I must say I was a little skeptical about seeing French electronic duo Air play live – I couldn’t fathom how they could pull off a live show as labyrinthine and euphoric as their albums. Well, prove me wrong they did. The band’s Melbourne show at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda was nothing short of magnificent. It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since the release of Moon Safari, and almost as hard to believe is the fact that they’ve never been to Australia. But the wait for Australian fans was well worth it – Air gave a hypnotizing performance that provided a comprehensive review of some of their greatest music, showing why they are one of the world’s finest chillout outfits.

Those that arrived promptly at the Theatre were treated to a prelude performance by local poptress New Buffalo (AKA Sally Seltmann). Australia’s latest darling of the music industry, her tunes were lovely but transparent; the arty dream-world she tried to invite the audience into was not enticing enough for me to succumb. Luckily, Air wasn’t too far away.

When the lights went down for Air’s arrival, plunging the theatre into deep darkness, there was an collective bating of breath as a sampled symphony of whirs and blips quickly gave way to ominously humming feedback, an eerily moaning vocal and the steadily unrelenting beat of tribal drums. Indistinguishable there, somewhere in the blackness, the band made their way to their instruments. The lilting of a harp seemed to cue the purple-hued beams from the light racks above, revealing Jean-Benoit Dunckel, Nicolas Godin and three supporting musicians. The crowd roared in approval as Air dove headlong into the pastoral stroll of the 10,000 Hz Legend classic Radian.

Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel were a picture, dressed in all white: Dunckel sporting a skinny white tie and suspenders, while Godin’s ensemble was completed with a well-tailored sport coat. The pair appeared as though they were vacationing in the South of France rather than playing a soldout show in Melbourne. Dunckel is the quintessential European musician: diminutive in stature and practically buried in the equipment covering his onstage cockpit. Moog synthesizers, a Wurlitzer, and a handful of keyboards are all within arm’s length. With his neck arched and his knees slightly bent, Dunckel sang to the ceiling as his fingers fall on the keys with the familiarity of a man navigating his home in the dark. Godin, Air’s other half, was sporting a full beard and wore a guitar for most of the evening. He acted as the group’s troubadour, and took a long time to acknowledge the crowd – albeit in a robotic drone from one of the microphones on stage.

An Air performance incorporates dozens of different instruments, including guitars, basses and a variety of synthesizers and drums, forging an inimitable brand of atmospheric electronica inspired by the synthesizer all-stars of 1970s France. And tonight was no exception. Moon Safari fan favorites such as Talisman and Remember shared the electronic soundscape with Talkie Walkie’s lovingly crafted Cherry Blossom Girl and a predictable but powerful version of 10,000 Hz Legend’s People in the City that culminated in an explosive climax of improvised electronic rock, augmented visually by a seizure-inducing light display.

After a raucous Kelly Watch the Stars to close out the show, the band returned to the stage and encored with Alone in Kyoto, a song from Talkie Walkie that appeared in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, and two of their most recognizable 10,000 Hz Legend numbers Sexy Boy and La Femme d’Argent. The latter in particular writhed with extended improvisation, riling an ecstatic clamor from the enrapt audience. Though it has become the standard closing number for the band, this last song is anything but routine. The funky opener track to Moon Safari may have seemed a strange selection to close out an evening – it clocks in at over seven minutes on the album and is stretched out to almost twelve this evening – but its’ soulful mix of electronics with jazz and keyboards is truly breathtaking.

Although traditionally brief, Air’s seventy-five minute performance, rife with fan favorites and executed with exacting precision, left me absolutely spellbound. The name Air is actually an acronym for the French words ‘Amour, Imagination, Reve’, which translate in English to ‘Love, Imagination, Dream’. If that is a mission statement of sorts, Air delivered on its promise, proving why they are one of the world’s finest downtempo acts.