"The fame that comes with pop music is sad and ridiculous. Actually, from a French point of view, it's not cool to be a pop star at all, it's seen as being very conventional, and not very original."

Chatting down the line from his French studio Air spokesperson Nic Godin sighs as he considers the side effects and image decisions involved in making popular music in the 21st century.

"Too many people seem to have a job of being a pop star, they wear a uniform and it's definitely not something that interests us," he complains.

"When we do Air we like to dress correctly, for example, when I go on stage I wear proper shoes and a tie just because we're following the tradition of the music hall. We're influenced by the Rat Pack, people like Frank Sinatra and David Bowie. Men should be classy when they're over 30."

Though lowest common denominator product (and fellow EMI priority act) Robbie Williams also looked to Sinatra in his latest manufactured guise, in Air's case the reference is genuine, reflecting Godin and his Air partner Jean-Benoit Dunckel's idiosyncratic approach to life. Because while the ex Take That star has jumped to every single beat of EMI's drum, Air have navigated their own uniquely personal career path for the same, no doubt, nervous label- not only inventing chill-out with their masterful debut album Moon Safari in 1998, but promptly seeming to invite career suicide, with their experimental follow up album10,000 hz in 2001.

3 years on, they're back with chapter 3 (that's not counting film soundtrack the Virgin Suicides) in their straight from the heart musical odyssey, the already critically adored new album Walkie Talkie. Immediately reminiscent of Moon Safari, it's a beautiful accomplished, adult record that's as classy as the black and white suits they wear on the accompanying press shots.


Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): How conscious were you of people's expectations when making the new album?

Air: "We didn't think about expectations at all- no, never! Because whenever we perform around the world, whether in England, America or Germany, we always notice how different the audiences are at our shows. The people who like us in Germany, for example, are completely different from the people in Colorado so you can't make music with either type in mind. What we do when we make music is try and please ourselves. We never plan for particular audiences, especially in France, because we've never had much success in France, especially in the beginning. We really started making this kind of music as a reaction against the French music scene."

Skrufff: So you're still not successful in France now?

Air: "We weren't initially though things started to change after Virgin Suicides came out. Music isn't seen as a big deal here in France, so if we're not very successful it's not a big problem, because I really don't share the taste of my compatriots."

Skrufff: 10,000 hz got a much worse reception, both commercially and critically, than Moon Safari, did that knock your confidence much?

Air: "I don't think so, but I think the record company were scared, also because all their markets are crashing down generally. Also, it's true that less people liked 10,00 hz than Moon Safari but it still had a lot of success. I remember when did Moon Safari, JD and I started suffering from being perceived as fashion products and I think with 10,000 hz we got more credibility which we didn't have in the past- we were able to travel the world as musicians and composers. Especially after Moon Safari people thought we were just two DJs. But it's true that some of my good friends had a hard time getting into 10,000 hz, which was sad, because I thought we'd done the best music we could do. Though I'm still sure one day people will get it."

Skrufff: Do you find making music easy?

Air: "Yes, because making music is fun for us. It feels like we're playing, like when we were kids. It's exciting for us. Making songs is a reward for us compared to the realities of day to day life."

Skrufff: Do social issues inform the music at all?

Air: "Not at all, we have no conscience, we really don't care. Right now we're in a period where we're working on being happy in our personal life and that's taking a lot of energy. Maybe later, when I'm clean inside my own house, we can go outside."

Skrufff: In pursuing happiness in your personal life are you having parties non stop?

Air: "Not really, no. I just do the regular stuff. We go to the theatre and private parties, when I was younger I used to go to nightclubs a lot whereas now I tend to go more to specialised things."

Skrufff: Paris has quite a musical community with people like David Guetta running clubs, is he someone you hang out with?

Air: "No, because when I was a teenager I used to be kicked out from his nightclub a lot, and now I'm proud and I don't want to go there anymore."

Skrufff: Why were you kicked out?

Air: "Because I was too young, because I wasn't famous, because I didn't have a Porsche or nothing. I was 18 years old and tried to take a girl there because we were hanging out with older people and we couldn't get in. There are too many bad memories for me from that time, I was frustrated."

Skrufff: Does he know nowadays that you used to get kicked out of his clubs?

Air: "He wasn't personally responsible, but for me I don't want to associate with those clubs, I hate that part of town. It's a fucking horrible area full of strip clubs, I don't like it."

Skrufff: Air very much kick started the whole chillout scene of the last few years, how do you feel about the word today?

Air: "I like to chillout, sure."

Skrufff: Lots or reviewers compared bands like Zero 7 and Bent to Air, when you were listening to these bands, were you thinking 'mon dieu, they're copying us'?

Air: "No I think it's cool, it's a good achievement to influence other bands, it's better to be a leader than a follower. The thing is, Air is not a sound, it's a spirit so when people try to copy our sound they go the wrong way. Especially with the way we compose, it's not about the instruments or whether someone uses a Moog. We can do Air music with any instrument. We're friends with Nigel Godrich (Radiohead's producer, who also did Talkie Walkie) and he told me not to mention them (Zero 7) in interviews. I honestly think it's cool though and flattering to hear records that sound like yours."

Skrufff: You're both over 30, and both adults, do you usually agree on everything?

Air: "Yeah we do, and we both go through the same problems. That's one of the reasons I never understand why bands split up, because the more experiences you share the less reasons you have to split, because the other people are the only ones who understands you."

Skrufff: What kind of problems have you faced?

Air: "Ooophff, many problems. Becoming an adult brings a lot of problems but it's cool. I don't like being young anymore."

Skrufff: Do you regard Talkie Walkie as being the best thing you've ever done?

Air: "I hope we're still in that era where each album is better because I know bands reach a point when they start being less good and I hope we didn't reach that point yet. When we reach that point we'll stop."

Skrufff: What would you do if Air stopped?

Air: "I would be a PI, a private investigator. I'm attracted by that job; I would be like Inspector Clouseau. When I'm in restaurants I always listen to people's conversations around me."

Walkie Talkie is out now on Virgin Records.