Cover version of the month #112
Moog Cookbook remix/cover Air
NOTE - I've allowed myself a little artistic license on this blog. Not really a cover, but definitely a radical reworking. Is a remix a 'modern' cover version?
Anyway ...
Back in the late 90s, Air sounded like they were untouchable. Probably because they were floating around in space! Their 1998 debut album Moon Safari was a stunning mix of space-age lounge, warm analogue synths, and widescreen cinematic beauty. It felt timeless, nostalgic and futuristic all at once. Here is a blog I wrote on the 20th anniversary back in 2018.
Kelly Watch the Stars was one of the standout tracks, a hypnotic, dreamy piece of French synth pop that floated along on its own celestial groove.
In the aforementioned blog I wrote - "Kelly Watch the Stars is a song that takes the listener on a different kind of trip via repetition rather than they flowing riffs and melodies that are evident throughout the album. That said, there is still plenty of space in the song for Air to flow and the instrumental section really does lift the song to another level."
Sometimes I look back at old blogs and think did I really write that! Quite clever! ... space for Air to flow!
And then, The Moog Cookbook got their hands on it.
The Moog Cookbook were an eccentric duo made up of Roger Manning Jr. (Jellyfish, Beck’s band) and Brian Kehew (a synth guru and later a touring member of The Who). Their mission? To take classic songs and reimagine them using only vintage Moog synthesizers.
Their cover/remix/reworking of Kelly Watch the Stars is pure retro-futuristic joy; Shaft! style wah-wah, super cool beats and ... moog synths! The Moog Cookbook transform the song. The main melody is still intact, but now it's bouncing through a playful array of spacey bleeps, theremin-like swoops, and chunky, robotic basslines. Funking and punking it up, it’s as if Air's original track was beamed into a 1970s cop TV show produced by Daft Punk.
Still dreamy, still gorgeous, an extra 2-minutes are added on to the original to allow a breakdown and extra time to play with the sublime piano, whispered vocal, beats, percussion and groove.
This is a gem. Enjoy!
The Air original and the Moog Cookbook remix of Kelly Watch The Stars are added to my Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist on Spotify which also features all of the songs listed below. Search for the title or CLICK HERE
Previous covers of the month blogs
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U
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