I’m waay behind the times on this one, I think… this tune has been in my favourites list for a couple of weeks now, ever since I came across the Cousin Cole remix at Pinglewood:

Charlotte Gainsbourg - The Operation (buy)

Charlotte Gainsbourg - The Operation (Cousin Cole remix)

The lyrics (cowritten with Jarvis Cocker, no less) are fantastic — Ballardian references to love as surgery:

    Our love goes under the knife /
    Nothing is taboo /
    Here on the cutting edge of science

Impressive background for this album: according to this post, the music was ‘written and played by Air, produced by Nigel Godrich. The string arrangements are by Beck’s dad, David Campbell. The drums are played by Tony Allen, one time drummer for Fela Kuti, now in Damon Albarn’s The Good The Bad & The Queen. Oh yeah, and Brian Eno called him one of the best musicians on the planet. Lyrics are also collaborative, with Charlotte and the Air boys joined by the witty, sharp pens of Jarvis Cocker and The Divine Comedy’s Neal Hannon.’ Blimey.

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