French electronic duo Air brought their signature laid-back cool to the Tiny Desk, effortlessly transforming distressed dreams into symphonies heavy with emotion. Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, currently celebrating the anniversary of their debut album, opened the set with “Le Voyage de Pénélope,” the piano-driven interstellar fantasia from their 1998 album ‘Moon Safari’. The band followed this with “Cherry Blossom Girl” from ‘Talkie Walkie’, stripping the sweet love song back to acoustic guitar, a sparse Rhodes melody, and close harmonies, captivating the audience.
Their performance featured material from their influential catalog, including two tracks from their score for Sofia Coppola’s 1999 film, The Virgin Suicides. Watching Air perform “Highschool Lover” and “Dirty Trip” behind the Desk evoked a collective memory for the audience, re-living the awkward encounters and impossible-to-describe feelings of their teenage selves. Surrounded by vintage synths and keys, the band proved that while their music is sonically light, its emotional power is immense.