The news that Vegyn was reworking the whole of AIR's 1998 album Moon Safari was pretty much the only Record Stord Day 2025 announcement that stayed with me during the hype and build up to last Saturday.
Moon Safari was ubiquitous at the end of the millennium and the songs are so ingrained in the consciousness that even the contemporary remixes struggled to compete with the originals.
So, what to make of Vegyn's modern day overhaul? Well, for a start, they are variations rather than unrecognisable remixes, though a few remove or play down the musical motifs that make AIR's original compositions so familiar.
Sexy Boy is arguably the keystone to whether you will enjoy Blue Moon Safari or not.
A few of the elements are there, including the vocals, but it changes keys and chord sequences and shifts the emphasis of the song as a result. Judging by the comments online, it's had a Marmite effect on listeners. After a couple of listens, I've decided I like it a lot.
Likewise, Kelly Watch The Stars. I love the simplicity of the original (which I posted back in March) and I really like the different direction that Vegyn's rework takes.
Beth Hirsch's vocals on All I Need and You Make It Easy are high points on the album and here they are treated with similiar reverence and respect, whilst sounding like they were recorded last week.
By the time the last notes of Le Voyage De Pénélope fade out, I'm left with a similar urge to listen to the whole album all over again.
Blue Moon Safari succeeds because it sounds like a Vegyn album, whilst also remaining true to AIR's original vision. Easy on paper, but artists frequently come a cropper when attempting something like this.
I was already a fan of Vegyn, album The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions was a highllight of 2024, but Blue Moon Safari is a cracking follow up.
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