Tuesday January 27, 2004 arts.michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com ARTS 5 MELISSA RUNSTROM Reading is fun'-damental FRENCH DUO RETURNS TO FORM O By Alex Wolsky Daily Arts Writer Music REVI EW With the release of their monumental record Auto- bahn in 1974, Kraftwerk put Berlin on the map as the progenitor of electronic music. The self-pro- claimed "robot-pop" group blended hip-hop and techno to form their own blitzkrieg of kraut-rock that would come to be modeled globally for decades. The Berliners drafted a sonic .........__ blueprint of how electronic Air minimalism would progress and influenced generations of Talkie Walkie children later - including Astralwerks French duo Air. The indie-electronic duo of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel first made waves in 1998 with their debut of sonic landscapes, Moon Safari. Since then, however, they've worked primarily on film scores and have failed to compose anything as dense and impressive as they're obviously capable of. The Nigel Godrich (Radiohead) produced Talkie Walkie marks a transitional period for the duo back into the formulaic songwriting that sculpted their epic debut. Their latest LP is a detached, tonal record that makes an attempt at healing the scars left by their disastrous sophomore effort, 10,000 Hz. In the summer of 2003, Air previewed Talkie Walkie by including the tinny, droning "Alone in Kyoto," on the soundtrack to the award-winning Courtesy of Astraiwerks France, c'mon girl, don't be an invader hater. N LATEST LP open textures of keyboards and pre-programmed drum loops, much like their earlier works. The openness of "Run" and the spinning, matter-of- course feeling portrayed by "Universal Traveler" lose focus and eventually die out before making an impact. Defiantly standing out from the rest, however, is the track, "Alpha Beta Gaga," a confused, topsy- turvy hybrid of Air's previous talents with tense, anxiety-ridden lining. "Gaga" successfully mixes the production talents of Godrich with Air's ability to paint a chameleonic sonic backdrop and as a result, they give birth to something that's constantly being reinterpreted. However, even the strongest track on the record is a thin, one-dimensional cut that lacks the density and dexterity of their best compositions. The synthe- sized layers weave such a gossamer fabric that one begs to ask the question: Did Air's work on film scores have an adverse effect on their album work? Talkie Walkie makes the answer obvious. Air's reliance on the visual has caused their work to become stale and impotent. Most of their new material ambulates slowly and builds up to noth- ing. Their work on both Coppola's first film, "The Virgin Suicides" and "Lost in Translation" is reflected heavily on the LP and destroys any oppor- tunity for the tracks to stand on their own. But if Talkie Walkie tells us anything, it shouts defiantly from a rooftop villa, "the spark and ingenuity of Moon Safari has left!" And, sadly, it may never be achieved again. ''Y ou mean to tell me that there are still people on campus with the time to read for fun?" my friend questioned, after he saw me reading a book that wasn't assigned for class. Unfortunately with deadlines, assignments, projects, working and the ever-pressing "need" to party with our friends consuming most of our time, many students don't even consider free reading an option anymore. Read- ing for fun is something that takes a little bit of effort and is all too often shoved aside for the much easier, albeit less rewarding, TV show or videogame. This isn't to say that one shouldn't watch a show or play a game, as both activities can be fun and entertaining, I'm simply saying that it can be a much more rewarding activity if you choose what you read based on what you like. There is something in read- ing about a character, as opposed to watching one, that makes things more personal. An author has the ability to do a good deal more than the average television network producer or direc- tor can. As corny as it sounds, they stimulate your imagination, and that is one of the reasons they are more suc- cessful. It is also true that good books almost always have better plots than your average show or game. There is a much larger selection of material in print than on television or in the gam- ing industry. The key to transforming reading from a chore into a relaxing and stim- ulating activity is to choose books based on your interests. Simply because a story is on a bestseller list or considered a classic doesn't necessari- ly make it right for you. Just as there is a difference between PBS and FOX, book genres cater to diverse tastes. Political exposes on the Bush adminis- tration, graphic romance novels and how-to books on unlocking your inner chi represent varied literary inclina- tions that are widely read. Unless you want it to be, reading doesn't have to be about learning something. A story should transport you to a place that makes you recall things you've been through and feel what you've never experienced. There are a lot of students who want to free read but simply cannot find the time in their packed schedule to make it work. It takes some planning, but reading a book, doing schoolwork and having a social life can co-exist. The first rule is to bring the book to most of the places you go. Throwing it in your bag on the way out is an easy way to integrate this. Then, whenever you are a little early to class, riding the bus to North Campus or simply in a boring lecture, you'll have an interest- ing way to pass the time. You can also read before you go to sleep. While you may not be cognizant enough to make it through notes that will be on the final, you can at least enjoy a book. Another option is to buy books on CD and listen to them anywhere you feel comfortable donning the head- phones. Unfortunately, they only have very popular books in this format, and purchasing the audio can get expen- sive. Libraries, however, are offering a growing selection of books on disc, making them more accessible to everyone. Still not convinced it is possible to read and be a student at the same time? Then wait to take advantage of the summer to grab a cold drink and a good book. If nothing else, use your free time during the summer and over breaks to get into a rewarding habit. Reading relaxes and can help relieve the tension from a stressful day. With a good book, you can escape whenever you want, to go to class or being strapped for cash. - Melissa thinks that books in gen- eral deserve five stars and would love to discuss the ending to "Beyond the Highland Mist." She can be contacted at goghrun@umich.edu. Courtesy of Astraiwerks That mime isn't picking up, Jean. film, "Lost in Translation." The escapist, free-flow- ing track acted as the perfect counterpart to Sofia Coppola's heart-wrenching story of longing and hope. The perfect score, it piqued characters' unex- pressed emotions and drew upon an implicit senti- ment in Coppola's screenplay. Talkie Walkie is built around the same spacious, m