French electronica duo Air are going hand-in-hand with “The Moon.”
Director Georges Méliès’ “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” (“A Trip to the Moon”) was a trailblazing silent film originally completed in 1902, and one of the first known science fiction flicks, inspiring flimmakers and writers thereafter. A hand-painted reel of the film — the only one of its kind — was discovered in 1993 and it was subsequently reworked for a debut on the world stage at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year; Air was commissioned to complete a brand new soundtrack for the 14-minute film it debuted at the fest as well.
Air are expanding on that prompt and are completing an entire album inspired by “La Lune.” Astralwerks will release “A Trip to the Moon” on Feb. 7.
The album 11-track album inflates on Air’s instrumental themes for the short film, and even adds some vocalists: Victoria Legrand from Immaculate Noise favorite Beach House and Brooklyn-based troupe Au Revoir Simone will guest.
“‘A Trip to the Moon’ is undoubtedly more organic than most of our past projects. We wanted it to sound ‘handmade,’ knocked together,” a bit like Méliès’ special effects. Everything is played live … like Méliès’ film, our soundtrack is nourished by living art,” said Air’s Nicolas Godin.
Superfans — of the band, the film or both — will have an opportunity to see it all together: EMI is releasing a limited number of DVDs with the colored film and the original score together.
Air has previously contributed to other film scores and soundtracks, including the impressively mellow-sad set to “Virgin Suicides.”
This has been long-gone Méliès’ year. Families should check out “Hugo” as it drops into theaters this week. The Martin Scorsese-helmed movie is a creative unveiling of the life and work of Georges Méliès, with the director getting a heartbreaking portrayal by the great Ben Kingsley. “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” gets a major tip of the hat in the movie, the center of a mystery a young boy can’t help but pursue.
Keep your eye on Drew McWeeny’s blog for a review of the flick. I personally loved it. Maybe Air could play a little something at the France premiere?