what you want. But, frankly, I’m terribly tired of the constantly changing schedule of life. Here we are playing a concert too late and we’re not able to return home then to see people we loved. We're always far away from home...