“Changed My Life Forever”: The Album That Inspired Nicolas Godin and His Career With Air

French music duo Air have released a number of stunning electronic, ambient, and prog-rock records. Their 1998 debut album Moon Safari is one of their most critically acclaimed works. Their score for Sophia Coppola’s 1999 film The Virgin Suicides was a similar beautiful piece of work that rivaled the film itself in terms of aesthetics and ambiance.

Air is still touring today, though their last studio album was released in 2012. Even if the duo doesn’t plan on releasing anything new anytime soon, we can appreciate their contributions to their genres thus far; as well as the band’s inspirations.

The duo has said that they were inspired by a wide range of musical styles, as well as individual bands and musicians including Michel Legrand, Grace Jones, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd. One half of Air, French musician Nicolas Godin, also found inspiration from one particular album from a band that blew up around the time Air did. And when you think about it, there are a lot of parallels between that band and Air themselves.

The Album That Inspired Nicolas Godin: ‘Homework’ By Daft Punk

Back in 2021, Godin was one of many musicians to contribute to a list of their favorite albums for Pitchfork. Air’s Nicolas Godin said that his favorite album of the last quarter-century was Daft Punk’s 1997 debut record Homework.

It certainly makes sense why this would be Godin’s favorite album. Daft Punk were a duo, are very much French, and produced mainly electronic music. Air is really no different, though the music both outfits have produced are notably unique and different from each other.

“From the last 25 years, there are a few records that I cherish,” Godin said in the Pitchfork interview. “They all have in common a huge amount of freshness when I heard them for the first time, and I will never forget those moments.”

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Homework by Daft Punk was his top pick mainly because it was released during Godin’s heyday (and Air’s heyday, shortly after) in Paris. According to the musician, Paris was a “maelstrom of energy and creativity.” He listened to Homework while dreaming of making a “classic album like the ones I grew up with.”

“And suddenly, my neighbors achieved that with some basic home studio equipment in their bedroom,” Godin continued. “They really showed me the way and therefore changed my life forever. God bless them.”

Legends often create legends, after all.

Photo by Noam Galai

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