Air

Le Voyage Dans la Lune

Astralwerks, 2012

A hand painted color print of the groundbreaking fourteen minute, 1902 film Le Voyage Dans la Lune recently surfaced, and has been painstakingly restored. This masterpiece was the brainchild of French director Georges Melies, and he re-interprets the Jules Verne story. The restoration and digitalization took over a decade as the print was crumbling. French Electronica duo, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel, better known as Air, were commissioned to compose a modern soundtrack to accompany the silent film.

Using Moog synthesizers and live vintage instruments, there is a warm feel to the soundtrack, and a playfulness which is usually missing from the duo’s previous work.

There’s a cinematic utility to some of it, but the synth explosions, thundering drums and crunchy, muscular guitars are here to bolster the film, not steal the show. “Decollage” is a brief and haunting interlude meant to convey the loneliness of space.

There are some standout tracks, “Seven Stars,” which features Beach House’s Victoria Legrand, is a beautiful bit of pop music. Other tracks like, “Cosmic Trip,” and Sonic Armada,” stand well enough on their own, but will whet your appetite to see the 110 year old restored film, in all of its glory.