Moon Safari

1998 studio album by Air

This article is about the Air album. For the band of the same name, see Moon Safari (band).

Moon Safari

Studio album by

Air

Released| 16 January 1998 (1998-01-16)
Recorded| April–June 1997
Studio|

* Around the Golf (Paris)
* Gang (Paris)
* Abbey Road (London)[a]

Genre|

* Downtempo[1]
* electronica[2]
* lounge[3][4]
* chill-out[5][6]
* space pop[7][8]
* dream pop[9]
* psychedelia[10]

Length| 43:35
Label|

* Source
* Virgin

Producer|

* Jean-Benoît Dunckel
* Nicolas Godin

Air chronology
| Premiers Symptômes
(1997)  | Moon Safari
(1998)  | The Virgin Suicides
(2000)

|
|

Singles from  Moon Safari

1. "Sexy Boy"
Released: 9 February 1998
2. "Kelly Watch the Stars"
Released: 4 May 1998
3. "All I Need"
Released: 9 November 1998

Moon Safari is the debut studio album by French electronic music duo Air, released on 16 January 1998 by Source and Virgin Records. Moon Safari was re-released on 14 April 2008 to mark the album's 10th anniversary, including a bound book, a DVD documentary about the duo, and a bonus CD with live performances and remixes, and on 15 March 2024, to mark the album's 25th anniversary.

Moon Safari was acclaimed by critics. It is credited with setting the stage for the budding downtempo music style. By February 2012, it had sold 386,000 copies in the United States.[11]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]
Entertainment Weekly| A−[12]
The Guardian| [13]
Mixmag| [14]
NME| 8/10[15]
Pitchfork| 7.9/10[16]
Rolling Stone| [17]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [18]
Spin| 7/10[19]
The Village Voice| A−[20]

Moon Safari was met with general acclaim upon its release. Writing in Mixmag, Alexis Petridis called it a "superbly inventive" album that "creates a soundworld in your living room, a world where everything's more shiny, chic and sophisticated than reality".[14] John Mulvey of NME praised Air's "sensitive but tenacious grasp of melody, a laid-back disposition and a reckless way with a Vocoder that makes them unafraid of sounding like a digital ELO", also noting similarities to Garbage on "Sexy Boy".[15] Entertainment Weekly's Ethan Smith felt that though the album occasionally bears excessive resemblance to Everything but the Girl, "Air leaven it all with a welcome dash of Gallic irony."[12] Pitchfork writer Brent DiCrescenzo remarked that the music would befit "minimalist architecture design, shagging up against a tree in a field of sunflowers, waiting in line for 'Space Mountain,' drinking gin upstairs in a 747 (circa 1974), and '60s Swedish industrial documentaries", adding that though the album is "too cheeky" for everyday listening, it is nonetheless romantic.[16]

Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield was more reserved in his praise, praising the album's stylistic range and the instrumental songs but calling the group "obsessive".[17] (Retrospectively in its album guide, Rolling Stone awarded the album four-and-a-half stars.)[18] Likewise, Spin's Jeff Salamon felt that though the album's pathos is "heartening", the music lacks irony.[19]

### Accolades

[edit]

Moon Safari was voted as the best album of the year in The Face[citation needed] and in Select.[citation needed] It featured in top 10 lists for magazines such as Spin,[citation needed] Melody Maker,[citation needed] NME[citation needed] and Mojo.[citation needed] Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 93 on its list of the best albums of the 1990s,[21] while the magazine's French edition ranked it at number 65 on its "100 Essential French Rock Albums" list.[22] In a retrospective review, John Bush of AllMusic commented that Moon Safari "delivered the emotional power of great dance music even while pushing the barriers of what 'electronica' could or should sound like", and that the album "proved they could also write accessible pop songs like 'Sexy Boy' and 'Kelly Watch the Stars'" while also containing successful experiments with less pop-oriented material.[2] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[23] In 2000 it was voted number 68 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[24]

## Influence

[edit]

Dave Depper of American alternative rock band Death Cab for Cutie recreated the entire Moon Safari for his cover album, released in November 2021.[25]

## "Blue Moon Safari"

[edit]

As part of the album's 25th anniversary, Air approached British producer Vegyn to re-imagine the album.[26] Described by Nicolas Godin as a "reinvention",[26] the album was released by Parlophone in April 2025.

## Track listing

[edit]

All music is composed by Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin, except where noted.

No.| Title| English translation| Length

|
|
|

1.| "La Femme d'argent"| "The Silver Woman"/"The Money Girl"| 7:08
2.| "Sexy Boy"|  | 4:57
3.| "All I Need" (lyrics: Beth Hirsch)|  | 4:28
4.| "Kelly Watch the Stars"|  | 3:44
5.| "Talisman"|  | 4:16
6.| "Remember" (music: Jean-Jacques Perrey, Dunckel, Godin)|  | 2:34
7.| "You Make It Easy" (lyrics: Hirsch)|  | 4:00
8.| "Ce matin là" (music: Dunckel, Godin, Patrick Woodcock)| "That Morning"| 3:38
9.| "New Star in the Sky (Chanson pour Solal)"| "Song for Solal"| 5:38
10.| "Le Voyage de Pénélope"| "Penelope's Voyage"| 3:10

### 10th anniversary special edition (2008)

[edit]

Bonus discNo.| Title| English translation| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Remember" (D. Whitaker version)|  | 2:25
2.| "Kelly Watch the Stars" (live on the BBC, 1998)|  | 2:44
3.| "J'ai dormi sous l'eau" (live on the BBC, 1998)| "I Slept Under Water"| 4:10
4.| "Sexy Boy" (live on the BBC, 1998)|  | 3:10
5.| "Kelly Watch the Stars" (Moog Cookbook remix)|  | 5:40
6.| "Trente millions d'amis" (music: Jack Arel [fr], TV series theme song, live on KCRW radio, 1998)| "Thirty Million Friends"| 4:34
7.| "You Make It Easy" (live on KCRW, 1998)|  | 4:45
8.| "Bossa 96" (demo)|  | 4:44
9.| "Kelly Watch the Stars" (demo)|  | 3:46
10.| "Sexy Boy" (Sex Kino mix)|  | 6:36

DVD

* "Eating Sleeping Waiting & Playing" by Mike Mills.
* Music videos for "Sexy Boy", "Kelly Watch the Stars", "All I Need", and "Le soleil est près de moi" (from the Premiers Symptômes EP).
* Graphics and storyboards.

### 25th anniversary special edition (2024)

[edit]

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Dirty Hiroshima"| 4:23
2.| "New Star in the Sky" (demo 1)| 5:35
3.| "Ce matin-là" (demo 2)| 3:15
4.| "Maggot Brain" (live at Paradiso, Amsterdam 31/10/1998)| 7:23
5.| "J'ai dormi sous l'eau" (live BBC 1998)| 4:09
6.| "Sexy Boy" (live BBC 1998)| 3:38
7.| "Kelly Watch the Stars" (live BBC 1998)| 3:05
8.| "Kelly Watch the Stars" (extended version)| 7:27
9.| "Remember" (David Whitaker version)| 2:21

## Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Moon Safari.[27]

### Air

[edit]

* Nicolas Godin – bass (tracks 1–3, 5–10); tambourine (tracks 1, 2, 6); Minimoog (tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 10); backing vocals (tracks 1, 8); hand claps (tracks 1, 4, 10); vocals, syrinx, Moog solo (track 2); Korg MS-20 (tracks 2, 10); electric guitar (tracks 2, 6, 8); talk box (tracks 2, 6, 9); acoustic guitar (tracks 3, 7–9); organ, drums, Solina String Ensemble (track 3); vocoder (tracks 4, 6, 9); Moog bass, Casiotone (track 4); glockenspiel (tracks 4, 7); Wurlitzer (track 5); drum machine (tracks 5, 7, 10); Roland String Ensemble (track 6); percussions, Moog Wave, hand rubbing (track 7); harmonica, reverse ride (tracks 7, 8); Rhodes chorus, shaker (track 8); piano (track 10)
* Jean-Benoît Dunckel – Rhodes (tracks 1–7, 9, 10); Solina String Ensemble (all tracks); organ (tracks 1–3, 6, 7, 10); syrinx, Moog solo (tracks 1, 2, 4, 8); backing vocals (tracks 1, 6, 8); Korg MS-20 (tracks 1, 4–6, 9); hand claps (tracks 1, 4, 10); piano (tracks 1, 4, 7, 9); vocals (track 2); Wurlitzer (tracks 3, 6); Korg MS-20 intro (track 3); vocoder (tracks 4, 6, 9); glockenspiel (track 4); clavinet (tracks 4, 8, 10); Minimoog (tracks 4, 5); Casiotone, hand rubbing (track 7); Rhodes verses (track 8); Mellotron (track 9)

### Additional musicians

[edit]

* Eric Regert – organ solo (track 1)
* Alf – hand claps (track 1)
* Caroline L. – hand claps (track 1)
* Marlon – drums (tracks 2, 4, 5)
* Beth Hirsch – vocals (tracks 3, 7); backing vocals (track 7)
* P. Woodcock – acoustic guitar (track 3); trombone (track 8)
* David Whitaker – string arrangement, conducting (tracks 5, 7, 8)
* Enfants Square Burq – laughs (track 9)

### Technical

[edit]

* Jean-Benoît Dunckel – production, recording
* Nicolas Godin – production, recording
* Stéphane "Alf" Briat – recording, mixing
* Jérôme Kerner – recording assistance
* Peter Cobbin – string recording (tracks 5, 7, 8)
* Jérôme Blondel – mixing assistance
* Nilesh Patel – mastering

### Artwork

[edit]

* Mike Mills – design
* The Directors Bureau – art production

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for Moon Safari | Chart (1998–2001)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] | 24
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[29] | 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[30] | 48
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] | 27
European Albums (Music & Media)[32] | 19
French Albums (SNEP)[33] | 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34] | 56
Irish Albums (IRMA)[35] | 7
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[36] | 34
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[37] | 13
Scottish Albums (OCC)[38] | 7
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[39] | 52
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] | 46
UK Albums (OCC)[41] | 6
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[42] | 41
Weekly chart performance for Moon Safari Chart (2024)  | Peak
position

|

Greek Albums (IFPI)[43] | 25
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[44] | 9
Weekly chart performance for Moon Safari Live & Demos Chart (2025)  | Peak
position

|

Croatian International Albums (HDU)[45] | 22

### Year-end charts

[edit]

1998 year-end chart performance for Moon Safari | Chart (1998)  | Position

|

UK Albums (OCC)[46] | 80
1999 year-end chart performance for Moon Safari Chart (1999)  | Position

|

Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[47] | 93
UK Albums (OCC)[48] | 94
2001 year-end chart performance for Moon Safari Chart (2001)  | Position

|

UK Albums (OCC)[49] | 197
2002 year-end chart performance for Moon Safari Chart (2002)  | Position

|

UK Albums (OCC)[50] | 174

## Certifications and sales

[edit]

Certifications and sales for Moon Safari Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[51] | Gold  | 35,000^
Belgium (BRMA)[52] | Platinum  | 50,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[53] | 2× Platinum  | 40,000‡
France (SNEP)[54] | Gold  | 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[55] | Gold  | 250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[56] | Platinum  | 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[57] | Gold  | 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] | 2× Platinum  | 600,000^
United States  | —  | 386,000[11]
Summaries
Worldwide  | —  | 2,000,000[59]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Strings

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Beaumont, Michael (20 October 2003). "Bent: The Everlasting Blink". PopMatters. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
2. ^ a b c Bush, John. "Moon Safari – Air". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
3. ^ "Air Relives Its Past On 'Premiers Symptomes'". CMJ New Music Report. Vol. 60, no. 639\. 18 October 1999. ISSN 0890-0795.
4. ^ Shapiro, Peter (2003). "Air". In Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. pp. 13–14\. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.
5. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (31 January 2012). "Air". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
6. ^ Harcourt, Nic (2005). "French Kisses". Music Lust. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 65\. ISBN 1570614377.
7. ^ Schreiber, Ryan (29 February 2000). "Air: The Virgin Suicides". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
8. ^ "100 Best Albums of the '90s: Air, 'Moon Safari'". Rolling Stone. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
9. ^ Potter, Jordan (2022). "The 10 best hangover cure albums". Far Out.
10. ^ "How we made Air's Moon Safari | Air | The Guardian". Amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
11. ^ a b Mapes, Jillian (4 February 2012). "Air Over 'The Moon' About Film Score Turned Full Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
12. ^ a b Smith, Ethan (6 February 1998). "Moon Safari". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
13. ^ Kershaw, Matthew (16 January 1998). "Oxygène junkies". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
14. ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (January 1998). "Air: Moon Safari". Mixmag. Vol. 2, no. 80\. p. 117.
15. ^ a b Mulvey, John (17 January 1998). "Air: Moon Safari / Kid Loco: A Grand Love Story". NME. p. 38\. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
16. ^ a b DiCrescenzo, Brent (1998). "Air: Moon Safari". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 20 October 2002. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
17. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (7 January 1998). "Air: Moon Safari". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
18. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Air". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 10–11. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
19. ^ a b Salamon, Jeff (February 1998). "Bugs: Infinite Syndrome / Air: Moon Safari". Spin. Vol. 14, no. 2\. p. 108\. ISSN 0886-3032 - via Google Books.
20. ^ Christgau, Robert (23 February 1999). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 20 June 2015 - via RobertChristgau.com.
21. ^ "Air, 'Moon Safari' – 100 Best Albums of the Nineties". Rolling Stone. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
22. ^ "Les 100 disques essentiels du rock français selon Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone France (in French). No. 18\. February 2010. ISSN 1764-1071.
23. ^ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (7 February 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (Revised and Updated ed.). Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
24. ^ Colin Larkin (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 64\. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
25. ^ "SD017: Dave Depper - Moon Safari (Air Cover)". Turntable Kitchen. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
26. ^ a b Ross, Gemma (2025-05-01). ""For the first time in years, I'm at peace with 'Moon Safari'": Vegyn & Air's Nicolas Godin In Conversation". Mixmag. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
27. ^ Moon Safari (liner notes). Air. Virgin Records. 1998. 7243 8 44978 2 8.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
28. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Air – Moon Safari". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
29. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Air – Moon Safari" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Air – Moon Safari" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Air – Moon Safari" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
32. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 6\. 7 February 1998. p. 10\. OCLC 29800226 - via World Radio History.
33. ^ "Lescharts.com – Air – Moon Safari". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
34. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Air – Moon Safari" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
35. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Air". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
36. ^ "Charts.nz – Air – Moon Safari". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
37. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Air – Moon Safari". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
38. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
39. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Air – Moon Safari". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
40. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Air – Moon Safari". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
41. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
42. ^ "Air Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
43. ^ "Official IFPI Charts Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 46/2024". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 20 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
44. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 12. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
45. ^ "Lista prodaje (strano) 18. tjedan 2025. (28.04.2025. - 04.05.2025.)" (in Croatian). Top lista. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
46. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1998". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
47. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
48. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
49. ^ "UK Year-End Charts 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 6. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
50. ^ "UK Year-End Charts 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 4. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
51. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
52. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien. 17 March 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
53. ^ "Danish album certifications – Air – Moon Safari". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
54. ^ "French album certifications – Air – Moon Safari" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
55. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Air; 'Moon Safari')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
56. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Air – Moon Safari" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 22 October 2020. Enter Moon Safari  in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2003 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
57. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Moon Safari')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
58. ^ "British album certifications – Air – Moon Safari". British Phonographic Industry. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
59. ^ "Air expand Moon Safari". Resident Advisor. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2022.

* v
* t
* e

Air

* Nicolas Godin
* Jean-Benoît Dunckel

Studio albums|

* Moon Safari
* 10 000 Hz Legend
* City Reading (Tre Storie Western)
* Talkie Walkie
* Pocket Symphony
* Love 2
* Le voyage dans la lune

Soundtrack albums|

* The Virgin Suicides
* Music for Museum

Compilation albums|

* Twentyears

Remix albums|

* Everybody Hertz

DJ mix albums|

* Late Night Tales: Air

Extended plays|

* Premiers Symptômes
* Surfing on a Rocket

Singles|

* "Sexy Boy"
* "Kelly Watch the Stars"
* "All I Need"
* "Cherry Blossom Girl"
* "Alpha Beta Gaga"
* "Surfing on a Rocket"
* "Once Upon a Time"
* "Mer du Japon"
* "Sing Sang Sung"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Phoenix
* Darkel
* 5:55

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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