Alpha Beta Gaga

Seriously, what's with French electronica-infused bands and utterly unimaginative and recklessly mundane band names? 'Air', for one...And of course 'Phoenix'! Not to mention Orange - another Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel effort, apart from Air. Maybe they should look for inspiration across the Rhine to the opposite banks which apparently is not only churning out super models and super sleek cars, but is also home to one of the bands with the most uber-cool names that I have come across in a long while - Tangerine Dream! Brings back memories of one of 'em psychedelic intoxication-induced hazes, don't it?;)

Before I start sounding like a neo Nazi, let me clarify. My exposure to the supposedly early pioneers of the Krautrock movement is restricted to few not-so-generous samples of the band's works, whereas I have had considerable amount of earshare lended to the 'Air' (waves). The first time I had heard these guys was ironically while watching the hugely entertaining video of their best known track "Playground Love", which has been featured in the sound track of Sofia Coppola's "The Virgin Suicides" (Fantastic soundtrack,although the movie was a bit of letdown, on its own rights and especially when compared to Lost in Translation). Anyway, I can probably count the number of good bands that I have chanced upon through their videos. I heard them again, this time loud and clear enough, in the soundtrack to Lost in Translation (Another brilliant OST). While the track itself called "Alone in Kyoto" would probably be not of my picks out of the soundtrack, it definitely adds a very heavy lustre to the album's mesmerizing ways, so much so that I had underlined and bolded the mental note that I had made of this band, which eventually led me to being the proud new owner of their 2004 production "Talkie Walkie".

The album begins with the idllyic sounds of Venus with its addictively naseous instrumental groove coupled with the rhythmic clapping (yes!) before soothing into the most highly-encored track, "Cherry Blossom Girl",with its heavenly flute additives and one Jessica Banks supplying the additional vocals. "Run" follows suit - Replete with hypnotically redundant vocal renditions, this song lingers in my thought long after I hear it everytime. This best characterises Air for me. The sound is so incredibly original - I probably am pleasantly taken aback by the lack of a percussion element in an musical ensemble! This track combined with the next one called "Universal Traveller" are definitely my favourites out of the album. This song has a very experimental melody pattern as its backbone, which when combined with the romantic backings and some weirdly enchanting sounds on the synthesizer, is well worth the replay button.

An instrumental is next in line - one called "Mike Mills", full of diverse sounds. "Surfing on the rocket" could possibly on some sci-fi movie, if they have the stomach of such a sound! "Another Day" is too spaced out for me, unfortunately..It seemed too much like a filler song. "Alpha Beta Gaga", another instrumental package, brings back the sublimity of the mood back...although a little fleetingly. The substitute for the chorus bit in this track tempts you to whistle along. "Biological" with its sleepy overtons has a very confusing song structure has additional vocals by Lisa Papineau,who seemingly could not shake off her very thick French accent!! As you can clearly see, The second half of the album doesn't sit down pretty well with me. And then Alone in Kyoto comes on and it is enough to pull me right back into the haunting grooves.

It is funny how a song can sound so familiarly enchanting and yet so breathtakingly fresh when you remove it from the package that you most associate with it and enjoy it as a stand alone entity. Everytime I spin the the Lost in translation soundtrack , I automatically expect to be taken back to the images of the movie. But the neon lights of urban Japan was the last thing to expect in my head when I am listening to a French duo. The song whisks me away to these images that I love in one fast and furious motion, while I am still nestled cozily with a sound that I am beginning to love.

I was warned that this album is definitely not the best, but it still is a solid collection with some brilliant moments and an all pervading sound. But lucky me, in a couple of days, I should be able to allot some shelve space to their critically acclaimed work "Moon Safari"...