Le Voyage Dans La Lune, by Air

Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon) was inspired by the 1902 film of the same name by Georges Méliès. The sound has a haunting, hypnotic effect, much like the soundtrack Air did for Sofia Coppola's 1999 film The Virgin Suicides. Having revealed their sci-fi leanings on their debut, Moon Safari, Air was the natural choice to create the soundtrack for the restored and hand-colored print of Méliès's silent sci-fi film.

The French duo, known for their electronic music, created Le Voyage with traditional, hand-played instruments and no computer-generated sound or digital instruments. They have said that they wanted to retain the handmade quality of Méliès’s special effects.

Opening track “Astronomic Club” is a dark song with down-tuned guitars and eerily slow drumbeats, which sound like some sort of apocalyptic call to arms. That pulse works well with the dystopic voices that echo throughout the track. “Seven Stars” has more lucid drum rhythms, piano patterns, a fluttering flute, and the chilling vocal duet of Vincent Taeger and Isabelle Vuarnesson. “Sonic Armada” is full of ’60s-inspired psychedelic harmonies and aggressive guitars over a pulsating bass.

The music accompanies the film, for the most part, but several tracks could stand alone as singles. This score, like Méliès’s film, is about discovering the unknown, and the trepidation and excitement that comes with it presents a hallucinatory journey. These are accomplished musical artworks.

• Album: Le Voyage Dans La Lune
• Artist: Air
• Label: Virgin
• Songs: (1) Astronomic Club (2) Seven Stars (3) Retour Sur Terre (Back on Earth) (4) Parade (5) Moon Fever (6) Sonic Armada (7) Who Am I Now? (8) Décollage (Takeoff) (9) Cosmic Trip (10) Homme Lune (Moon Man) (11) Lava