It’s official—if you had already reached adulthood by the time Air came on the scene, then you are a creaky old fossil. But don’t worry too much about it, you’re in good company. On June 10, Rhino Records is releasing TWENTYEARS, a double-length anthology celebrating the famed French duo’s 20-year anniversary. Sure, one might quibble with the count, seeing as how Air’s first EP arrived in ’97 and their first single came out in ’95, but what are we, mathematicians or music lovers? The point is, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel have been bringing their breezy brand of electronic pop to the world for a couple of decades now, and they deserve some serious props at this point.
Disc One of the anthology overflows with fan favorites like “Cherry Blossom Girl,” “Sexy Boy,” “Playground Love,” et al. But the second disc is the one that will turn the heads of the hardcore Air obsessives; it’s full of rare and/or previously unreleased material, including cuts from movie soundtracks, vinyl-only releases, album session outtakes, and more. If you’re into the collectible side of things, you can snap up a limited edition deluxe version of TWENTYEARS on July 22, replete with colored vinyl and a bonus CD of Air remixes of other artists (David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Beck, and more). And if you want to soak up some Air in person, the pair will be prowling around the globe starting on May 20, hitting the Outside Lands and FYF festivals in August along the way.
CD1 Best-Of
1. La Femme D’Argent
2. Cherry Blossom Girl
3. Kelly Watch the Stars
4. Playground Love
5. Sexy Boy
6. Venus
7. All I Need
8. Alpha Beta Gaga
9. Moon Fever
10. Don’t Be Light
11. How Does it Make you Feel
12. Once Upon A Time
13. Alone in Kyoto
14. Talisman
15. Run
16. Le soleil est près de Moi
17. Land Me
CD2 Rarities
1. Planet Vega
2. Flowerhead
3. Crickets
4. The Duelist featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg & Jarvis Cocker
5. High Point
6. Au fond du rêve doré featuring Françoise Hardy
7. Danger Zone
8. Indian Summer
9. The Way You Look Tonight
10. Roger Song (Previously unreleased)
11. J’ai dormi sous l’eau (live BBC 1998)
12. Remember (David Withaker version)
13. Trente millions d’amis (live KCRW 1998)
14. Adis Abebah (Previously unreleased)
CD3 Remixes
1. Ollano – Latitudes
2. Crustration – Purple (La Femme d’argent Mix)
3. Neneh Cherry – Kootchi (Air Remix)
4. Depeche Mode – Home (Air ‘Around The Golf’ Remix)
5. David Bowie – A Better Future (Remix by Air)
6. Beck – Heaven Hammer (Missing Remixed by AIR)
7. MGMT – It’s Working (Air Remix)
8. Nosferatu (Remix by The Flower Pistols)
9. Money Mark – Rock in the Rain
LP1 A-Side
1. La femme d’argent
2. Cherry Blossom Girl
3. Kelly Watch the Stars
4. Playground Love (with Gordon Tracks)
LP1 B-Side
1. Sexy Boy
2. Venus
3. All I Need
4. Alpha Beta Gaga (Edit 91)
LP2 C-Side
1. Moon Fever
2. Don’t Be Light
3. How Does It Make You Feel
4. Surfing on a Rocket
LP2 D-Side
1. Alone in Kyoto
2. Talisman
3. Run
4. Le soleil est près de Moi