Nicolas Godin
Biography
Nicolas Godin (born 25 December 1969) is a French musician best known for being half of the music duo Air. Godin was born in Paris, Île-de-France, France, and studied architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles, along with soon to be musical partner, Jean-Benoît Dunckel, a mathematics student. Before founding Air, Godin played in the band Orange, with others such as Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Alex Gopher, Xavier Jamaux, and Jean de Reydellet. He and Jean-Benoît have been working together since they were teenagers in the 1980s. Contrary to the popular belief, the name of the band Air does not stand for "Amour, Imagination, Rêve" (love, imagination, dream), but rather for description of their music which the duo describes as "airy" (in French aérien). In the beginning, it was a one‑person project. Godin, then an architecture student and amateur musician, was asked by a childhood friend to write a song for a compilation to be released by Source, a small French independent label. "Modulor Mix", a tribute to Le Corbusier, was recorded on Godin's Portastudio, and appeared on the Source Lab album in 1995. With several remixes, it was re‑released on British label Mo' Wax in 1996. Following this small success, Godin asked his friend Jean-Benoît Dunckel, a classically trained pianist, to join him in Air. Together, they produced further 'maxi‑singles' for Source, with titles like "J'ai Dormi Sous L'eau", "Les Professionnels", "Casanova 70" and "Le Soleil Est Près De Moi". Finally, in 1997, Source asked Air to record a whole album. The duo spent several months in a recording studio near Paris called Studio de Saint‑Nom, and asked a friend—freelance engineer and former Plus XXX assistant Stéphane 'Alf' Briat—to work as a sound engineer on that project. Their full-length debut studio album Moon Safari, released in 1998, was propelled to chart success by the singles "Sexy Boy" "Kelly Watch the Stars" and "All I Need". Its mixture of synths, strings and guitar made it a unique release in the electronica genre at the time. Moon Safari went Platinum in the United Kingdom and Gold in France. On 18 September 2015, Godin released his first solo album Contrepoint (Because Music), inspired by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Godin composed the soundtrack for French series A Very Secret Service (2015–2018). Godin released his second studio album Concrete and Glass on 24 January 2020 via Because Music. Source: Article "Nicolas Godin" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For & Full Filmography8 Titles
Drama Series - 1985, 16 episodes • as Self
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2024, 2h 15m • as Self (Air)
Like an indelible memory, this Olympic closing ceremony will be marked by audacity, fraternity and emotion. In the heart of the Stade de France, athletes from all over the world will represent their countries one last time in an incredible moment of celebration and sharing. With their eyes riveted to the flame, the emotion will be immense as we close the great Olympic book of Paris 2024.
Movie - 2015, 2h 15m • as Self
Jean-Michel Jarre is one of the pioneers of electronic music. He is a composer, performer, songwriter, and producer whose pioneering approach to electronic music and live performance has influenced a generation. The emergence of the album "E-Project"is album is the focus of the documentary "A Journey Into Sound" by Birgit Herdlitschke. The film also airs the secret of success of Jean-Michel Jarre. With material from private and public archives, the film looks back on his youth, the first experiments with electronic music and his relationship with his famous father Maurice Jarre (composer of soundtrack for "Lawrence of Arabia", "Doctor Zhivago").
Movie - 1999, 2h 15m • as Self
This documentary follows the French electronic duo Air during their 1998 Moon Safari tour, highlighting the monotony of travel and waiting to perform. The routine is punctuated by Godard-inspired segments featuring philosophical Q&A sessions with everyday people.
Movie - 2020, 2h 15m • as Self
Since his first album, French musician Sébastien Tellier never ceased to surprise, amuse, and even bother; all without getting lost along the way. The constantly renewed authenticity of his musical universe is still one of the strongest in contemporary pop scene.
Movie - 2024, 2h 15m • as Self
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut, French cult duo AIR are releasing a 2CD/1BLU-RAY reissue featuring rare and even unreleased material from their legendary album “Moon Safari”. The package includes a Spatial Atmos audio version of the original album and a remarkable selection of previously unreleased track versions, as well as the documentary film “Eating, Sleeping, Waiting & Playing” from 1998 by renowned director Mike Mills in HD format. The documentary accompanies band members Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel on their first tour stops in New York, London and Paris. AIR will accompany this release with a huge international tour throughout the year, selling out more than 50 dates in 18 countries worldwide in no time at all.
Movie - 2024, 2h 15m • as Self
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.
Movie - 2024, 2h 15m • as Self
AIR perform their iconic album Moon Safari at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall. Return to the tail end of the 1990s with this exceptional concert, when the "French Touch" scene was conquering hearts and minds from the European continent to Hollywood.