Jean Michel Jarre Oxymoreworks Review

November 3, 2023

With a career spanning over 50 years in electronic music, Jean Michel Jarre is very much a legend who is still releasing music. His music has been a huge part of my life ever since I heard his music on the Landscape Channel in the late 80s/ early 90s. The track, Oxygene 4 is a masterpiece and I have been enamored with Jarre ever since, having heard all his albums and owning most.

He went through a resurgence nearly a decade ago, releasing his collaboration albums Electronica 1 and 2 before dipping back into his first breakthrough album with Oxygene 3. Then, in 2018, he released arguably his best album in years- the stunning Equinoxe Infinity. Anyone fearing that he was merely trading on past glories need not have worried as he returned to his pre-worldwide success roots in 'musique concrete' (the process of using recorded sounds to create a sound montage which is often abstract in its quality) by creating a sonic soundscape inspired by the Amazon rainforest and the works of photographer Sebastião Salgado. It was a singular album but definitely more or an experience that was best viewed as a whole rather than any individual standout track. His follow up was another leftfield decision, Oxymore, a more boombastic, denser and faster paced affair than what we’ve been used to for quite a while. I liked the album just fine but it didn’t get under my skin like Equinoxe Infinity had. However, I didn’t let that worry me; I appreciate the chameleon like nature of Jarre with all its ups (Zoolook) and downs (Teo and Tea) and always look forward to seeing what the electronica maestro produces.

For a certain contingent of Jarre fans, who expect derivative works based on the Oxygene and Equinoxe albums, Jarre has apparently 'lost it' and is ‘past his prime’ etc, but as Jarre himself said during a Facebook Live session, "Some people are always unhappy". So for those who people, you might want to visit another site as this album may not be for you. Oxymore Works sees Jarre rework the Oxymore tracks with the likes of Brian Eno, Armin Van Buurin and French 79.

The album is a bright and breezy 44 minute and zips along at a cracking pace. A track by track review follows:

Brutalism Take 2 is a banger of an opener that throws the kitchen sink into the mix; there's a driving beat mixed with some John Carpenter level arpeggios and then a wailing electric guitar wending its way through the track. It quietens midway through the track then builds up to the drop... bliss!

Epica Extension features a discordant electronic orchestra wails along to a metronomic beat before a beautifully layered augmented voice kicks in and adds layer and depths to proceedings.

Brutalism Reprise has a banging EDM vibe to it with a nod to Pierre Henry and musique concrete before some whimsical angelic vocals ends the track in a note of harmony.

Epica Take 2 is a gentler take on track with a retrowave influence really lending it a vibe that is super 80s- and I’m here for it!

Synthy Sisters Take 2 is a slice of euphoric peace amongst the boombast of the other tracks, it is calm and soulful.

Epica Maxima is a melodic trance version of this track with the legendary Armin Van Buuren and it really is uplifting and euphoric. This is the most 90s like trance track and, as that’s my sweet-spot, this goes into my all-timer Jarre tracks.

Sex in the Machine Take 2 has a slow melodic beat and some warbly vocals but isn’t really my cup of tea as it sounds like a poor man’s Burial.

Zeitgeist Take 2 is a complex track and one that doesn’t gel with me. It is quite experimental but doesn’t have a through-line or consistent sound. The discordant noises smush together to make an incoherent whole.

Zeitgeist Botanica is a more melodious take on this track with a few vocals but the persistent arpeggio and beat keep it upbeat and flowing nicely.

So, overall, I enjoyed the album I think the first six tracks are good with Brutalism Take 2 and Epica Maxima being my particular favourites, but the tail end of the album didn’t excite or engage me. I’m glad that, at the age of 75, Jarre is pushing his musical boundaries and keeping things fresh. I wonder what he’ll come up with next….

LINK- Jean Michel Jarre Amazonia Review

LINK- Equinoxe Infinity Album Review

LINK- Planet Jarre Celebrates 50 Years of Jarre

LINK- Jean Michel Jarre Oxygene 3 Album Review

LINK- Jean Michel Jarre Electronica Vol. 2 Album Review

LINK- Everybody in the Place- An Incomplete History of Britain 1984- 1992 By Jeremy Deller

Jean Michel Jarre Amazonia- Album Review

April 11, 2021

Jean Michel Jarre has been pretty busy over the past few years, releasing collab album Electronica 1 and 2 in 2015 and then dipping back into his first breakthrough album with Oxygene 3 and then releasing arguably his best album in years- the stunning Equinoxe Infinity. Now, he returns to his 'musique concrete' (the process of using recorded sounds to create a sound montage which is often abstract in its quality) roots by creating a sonic soundscape inspired by the Amazon rainforest and the works of photographer Sebastião Salgado.

For a certain contingent of Jarre fans, who were expecting derivative works based on the Oxygene and Equinoxe albums, this will be terrible news. They will claim that Jarre has 'lost it' and is ‘past his prime’ etc. But, as Jarre himself said during a Facebook Live session, "Some people are always unhappy". So for those who appreciate the chameleon like nature of Jarre with all its ups (Zoolook) and downs (Teo and Tea) this is an intriguing and exciting opportunity to see what the electronica maestro can produce when going back to his musical roots.

The new 52 minute binaural album will accompany Salgado's exhibition of over 200 photographs centred on the beauty and life of the Amazon, its bio-diversity and its peoples.

This album is a mixture of electronic and orchestral instruments sprinkled with approximations of real-life natural sounds. As a huge fan of his stunning Waiting for Cousteau album and particularly the final track, which itself was a meditative and calming piece where there was a spaciousness and tranquility, I was really looking forward to this album. Don't get me wrong, I love his musical compositions and the journey he takes you on but Waiting for Cousteau is his piece de resistance of ambient dreaminess and any chance of something similar would make me incredibly happy. So, how is the new Amazonia album?

The album works as a whole piece and I don't imagine listening to one track independently. It is very much a whole soundscape that creates a tapestry of sounds to immerse yourself in. It is a challenging listen in that there are very few standout pieces but the whole is wonderful and engaging. I can imagine listening to it after a hard day at work, just letting it wash over me and take me away to the tropical wonderland. I’ve tried to describe the mood of each track but it is difficult to categorise so please bear with my verbose flights of fancy if you can:

Track 1 is a veritable smorgasbord of sounds with motifs switching very quickly. It starts off very calming with chanting voices bouncing around, interpreted with a short gentle arpeggio but gives way to a lower guttural synthesiser sound.

Track 2 changes to a more upbeat techno-type rhythm which then has a deep reverberating sound that resounds in the ears. A high piano-esque motif plays and this is followed by fast pounding stabs which reminded me of John Carpenter's soundtracks. This track really does move around a lot and is hard to pin down but it works as a movement.

Track 3 has a compelling short rhythm which loops but is added to with an airy sound and a gentle drum beat. Vocalising changes the tack of the track and bird sounds enter the mix.

Track 4 has a haunting melody that has a threatening deep synch bass. One of the tracks of the album for me.

Track 5 builds on this and is busy sounding as a cacophony of voices, including babies squealing, plays in the background alongside a quick drum beat. This is then interrupted with a flute-y sound and the whirr of insects flying around before giving way to a crackling fire and an echoey crystal cave-y sound. It shimmers and wends its way around an aggressive whirring chainsaw sound.

Track 6 starts with children singing together against a backdrop of chirruping insects before a driving synth cuts in, threatening to break the calm.

Track 7 has a gentle rhythm but the gentle thunder rumbles and rain patters, bringing a whole Badalamenti vibe with a sense of sadness.

Track 8 has children singing mixed with an elder voice and a soft gentle drum and this goes into track 9 where the drum motif mixes with the airy Badalamenti synth sadness scape to end on a note of melancholy. But then some male vocalising and humming adds a sense of hope as the raindrops patter, adding a sense of hope of wonder. Then the synth hits as the thunder cracks and a synth choir enters, adding an angelic sound to the low drum sound.

Overall, Jarre has produced an interesting album and, whilst I haven't seen the photography exhibition it works alongside, I imagine it compliments the work to be diegetic. The album is well worth a listen and, whilst not as accessible and engaging as Equinoxe Infinity or his more ‘mainline’ albums, it is an interesting journey well worth taking.

LINK- Equinoxe Infinity Album Review

LINK- Planet Jarre Celebrates 50 Years of Jarre

LINK- Jean Michel Jarre Oxygene 3 Album Review

LINK- Jean Michel Jarre Electronica Vol. 2 Album Review

Jean Michel Jarre Equinoxe Infinity- Album Review

November 16, 2018

40 years ago Jean Michel Jarre released his fourth album, Equinoxe, and confirmed his place in music history as a trailblazer of electronic music. The 1978 follow up album to Oxygene further developed the sound and style that made Jarre's music instantly recognisable, reaching its zenith with Equinoxe 4 and 5.

And so, it is with much excitement that Jarre fans have waited for Equinoxe Infinity, a sequel proper with the strange Watchers featuring prominently, silent sentinels over the many decades...

Equinoxe Infinity contains ten brand new tracks (or movements) which closely mirror the progression of the original album, peals of thunder are interspersed with the soundscapes of running water.

The opening track, The Watchers, creates a sense of awe and wonder as it opens with the perfect mix of organic and digital sounds. The sound of flowing water is closely followed by a deep booming bass that is followed by a deep rhythm that seems to be approaching closer, until it gives way to a full on sci-fi soundscape... Almost as if the sentinels have awoken.

Track two, Flying Totems, introduces many of the sounds that Jarre that has become synonymous with. There are echoes of Industrial Revolutions part 2 as the piece flows and ebbs. There is a sense of pure joy and freedom, almost as if one were soaring through the sky. It's hard to describe but the sense of elation I get from this track is indescribable. One of Jarre's best in my opinion.

The third movement, Robots Don't Cry, is a more measured piece. It has a steady, almost metronomic melotron sound. A violin wends it's way through the whole thing that is surrounded by the airy sounds of Oxygene. It's an interesting track and a grower for sure, especially when the piano-like sounds come in near the middle of the piece.

The next two tracks, All The You Leave Behind and If The Wind Could Speak are a little more soundscapey, with watery burbles and splashes punctuated with some treated vocals, reminiscent of Zoolook.

One of the highlight of the album for me is track 6, Infinity. It is nothing short of a masterpiece from Jarre. It could feature in many Balearic clubs and be the sound of the Summer, albeit a Summer ruled by Ace of Base. It's so joyful and playful!

Tracks 7 and 8, Machines Are Learning and The Opening are short but strong tracks. Machines Are Learning features a driving rhythm punctuated with odd beeps, bloops and weird vocals. I like it and it reminds me of his older work but can't quite place my finger in it. The Opening meanwhile has a striking rhythm and aggressive synthy sound which I love.

Don't Look Back is track 9 and is quite unusual, starting with an aggressive cello-ish sound that is slowly built on to become softer but no less urgent.

The final track, Equinoxe Infinity, is a seven minute marvel reprising much of what has occurred on the album but with a tinge of wistfulness. Splashes of water merge with echoes that slowly build into a crescendo and a euphoric wall of sound.

At just under 40 minutes Equinoxe Infinity is a short but wonderful experience. There is always great danger in revisiting your past but here I feel that Jarre has added to the legacy of the origin work, much like with Oxygene 3 but more so here. Equinoxe Infinity is a much more cohesive album that Oxygene 3 and is probably one of my favourite Jarre albums ever. It is a beautiful and at times euphoric experience and what Jarre fan wouldn't want that?

Come one, come all to hear the return of the great master of electronica!

LINK- Planet Jarre Celebrates 50 Years of Jarre

LINK- Jean Michel Jarre Oxygene 3 Album Review

LINK- Jean Michel Jarre Electronica Vol. 2 Album Review

Planet Jarre Celebrates 50 Years of Jean Michel Jarre

September 10, 2018

With a career spanning 50 years in electronic music, it seems like the appropriate time for Jean Michel Jarre to be releasing a new ‘best of’ compilation album. His music has been a huge part of my life ever since I heard his music on the Landscape Channel in the late 80s/ early 90s. The track, Oxygene 4 is a masterpiece and I have been enamored with Jarre ever since, have heard all his albums and owning most.

This influence map was created as the first piece of work for this webpage way back in 2011 and it shows how prominent a part Jarre’s music played in my life.

In 1976 struggling musician Jean Michel Jarre released Oxygene on an unsuspecting world. It became a huge commercial success and brought Jarre to the masses, becoming one of the most successful French albums in the world. Oxygene has stood the test of time to become recognised as one of the most influential ambient electronic albums of all time and Jarre is on the right side of history, seen as a pioneer and master of the craft. A handful of successful albums and record breaking world tours followed and Jarre dipped back into the Oxygene well 20 years later to release Oxygene 7- 13 in 1997.

A period of experimentation and mixed success followed with highs such as Metamorphoses and Aero but also low lows such as with the much maligned Téo & Téa. It seemed that Jarre had lost his edge, his relevance... but in an extraordinary tale of redemption Jarre came back bigger and better in 2015 and 2016 with the impressive Electronica Vol 1 and 2 albums and a stunning world tour. It seemed like the time was right for Jarre to recapture his crown as the ambient electronica master and so, after 40 years from the original release of Oxygene we had Oxygene 3. When I heard about the release to say that I was excited would be an understatement. I consider the album to be one of the most influential in my life and it is probably my most listened to album ever. I was please but also worried that Jarre wouldn't be able to recapture the magic. It is difficult for many artists to have the fire and creativity of their youth but when I heard that Jarre was taking a back to basics approach and creating it within a 6 week time frame, just like he did for the original, I was sold. This new album was never intended to be a lavish polished production, instead it sounded rough in places but it had Jarre doing what he did best; creating haunting, ambient soundscapes that would stay with you for a long time and transport you to another place. The album was a return to the Jarre of yore, and his old self but with the added wisdom that comes with age.

And so we arrive at this current point in time with Jarre back on form, firing on all cylinders and touring around the world again. I’ve pre-ordered the Planet Jarre album and am super excited to hear my old favourites rearranged according to the four different themes: Soundscapes, Themes, Sequneces and Explorations. The track list is:

It’s a pretty decent tracklist and I look forward to hearing how they all flow.

Jarre has been releasing short videos over the past few weeks reflecting back over his career and it is inteersting viewing.

For the love of Oxygene 20

March 7, 2017

I did a review of the third Oxygene album a while back and said that overall it was a return to form and worthy of the Oxygene name. I selected a few tracks that I liked but onto that would like to add an extraordinary track that has grown on me and is one of my favourites and that is Oxygene 20.

It starts off with a driving synth and short arpeggios that recall the work of John Carpenter or Goblin, the Oxygene wind motiff plays underneath, then a short almost muted version of Oxygene 6 plays. Then the whole piece changes, a moody string piece slowly builds towards something, you sit and wait for the moment but then the organ kicks in and drives loud bursts of melancholy across the whole piece. You sit and wait for something to kick in, something triumphant but instead the piece fades out and ends with what sounds like a log fire burning. I'm probably not selling it but it is a profoundly moving piece reminiscent of the Waiting for Cousteau side b 45 minute epic track in that it creates a soundscape in which you have visions of fantastical and wonderful landscapes.

This whole piece seems like a remembrance of things past, driven initially with the 70's Carpenter sound and Oxygene 6, but ending on the sound of not synths but a log fire burning and cracking.

I'm not sure what Jarre is trying to say with this piece but it seems like a denouement of the human condition; the fact that we will destroy each other but life will begin again. Or that maybe we will leave this Earth and travel amongst the stars and settle there. The funereal dirge sound combined with the dramatic explosions indicate the death of hatred and new beginnings.

I could be, of course, talking outta my hat but this piece is really resonating with me and I wanted to share my feelings and opinions.

Have a listen and tell me what you think when you hear it?

Vinyl: The Return of the Format

February 25, 2014

I've been hearing for a while in the newspapers and popular media that vinyl is back from the dead. Sales of the 66-year-old format have been steadily rising over the past nine years, but last year saw an explosion in which vinyl sales doubled what they were in 2012. The 780,000 LPs shifted in 2013 meant that sales were the greatest since 1997.

My lovely Verdi record player and the amazing Jean Michel Jarre 'Oxygene' album

Recently I got a record player for Christmas, it is a Verdi record player and I love it! My wife and I were walking around Totnes, Devon on Christmas Eve and were walking past a retro shop called 'Narnia' and there it was, playing some old jazz record... it was love at first sight. My wife bought it for me there and then as she knew I'd wanted one for a little while. We then spent the next couple of hours scouring the charity shops for old records and came back with quite a haul for next to no money, we bought 'Tubular Bells' by Mike Oldfield and 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' by Rick Wakeman amongst others.

' Narnia' in Totnes, Devon is a treasure trove of items from a bygone era.... I love it!

As the weeks have gone by I've been thinking about my interest in getting a record player. I'd always wanted one as my father had an all-in-one music system, the kind that was popular in the 90's. It played CDs, cassettes and records but I had never seen the record player used. I didn't know how they worked. Of course I knew the general principle of the record spinning and the arm going across and the needle dropping but that was the extent of my knowledge. My local library, Barking library, had an impressive number of vinyls but I had never really ventured there, it was an alien world to me.

When I went to France with friends in 1998 I bought a couple of Jean Michel Jarre albums, 'Oxygene' and 'Revolutions'. I already had them on CD but liked the big covers so bought them as an art piece for my already busy room. When I got home all excited about playing these records my dad told me that the needle on the record player was broken and so I couldn't play the records, disappointed the records sat near my bed gathering dust, Jarre's face looking out at me from the cover of his 'Revolutions' album for years. My interest in records was fleeting and I forgot about the whole thing, until recently.

The cover for 'Revolutions'... Jarre stared at me for years!

On Christmas dad my wife looked through her parents old record and a wave of nostalgia overtook her as she found 'The Wombles- Remember You're A Womble' record. She remembered listening to the record incessantly in her childhood. Putting the record on felt special, like a ritual- it's was an emotional connection which pressing play on a digital device didn't have. That special connection of holding a record, carefully pulling out the vinyl, blowing off the dust and putting the arm across. We put the record on and the living room was filled with music of such fullness and richness, we danced and laughed and her sister came along and danced with us.

Henry Rollins (an American musician, writer, journalist, publisher, actor, radio host, spoken word artist, and activist) said,

Sitting in a room, alone, listening to a CD is to be lonely. Sitting in a room alone with an LP crackling away... is enjoying the sublime state of solitude

When I read this I didn't understand what he meant but as time has gone by it all makes much more sense. The pull of vinyl is obvious: a fuller, more raw and warmer sound compared to the inferior compressed quality of most MP3s (higher bitrates improve the sound immensely); the physical nature of the product as a collector’s piece, with its sleeve notes and large cover art, in opposition to an impersonal click on the computer.

Contrary to popular belief vinyl is not the preserve of stuffy middle class audiophiles, rather it is a wide demographic. Many young fans are buying vinyl not for the sound quality but rather the vinyl’s artistic value. Many young fans do not own a turntable but since most vinyl releases also come with a code to download the album digitally, there is the option to collect them as artworks, which shows commitment to supporting music and connecting more closely with an artist or bands work, while listening to the music digitally. There are two parallel markets for the format. Crate diggers are music enthusiasts, first and foremost, seeking out rarities and limited editions. First-hand vinyl is now the preserve of well-to-do audiophiles (it is they who are pushing the value of the market up) and hardcore fans who want everything a band puts out, including a vinyl version of their bands latest album.

Vinyl is rising in popularity after a drop on the mid-noughties

The reason vinyl appeals to me and especially at the moment is that as an early adopter of new technology, I feel record collections are very personal. Cicero said,

''A room without books is like a body without a soul,''

and I feel the same could be said for music. With vinyl I find myself actually listening rather than just hearing, I have to dedicate time to sit down and listen rather than just pop on my mp3 player and letting the music wash over me. I have over 10,000 albums in mp3 format (I went traveling through Asia a few years ago and went to the numerous outlets which give you albums, movies and e-books at next to no price) but there are only a few that I actually listen to, mostly it's just muzak, background noise to keep me occupied on my commute.

I don't want to sound like a hi-fi bore, but I just wanted to share my new experience of sitting down and actively listening to music. I love the different sounds I can hear from the records compared to the CD. There are notes I notice in vinyl that I don't hear in CDs that I have heard hundred of times. Vinyl is here to stay not because they sounds better (they might but the jury is still out on that one), but because they serve a purpose; a tangible way to connect with the music in an increasingly digital age.

BPI and BRIT Awards Chief Executive Geoff Taylor said,
“The LP is back in the groove. We’re witnessing a renaissance for records – they’re no longer retromania and are becoming the format of choice for more and more music fans. This year has been a treat for vinyl aficionados with releases from Daft Punk, David Bowie, Arctic Monkeys and Black Sabbath.

“Whilst sales only account for a small percentage of the overall market, vinyl sales are growing fast as a new generation discovers the magic of 12 inch artwork, liner notes and the unique sound of analogue records, often accompanied by a download code for mp3s...the vinyl revival looks set to continue."

I for one am glad that this once endangered format is still here, and with Record Store Day held across the world long may it continue.

What do you think about vinyl? Share your thoughts below!