No longer deserving to be buried in The Tough Alliance's thread. I'm halfway through their new EP No Way Down and it's jaw-droppingly good, "has music ever been this good" good. "Collapsing At Your Desktop" is one of the most amazing things I've heard, something like Saint Etienne's "London Belongs To Me" meets The Field. "June Evening" is gorgeous melancholy tropical pop.
This after "Hold On To Me, Baby" was already the prettiest thing I'd heard this year.
This stuff blows their first EP out of the water. They're getting better and better, and they're already the most bewitching music I've heard this year.
― Tim F, Saturday, 31 May 2008 17:58 (4 years ago) Permalink
"No Excuses" is just about the fizziest, trembliest, most joyful thing I've heard, smeary piano and cascading string riffs swirling around like ambient happy hardcore.
― Tim F, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:06 (4 years ago) Permalink
Actually, it just occurred to me what it sounds like: Omni Trio and Foul Play! Only, like, meets both Aphex Twin's "Xtal" and Saint Etienne's "He's On The Phone".
This is the most gorgeous music ever made I think.
― Tim F, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:09 (4 years ago) Permalink
i like the tough alliance so i will check this out.
― jeremy waters, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:16 (4 years ago) Permalink
they're definitely using more live instrumentation here right?
i loved 'on trade winds' but i haven't listened to this all the way enough yet. only "collapsing at your doorstep" which is (predictably) fantastic.
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:33 (4 years ago) Permalink
this really doesn't sound at all like tough alliance tho
it's got the same vibe kinda, tho air france have a way more corona commercial euphoria vibe
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:34 (4 years ago) Permalink
-- J0rdan S., Saturday, May 31, 2008 1:33 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Link
^this is @ jeremy
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:35 (4 years ago) Permalink
this sounds like jens lekman gone balearic to me
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:36 (4 years ago) Permalink
which is A+ idea in my book at least
I have no choice now but to buy Air France on site...this better live up to the hyperbole, or you guys are in trouble...
― henry s, Saturday, 31 May 2008 19:45 (4 years ago) Permalink
http://www.mediafire.com/?njsbtlt3r2j
― cryfok, Saturday, 31 May 2008 23:01 (4 years ago) Permalink
ha i just paid $5 to download it
― deej, Saturday, 31 May 2008 23:08 (4 years ago) Permalink
i tried to do the same actually, and, for whatever reason, the site i was going to buy it from crashed on me. so i did a google search and realized someone had posted it to mediafire. go figure. thought i'd share the wealth.
― cryfok, Saturday, 31 May 2008 23:10 (4 years ago) Permalink
tim's st etienne comparison very on point. have been loving the last EP for a while and this is even better, i think
― cutty, Saturday, 31 May 2008 23:13 (4 years ago) Permalink
love how lush (lol tim f thread) and not-cheap this sounds; the airy etienne-style vocals rarely connect with me for some reason but the production is so gorgeous and smooth
― deej, Saturday, 31 May 2008 23:23 (4 years ago) Permalink
"the airy etienne-style vocals rarely connect with me for some reason"
agree w this. but i am listening to this and i am def digging. i think the balearic vibe is def in place on this esp on "no way down".
― oscar, Saturday, 31 May 2008 23:32 (4 years ago) Permalink
-- deej, Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:08 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link
it's worth it
― J0rdan S., Sunday, 1 June 2008 00:18 (4 years ago) Permalink
""the airy etienne-style vocals rarely connect with me for some reason""
Yeah this was one of my criticisms of the first EP - issue is still there but is greatly improved, and now i think the blankness is quite evocative - reminds me of Piano Magic circa Low Birth Weight.
― Tim F, Sunday, 1 June 2008 00:29 (4 years ago) Permalink
ok, i've listened to this 3 times today. now my only complaint is that it's too short. when's the full length coming out ?
― oscar, Sunday, 1 June 2008 00:32 (4 years ago) Permalink
Doorstep not desktop, computer lovers.
― Raw Patrick, Sunday, 1 June 2008 00:40 (4 years ago) Permalink
Ha ha, what an appropriate slip I made there.
― Tim F, Sunday, 1 June 2008 00:59 (4 years ago) Permalink
tim, have you heard boat club?
― cutty, Sunday, 1 June 2008 01:54 (4 years ago) Permalink
No. Fill me in!
― Tim F, Sunday, 1 June 2008 04:55 (4 years ago) Permalink
NB. everyone you can also download Air France's (excellent) "Hold On To Me, Baby" from the Sincerely Yours website. It's "Yours0066" under the Catalogue.
Okay cutty I'm listening to Boat Club's "Nowhere" on their myspace page. It's gorgeous - midway between Air France and Studio, yeah? What are they putting in the water in Gothenburg?
― Tim F, Sunday, 1 June 2008 05:00 (4 years ago) Permalink
I love On Trade Winds, so i'm excited about listening to this.
Big fan of Boat Club, Studio & TTA too. Essential summer listening.
― arghkaybee, Sunday, 1 June 2008 16:55 (4 years ago) Permalink
i made them a wiki page haha. one of the editors keeps trying to delete it!
― poortheatre, Monday, 2 June 2008 17:31 (4 years ago) Permalink
this is good rooftop music
― max, Monday, 2 June 2008 17:31 (4 years ago) Permalink
oh snap they keep deleting it! argggghghghg
― poortheatre, Monday, 2 June 2008 17:44 (4 years ago) Permalink
^ ^ ^
far and away the best thing i've heard this year
― poortheatre, Tuesday, 3 June 2008 14:47 (4 years ago) Permalink
This is great, yep. The TTA/Lekman/Studio/Boat Club comparisons are all right on. Boat Club's MySpace quote is currently "No Way Down", hmm...
― marc h., Tuesday, 3 June 2008 14:56 (4 years ago) Permalink
really wish people weren't too cheap to pay $5 though. yay music.
okay I love this. any more stuff like this? Boat Club you say...
"Maundy Thursday" is amazing.
― Local Garda, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 09:44 (4 years ago) Permalink
Never seen this thread before but any band calling themselves 'Air France' practically guarantees I'll like them.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 09:49 (4 years ago) Permalink
I love that EP to death. Especially Maundy Thursday. And yeah from the minute I saw a band called Air France I knew I was bound to like them. Lucky for me they are actually quite great!
― Jibe, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 09:54 (4 years ago) Permalink
Best EP of the year without a doubt. I've spended this summer at home, working in my tiny parisian flat, with that record on constant play, and it was just like holidays!
― Snowballing, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 10:12 (4 years ago) Permalink
Has anyone mentioned the Taken By Trees remix they did? Couldn't find it in the search (which of course doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Probably the most St. Etienne like thing they've done.
Plus, they're doing a DJ set at that Vice pub in London soon.
― Treblekicker, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 13:03 (4 years ago) Permalink
are they really? awesome.
― t_g, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 13:49 (4 years ago) Permalink
i would like to spend a summer in a tiny parisian flat listening to this.
― s1ocki, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 14:09 (4 years ago) Permalink
Well I guess it's great, if you're not spending the rest of the year in the same tiny flat !
― Snowballing, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 14:23 (4 years ago) Permalink
I love this record; it's probably the best cohesive set of songs I've heard all year. And I hope I will still love it when I move back to Paris next year!
― Peter Cetera (Euler), Wednesday, 1 October 2008 14:28 (4 years ago) Permalink
I love that on their last.fm page they're described as "the logical conclusion of all beach safari situations." It's true!
― living wage for the working dead (Roz), Wednesday, 1 October 2008 14:47 (4 years ago) Permalink
Matt, you'd love this.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 1 October 2008 15:11 (4 years ago) Permalink
Snowballing you must be me, I did the exact same thing you did and fel the exact same way!
― Jibe, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 15:17 (4 years ago) Permalink
Just chiming in to say this is also my favorite release of the year and is helping with my endless Avalanches withdrawal.
― Spencer Chow, Wednesday, 1 October 2008 18:53 (4 years ago) Permalink
Yeah I really like this, maybe not as much as everything it reminds me of, which is a lot of things, but it's lovely nonetheless. Love how it sounds like the wisps of loads of different things drifting in and out - Xtal and Saint Etienne and Studio yeah, is it too 'lol old ILM' to say something in there reminds me of Disco Inferno as well?
― Matt DC, Thursday, 2 October 2008 22:54 (4 years ago) Permalink
Hey Jibe, isn't it great to be us ?!!Treblekicker, thanks for mentioning the Taken by Trees remix. I didn't know it existed, and it is lovely.
― Snowballing, Friday, 3 October 2008 18:07 (4 years ago) Permalink
wow this is fantastic!!!
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 27 October 2008 21:29 (4 years ago) Permalink
"collapsing at your doorstep" reminds me a lot of "nyc smile on me" by aqua regia
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 27 October 2008 21:30 (4 years ago) Permalink
all the songs are good but rly maundy thursday does owne the others
― wilter, Monday, 27 October 2008 22:15 (4 years ago) Permalink
actually will switch from laptop to desktop right now just to have the first listen of this on a decent stereo. and to further the thrill of anticipation to hardly bearable.
― the europan nikon is here (grauschleier), Saturday, 6 August 2011 08:49 (1 year ago) Permalink
lmao @ the embedded art on the version i downloaded:
― ( •ิ.•ั) (gr8080), Saturday, 6 August 2011 13:27 (1 year ago) Permalink
YOURS0172 it feels good to be around yoump3 by air france"i remember when i was supposed to do the page which says "a city is not a home.." and i suggested a line beneath the text to make it more elegant. after one and an half hour of trying back and forth with different lengths of the line joel says- maybe it should be hand drawn? and maybe it could break in the centre like it was drawn by someone in great mental pain?and i was like- nigga wut?"just to make it clear why we had to wait for this. and why it was so fucking worth it.SY august 2011
YOURS0172 it feels good to be around you
mp3 by air france
"i remember when i was supposed to do the page which says "a city is not a home.." and i suggested a line beneath the text to make it more elegant. after one and an half hour of trying back and forth with different lengths of the line joel says- maybe it should be hand drawn? and maybe it could break in the centre like it was drawn by someone in great mental pain?and i was like- nigga wut?"
just to make it clear why we had to wait for this. and why it was so fucking worth it.
SY august 2011
. . .
― ( •ิ.•ั) (gr8080), Saturday, 6 August 2011 20:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
\(o_O)/
i don't think this is amazing btw -- not pop enough for me
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 6 August 2011 22:41 (1 year ago) Permalink
"Not enough pop"?
I do not understand that sentiment. Surely it is not way less "pop" than their previous songs? It's hardly a great departure. Are you sure you aren't expecting something from Air France that they aren't in the first place?
― I for one am (Le Bateau Ivre), Saturday, 6 August 2011 22:45 (1 year ago) Permalink
New track is really good
― Number None, Sunday, 7 August 2011 21:47 (1 year ago) Permalink
http://www.factmag.com/2011/09/05/fact-mix-280-air-france/
― just sayin, Saturday, 10 September 2011 12:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
― max, Monday, 26 March 2012 16:12 (1 year ago) Permalink
http://theairfrance.tumblr.com/post/19956285930/well-make-this-brief-because-it-hurts-too-much
We’ll make this brief, because it hurts too much.During the first year of Air France, somewhere in the middle of the last decade, everything seemed to come so easily. At least it feels like that right now. We’d meet on friday nights to drink wine, listen to music and picture ourselves far off, somewhere on the outskirts on the big map Henrik had on his wall. The songs we made during those nights weren’t really supposed to ever leave the hard drive, but somehow they did, and somehow they took us to almost all the places on that big map we had dreamt about. We got to play records at the Rough Trade store in London, we went to the Red Square, we woke up on Iceland during a volcanic eruption, we drank beer at the cliffs of the Niagara, we spent a night in a freezing staircase in Warzaw (otherwise a fantastic weekend), we saw dolphins in the waters of LA, we got a smile from Larry David as he passed us on a street in Paris, watching us trying to open a bottle of wine, we played records for 4 hours under a blistering July sun in New York, we spent a day in the most beautiful spa in Budapest, we’ve heard our nervous voices on radio and TV, we’ve played records after two sold out Saint Etienne shows (but to be honest, only a handful stayed behind to see us), we’ve written a song together with our idol Clare Grogan (although we did managed to botch it) and we got sampled by Lil B. But it’s the little moments that has been the most dear to our hearts, like the days and nights in Brackenbury Village that we spent in our manager’s back yard with his wonderful wife and sons, who made us feel like part of the family, or being drunk on airplanes, just the two of us, and all the people we’ve been fortunate enough to get to know, if only for a night. And we have probably produced 7 albums since No Way Down; a UK Garage record, a house record, an r ‘n’ b record… but we’ve never been able to finish anything, nothing was ever good enough. We have tried so hard, and we truly gave it all we had. And now we have decided to stop trying, even though it breaks our hearts. But for all the reasons mentioned above, and for a thousand more, we don’t regret a thing.We wish we could thank all the people who has helped and inspired us, but we’d probably forget to mention half of you, so here’s just a big thank you to those who were involved in the making of the record: Teresa and Kajsa for singing so beautifully, Angelica of Body Language for lending her voice to a song that would have been called “I always think about you when I’m drunk”, our patron Kevin Campbell who helped us in giving this record one last chance (there are no words that can describe just how grateful we are), our Eric of Sincerely Yours, our manager David Laurie, our publisher XL, Joe for running our facebook page.And much love to Rich Thane, families and girlfriends, sister Hanna, Henning Fürst, Marc Hogan, all of you who sent us letters, all of you who stuck around to watch us play, and all of you who opened your homes and hearts and cars and took us to water falls, big squares, beaches, record stores, monuments, valleys, mountains and zoos.Goodbye for now. Who knows, maybe we’ll see you again in another shape. After all, we’re people that never stop dreaming.Henrik and JoelGothenburg
During the first year of Air France, somewhere in the middle of the last decade, everything seemed to come so easily. At least it feels like that right now. We’d meet on friday nights to drink wine, listen to music and picture ourselves far off, somewhere on the outskirts on the big map Henrik had on his wall. The songs we made during those nights weren’t really supposed to ever leave the hard drive, but somehow they did, and somehow they took us to almost all the places on that big map we had dreamt about. We got to play records at the Rough Trade store in London, we went to the Red Square, we woke up on Iceland during a volcanic eruption, we drank beer at the cliffs of the Niagara, we spent a night in a freezing staircase in Warzaw (otherwise a fantastic weekend), we saw dolphins in the waters of LA, we got a smile from Larry David as he passed us on a street in Paris, watching us trying to open a bottle of wine, we played records for 4 hours under a blistering July sun in New York, we spent a day in the most beautiful spa in Budapest, we’ve heard our nervous voices on radio and TV, we’ve played records after two sold out Saint Etienne shows (but to be honest, only a handful stayed behind to see us), we’ve written a song together with our idol Clare Grogan (although we did managed to botch it) and we got sampled by Lil B. But it’s the little moments that has been the most dear to our hearts, like the days and nights in Brackenbury Village that we spent in our manager’s back yard with his wonderful wife and sons, who made us feel like part of the family, or being drunk on airplanes, just the two of us, and all the people we’ve been fortunate enough to get to know, if only for a night.
And we have probably produced 7 albums since No Way Down; a UK Garage record, a house record, an r ‘n’ b record… but we’ve never been able to finish anything, nothing was ever good enough. We have tried so hard, and we truly gave it all we had. And now we have decided to stop trying, even though it breaks our hearts. But for all the reasons mentioned above, and for a thousand more, we don’t regret a thing.
We wish we could thank all the people who has helped and inspired us, but we’d probably forget to mention half of you, so here’s just a big thank you to those who were involved in the making of the record: Teresa and Kajsa for singing so beautifully, Angelica of Body Language for lending her voice to a song that would have been called “I always think about you when I’m drunk”, our patron Kevin Campbell who helped us in giving this record one last chance (there are no words that can describe just how grateful we are), our Eric of Sincerely Yours, our manager David Laurie, our publisher XL, Joe for running our facebook page.
And much love to Rich Thane, families and girlfriends, sister Hanna, Henning Fürst, Marc Hogan, all of you who sent us letters, all of you who stuck around to watch us play, and all of you who opened your homes and hearts and cars and took us to water falls, big squares, beaches, record stores, monuments, valleys, mountains and zoos.
Goodbye for now. Who knows, maybe we’ll see you again in another shape. After all, we’re people that never stop dreaming.
Henrik and JoelGothenburg
― max, Monday, 26 March 2012 16:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
fuuuuuuuuck
― been to lots of college and twitter (k3vin k.), Monday, 26 March 2012 16:14 (1 year ago) Permalink
boooooooooooooooooooooo
― nathey, Monday, 26 March 2012 16:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
:((((((((((
― just sayin, Monday, 26 March 2012 16:41 (1 year ago) Permalink
fuck
― J0rdan S., Monday, 26 March 2012 16:45 (1 year ago) Permalink
well dammit release those seven albums of material at least!
― I DIED, Monday, 26 March 2012 16:48 (1 year ago) Permalink
maybe they're just trying to lower expectations
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Monday, 26 March 2012 16:58 (1 year ago) Permalink
Seems like a weird decision. And people made comparisons with Avalanches as well.
― MikoMcha, Monday, 26 March 2012 17:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
:(
― monster_xero, Monday, 26 March 2012 17:06 (1 year ago) Permalink
If it's seven albums worth of really subpar material I'm happier for them to never see the light of day really. It's sad coming so soon after the Studio split, like I really expected to see these artists grow and do more amazing things.
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Monday, 26 March 2012 17:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
a bearable monday wrecked, fml
― bnw, Monday, 26 March 2012 17:21 (1 year ago) Permalink
they're prob just taking the "reunite for a huge coachella/lollapalooza paycheck" fast track
― ♆ (gr8080), Monday, 26 March 2012 18:45 (1 year ago) Permalink
they should chill out, not put so much pressure on themselves
― lag∞n, Monday, 26 March 2012 19:18 (1 year ago) Permalink
sooo
― akadarbarijava (psychgawsple), Monday, 26 March 2012 21:49 (1 year ago) Permalink
basically their music didn't meet their own standards and now they're quitting? that seems like such a weird reason to break up
― akadarbarijava (psychgawsple), Monday, 26 March 2012 21:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
bummertown
seems like the best reason to break up
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Monday, 26 March 2012 22:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
they had "no way down" /caruso
― bnw, Monday, 26 March 2012 22:04 (1 year ago) Permalink
Yeah, if you're not happy with what you're creating as a band, it's the best time to break up. Should be a more common occurrence imo.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 26 March 2012 22:18 (1 year ago) Permalink
I am 100% on board with their reasons, I just wish it wasn't true, feeling a bit devastated tbh
― boxedjoy, Monday, 26 March 2012 22:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
i'm not attacking their rationale it just seems so open ended and yea, uncommon
― akadarbarijava (psychgawsple), Monday, 26 March 2012 22:33 (1 year ago) Permalink
I feel like the cause of them breaking up is intimately related to the cause of their greatness - the struggle to make stuff that actually departs from established forms.
Like, with both Studio and Air France the break-ups feel premature and very disappointing in a way that I don't think I'd feel if, say, Hatchback announced he was quitting music - even though I totally love Zeus & Apollo and I would be disappointed.
The difference for me is that with Studio and Air France I feel like their music past and future is not and would not likely be interchangable with the work of other artists, that there is no capacity for others to step in and fill that gap.
Way upthread Matt made a 'lol old ILM' comparison to Disco Inferno, and it strikes me as not coincidental that Disco Inferno broke up for basically the same reasons (albeit probably with a greater amount of internal and external tensions).
― Tim F, Monday, 26 March 2012 22:34 (1 year ago) Permalink
really bummed out by this. These guys (and Studio/Tough Alliance) meant a lot to me circa 2007-2009 - so much musical sunshine during a very bleak period of my life. :( :(
― Roz, Tuesday, 27 March 2012 18:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
yes, they really hit that sweet spot. Hope this thread gets bumped for solo stuff otherwise I will probably miss it.
― bnw, Tuesday, 27 March 2012 19:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
sort of like a dream... no, better
― lag∞n, Saturday, 30 June 2012 01:51 (10 months ago) Permalink
otm
― just sayin, Saturday, 30 June 2012 02:10 (10 months ago) Permalink
layer_embedded#at=427
― MarkoP, Sunday, 1 July 2012 06:20 (10 months ago) Permalink
at 7:05
― MarkoP, Sunday, 1 July 2012 06:21 (10 months ago) Permalink
wow thanks, always wondered where that sample came from.
― Roz, Sunday, 1 July 2012 06:41 (10 months ago) Permalink
woooooowwww
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Sunday, 1 July 2012 20:55 (10 months ago) Permalink
WAH
― balls, Sunday, 1 July 2012 21:07 (10 months ago) Permalink
amazing
― just sayin, Sunday, 1 July 2012 21:09 (10 months ago) Permalink
!!
― k3vin k., Sunday, 1 July 2012 21:28 (10 months ago) Permalink
awesome
― Number None, Sunday, 1 July 2012 21:29 (10 months ago) Permalink
kind of like a dream, isnt it??
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Sunday, 1 July 2012 21:47 (10 months ago) Permalink
ha that is (indeed) kinda surreal to see/hear.
― Merdeyeux, Sunday, 1 July 2012 22:54 (10 months ago) Permalink
Their No Way Down EP and On Trade Winds EP 10"s I thought were sold out until I found it suddenly available on Insound.com. I grabbed one quick because apparently they are limited to 500 copies with no repress. Anyone else order it?
― Evan, Wednesday, October 14, 2009 12:24 AM
http://collectorsfrenzy.com/details/300705915103/Air_France_No_Way_DownOn_Trade_Winds_2x_EP_LP_500_copies_RARE_Washed_Out_M83
Wow!
― Evan, Wednesday, 3 October 2012 03:44 (7 months ago) Permalink
Just in case someone (like me, 5mins before) is missing out on this as well:http://kickthetragedy.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/air-france-rare.html(They are real, aren't they?)
Always noticed these two tracks in their last.fm-profile but never got round to actively search for them.
― the europan nikon is here (grauschleier), Wednesday, 12 December 2012 23:51 (5 months ago) Permalink
http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/articles/the-sweetness-of-air-france-120996
― just sayin, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 16:31 (1 month ago) Permalink
xp who is the vocalist on 'meet me by the pier' up there? regardless, i love it
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 18:34 (1 month ago) Permalink
this a crafty article. i love to hear air france riding bike
― moullet, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 21:33 (1 month ago) Permalink
aw, i'm half drunk with a snus in my lip-- that was a great read
they dated twin sisters!!
― ❏❐❑❒ (gr8080), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 00:51 (1 month ago) Permalink