By Michael Paoletta
Billboard

Download "Once Upon a Time" by Air*: .wma | .mp3

Air's fourth studio album, "Pocket Symphony," finds the French duo having a love affair with the very concept of love. "It became a cycle of songwriting, like a loop," band member Nicolas Godin says.

It was also a way for Godin and his musical partner, Jean-Benoit Dunckel, to sonically find themselves again. The twosome had just completed working with Charlotte Gainsbourg on her album "5:55," when they began creating a foundation for "Pocket Symphony."

After working with Gainsbourg, Godin says he and Dunckel were more at peace with themselves musically, "And, we were excited about songwriting again."

Pausing for a moment, he continues, "With Charlotte, we had to do a lot of songs. For our own album, we were fed up with songs. Which is why it's more instrumental, more like a soundtrack, more atmospheric. It's what I like doing best."

"Pocket Symphony" revels in sweet, at times melancholic, instrumentation, harking back to the duo's seminal debut, "Moon Safari." Vocals are kept to a minimum, except on "One Hell of a Party" and "Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping," which feature guest turns from Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, respectively. Air worked with Cocker and Hannon on Gainsbourg's album.

Godin acknowledges that these artists add something special to Air's music. "They bring with them a culture of songwriting from England," Godin says. "As French guys, we have a different background. They are so British, with a pop culture that comes through in their songwriting."

While "Pocket Symphony" is decidedly Air, it does offer surprises in the form of Eastern musical elements. Thanks to a chat with a Parisian woman -- a specialist in Japanese art --Godin became excited about infusing this culture into Air's music. So, he found a Japanese music teacher and learned to play the koto and shamisen, classical instruments from the Far East. "We developed an Asian way to making music," Godin says. Still, "It's very Western."

"We're looking forward to getting on the road again," Godin says. "We want to see what our fans are up to."

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