“Blue Moon Safari”, an alternative vision of the ‘French touch’

There are albums that really become iconic, a sign of the times. In the true sense of this adjective and not in today’s abuse that makes it, where everything is iconic and therefore nothing is really more.
“Moon Safari” is one of these; In 1998 he marked the debut of the Air, with his mix of electronics, pop and “French touch”.

He also resisted the passing of the years: a lucky tour that has been going on for a year (and which will return to the Festival in the First Summer in June), as well as demo, expanded and remix reptages. Today he returns to a new version curated by Vegyn, also published in vinyl for the record store day, and renamed “Blue Moon Safari”. The English producer presented it in Milan during the design week, at the MAVIOCCHI Spazio, with Nicolas Godin, half of the duo.

Vegyn – art name of Joseph Winger Thornalley, son of Phil, producer of the first treatments – was known for having produced Frank Ocean, as well as for having worked with Travis Scott, and having released several albums in his name. Just a few nights ago he was chosen to make a DJ set after Björk in one of the most important events of the week. Vegyn’s remix album is simultaneously respectful of the original, but also personal – with the addition of rhythmic parts and some more contemporary touch. The initial request was of a remix only of “All I Need”, which then turned into a job on the entire album.

“The project was born listening to ‘No Protection’, a remix of ‘Protection’ of the Massive Attack made by Mad Professor. The idea is that making a full album of Remix transforms him into a new artistic work. But it is a great task, and Joseph was so enthusiastic that from a song we entrusted him with the whole project”, explains Godin.
“I am a great fans, it was a dream that became reality.

I was frightened but also honored. I listened to ‘Moon Safari’ in the car with mine, “says Vegyn, 31 years old: when the album was released, he was 5 years old.” He went from being an album that people listened to while having sex, as our fans often told me, to a record to listen to with children. It has become a record for families … “, jokes Godin.” An album by remix makes you show that there are other ways to make a song work in addition to those you found and you thought were the only ones possible “.

“Blue Moon is something that happens rarely: it is a poetic way to tell an alternative vision of a classic,” explains Vegyn. “But what I like about this version of the album is that the original has been linked to the so -called French touch, but this reconnects it with the English sound of that period, showing the common origins of those worlds. It is as if it had been engraved by English musicians of the 90s”.
“I don’t even know how much a conscious choice was, I wanted to respect the original. I partially used the same tools and vintage synthesizers, adding some nuances,” says Vegyn. “I try to be genuine in my music, I have not used artificial intelligence in this case – even if I often play it. I realize that it has a bad reputation in music, there is always resistance towards new technologies, but it can be a good tool to help creativity. But I don’t consider me an artist, I consider me one who does things, hoping that they like to others”.

“Music is like architecture,” concludes Godin, who graduated in architecture. “It helps to create spaces.”