The Remaking of a Masterpiece: Air’s Haunting Return to ‘The Virgin Suicides’

Earlier this year, Air reimagined their groundbreaking debut album Moon Safari as Blue Moon Safari, a remix project crafted in collaboration with the endlessly inventive London-based producer Vegyn.

The original Moon Safari was a definitive masterpiece of the late ’90s, a sonic milestone that elevated French electronic music to new heights. Blending gleaming Space Age pop with an air of refined chic, Vegyn’s interpretation infused it with fresh vitality, making it feel as sonically interesting in 2025 as it did upon its release—a testament to its timelessness.

Air’s journey through their past now brings them to The Virgin Suicides, their second album and the evocative soundtrack to Sofia Coppola’s 1999 directorial debut. Reimagined for 2025, the album updates the haunting and beautiful soundscapes that have only grown in stature over the years, much like the cult classic film it accompanies.

Anchored by the melancholic brilliance of “Playground Love,” The Virgin Suicides marked a significant artistic evolution for Air. Where Moon Safari explored lush atmospheres and lounge-inspired tranquility, The Virgin Suicides ventured into darker, more expansive terrain. Its hazy, dreamlike quality evoked the adolescent drama and existential weight of the film, and it hinted at the broader ambitions that would shape the band’s subsequent work, including the cinematic futurism of their next album, 10 000 Hz Legend. On the redux version of the soundtrack, Air revisits this pivotal moment in their discography, layering modern textures and sonic depth onto an already iconic work.

At MANIFESTO, a three-day festival presented by Kaleidoscope and GOAT at Espace Niemeyer during Paris Fashion Week, Air hosts an exclusive listening session for the album alongside a talk with film director Nicolas Saada. Below, Saada met up with the duo for a conversation ahead of the experience.