S*T*U*F*F* Reloaded

Last year during the Air tour in the USA, I was discussing with JB & Nico the fact that Moon Safari was 10 years old in 2008. Its always easy to look at something like that and feel melancholy, retrospective, maybe slightly negative? For them, they’ve gone on to produce other great work; but Moon Safari, in all its youthful playfulness and naivety, was, and will always be, the album for which AIR is remembered.

Then I had an idea - wouldn’t it be nice just to celebrate the fact that the record was part of our collective consciousness, part of the soundtrack to the end of the 20th century? It was the record that tied people all over the world together… so the concept for MoonSafari2008 was born. The guys loved the idea and we had a meeting about it on the way to visit Apple HQ in Cupertino, California.

I’m delighted to say that after a monumental amount of work over the past couple of months, the site has gone live, and I’m very pleased with the result. I’m not going to “go all techie on yo ass” but there is a fairly ludicrous amount of fine detail in the coding. I’m hoping we’ll get another round of development time… well, that’s for sure, as AIR are so happy with the site that they’ve asked G-RAFF to do their main site later this year, which will be massive.

I have finished touring with AIR for the time being. We finished up with two sell-out, standing-ovation nights in the Sydney Opera house after perfect days of Bronte Beach breakfasts and Bondi café hangouts, Japanese food, sun, swimming and seeing old friends. Then the late-night drift - rooftop bars and Hernandez café at dawn… I do love to visit Sydney. But to get to walk down to Circular Quay, up to that magnificent iconic building - and to go INSIDE up to the stage was truly a magical experience.

The whole tour was filled with a very positive spirit, and was immensely enjoyable - one of the best I’ve ever been on.

I played the guys the new material from my album, and it got almost embarrassing as Nico harped on and on about how much he loved it - very flattering, and I was delighted. Its also a testament to Jules Maxwell, who is producing it, that he managed to get something out of the ordinary… which Nico picked up on. I just want to get it done now. Finished and out there. Now that Moon Safari is live, I might have a chance of getting some time to breathe. Ah - no - wait - there are all those OTHER projects to finish first… starting with a new site for Brendan Perry.

Ah well… its all good stuff. Creative fun, and long may that last. I was discussing that with my fine old friend, the mighty Foy Vance who has been working away on some amazing new stuff that is nothing like he is known for… if it gets out there, you’ll be in for a shock. And while I’m at it, I must mention the fact that he sprung a surprise bottle of Bushmills 1608 400th anniversary whisky - signed by the master distiller no less - upon me. I was blown away… what a man! Class.

So… please go and tell your Moon Safari Story. You can find mine tagged as “G-RAFF”