The new album (to be released October 6) is a departure from the darker sexual beats of Talkie Walkie and 10,000 Hz. The duo’s most successful record, Moon Safari, is a resort vacation compared to the untamed, exotic jungle of Love 2. It’s no surprise that the first song on the album is called “Do the Joy”, which suggests first that there is joy to begin with, and that we should be “doing it”. The second song, “Love”, features only the repeated word itself as the lyrics. “We tried all these different combinations,” according to Dunckel, “but only ‘Love’ seemed to fit.”
     Continuing to make popular records, however, takes practice, hard work, and lots of touring. “Travels damage your life,” Dunckel says. “You have to control that.” Both men admit that touring gets harder as their personal lives in Paris become more established. “When you are younger, you can leave a disaster at home. But now I really like my life in Paris: my children, my girlfriend, my flat,” Godin says. “It’s harder to leave now.” That said, being on tour provides the two an opportunity to see if songs work not just in the studio but also live. (Dunckel confesses that some simply do not carry over well onstage.) Nevertheless, at the end of touring both say they feel at the height of their creative powers — as they have been playing constantly and “making room” for new songs. “At the end of a tour,” Godin says, “we are eager to get into the studio.”
     When asked which nonmusical artist had inspired them the most, both agreed on Yves Saint Laurent. “We are a big fan of the ‘30s, and we like how he brought them back in the ‘70s. We are amazed at how long his career was, and how much he was able to accomplish,” Godin says. A fashion designer might seem like a strange pick for a musician — but it makes perfect sense. They both anticipate a legacy of style.
     In fact, if Godin wasn’t a musician, he says he’d be an art director, working on films to ensure the set and costumes are consistent with the time period. You may remember AIR’s exquisite collaborations with Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, and Marie Antoinette. Godin enjoys working on soundtracks because he’s usually able to visit the sets. And also, “movies have crews, a family of people, which is similar to being on tour.” Dunckel, on the other hand, would prefer to do something “useful.” Such as? “I would like to have been a doctor,” he says. “Or a fireman.”