Amitabh Bachchan's Agneepath Features Jarre's Music

Now, I’m a huge Jean Michel Jarre fan and have followed his career quite closely. However, I was today days old to discover that his music was used in the Bollywood film Agneepath! The Amitabh Bachchan film was released in 1990 and was a bit of a box office flop at the time but has since gained cult status and an ardent fanbase who quote dialogue from the Don himself. The film itself is a Bollywood Scarface or The Godfather but cheesier.

However, as a Jarre fan first and foremost, the use of his tracks Ethnicolour and Rendezvous 1 and 2 tracks to score the film tickled me greatly. The film is quite cheesy and the songs are forgettable but the Jarre piece, which is used as the main motif is affecting and effective.

Jean Michel Jarre VR Concert Brings People Together

On June 21st Jean Michel Jarre held a VR concert to send a message to the public and the entire music industry that “Whether in the real or virtual world, music and live performance have a value, the recognition and sustainability of which is vital for millions of creators.”

I wasn’t able to catch the live stream but there is a video of the nearly hour long performance available and it looks amazing. Obviously there is no interactivity or agency as it is just a video but it must have been a pretty amazing experience.

Jean Michel Jarre Announces Equinoxe Infinity

Jean Michel Jarre is a man on a mission. Since his 11 year hiatus after releasing Téo & Téa Jarre has released three new albums and a new compilation album since 2015. This is impressive stuff for a man who is 70 years old! I’ve reviewed his albums (see links below) and for the most part they are a real return to form, especially Oxygene 3 which contains the sublime Oxygene 20. Now, on the same day that he released his compilation album Planet Jarre, the great man announced Equinoxe Infinity. The original Equinoxe was released 40 years ago and in celebration of this anniversary Jarre is releasing a follow up. I am excited and have already pre-ordered my copy, which is due for release on 16th November 2018. Check out the first track below.

Jean Michel Jarre Oxygene 3 Review

In 1976 a young struggling synthesiser 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. The album contained a mixture of both analogue and digital synths and was well received overall. I enjoyed the album and felt it continued the themes of the original well.

The artwork by Michel Ganger recalls the first Oxygene.

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 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 have 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. So after this rather long preamble... does the album work? Is it worth it?

The answer to this is yes, yes and YES! This new album was never intended to be a lavish polished production, instead it sounds rough in places but it has Jarre doing what he does best; creating haunting, ambient soundscapes that will stay with you for a long time and transport you to another place.

The album is a return to the Jarre of yore, and his old self but with the added wisdom that comes with age. For me the standout tracks are Oxygene 14, 17, 19 and 20 but after only 3 listens this may change. Tracks 14 to 16 work well together and flow beautifully to create the right Oxygene mood, with familiar instrumentation across the pieces. Part 17 is a great piece of electronic pop and I can imagine it on the dancefloor of many synth-electro clubs. Part 19 changes quite a lot during its near 6 minutes, weaving in bits of past tracks to create a uncertain soundscape with arpeggios that John Carpenter would be proud of. Track 20 is a sublime end to the album, building slowly and dramatically to an almost funereal dirge, but in the best possible way.

Some of the younger Jarre fans may not fully appreciate this new release but it is a fitting conclusion to the Oxygene trilogy and sits well with the other 2 albums, complementing them and adding to their tapestry. I am relieved and pleased that Jarre's legacy will remain intact and he will be remembered for being a true pioneer rather than a retro throwback who struggled to be relevant. In such unsettling times as these maybe we could all do with being transported to other worlds, at least for a while.

Jean Michel Jarre Electronica Vol. 2: Music Review

Jean Michel Jarre seems to be a man on a mission. Since releasing his collaborative album Electronica Vol.1 last year he has been around the world touring, finishing off Electronica Vol.2 and also recording his follow up to the legendary Oxygene with Oxygene 3 coming in just a couple of days time (I'll be reviewing it here).

I've spoken about Electronica Vol.1 before and how there were a few great tunes which I really liked, some that were okay and a couple that I skipped as I didn't like them and this is pretty much in the same vein. The album starts off brilliantly with the atmospheric orchetral The Heart of Noise Part 1 getting you into the ambient mood, then the follow up track The Heart of Noise Part 2 gets more aggressively dance-y and adds a bit more oomph with some heavy base beats and sinuous saxophone weaving its magic through the track. 

Brick England is a track created in collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys and their signature sound comes through more than Jarre's but the combination works well and is pure early 90's electro-synth pop bliss.

As One is an effective track with hints of Ethnicolour vol.1 from Zoolook initially but then the bleeps and bloops come in and the backing chorus from Primal Screams Come Together comes in, which itself borrows the chorus from Kaasua Komisaario Peppone by Popeda. The song is good but does sound more like a remix than a collaboration between Jarre and Bobby Gillespie et al.

Here For You features Gary Numan and is quintessentially Numan, his voice suits the electronic sound well but there are not many of Jarre's signature arpeggios in this piece.

Hans Zimmer working with Jarre seems like a match made in heaven and indeed listening to the track it is. Jarre has some signature Oxygene whooshes which blend in with Zimmer's sweeping epic score. It all adds to a dramatic electronic operatic piece which you could imagine being part of a score to a sci-fi film.  

Circus, a piece created with Siriusmo, sounds very offbeat 90's electro and is reminiscent of Daft Punk, whilst Swipe to the Right, featuring the irrepressible Cyndi Lauper is definitely a nostalgic hit of late 80s fun infectious pop with wonderful Lauper's distinctive vocals sweeping over the top. Her raspy sound complements Jarre's instrumentation wonderfully and the chorus is catchy as heck!

Overall Electronica Vol. 2 is a triumph, a more consistent album than the first. I found the tracks flowed better with the exception of the Primal Scream, Peaches and Christophe tracks which I felt were a bit awkward in the whole album. They aren't bad songs per se but they didn't suit my auditory palette. However I like the fact that Jarre has put himself out there and worked with such a disparate range of artists. For Jarre purists who are looking for the next Oxygene this is not the album you are looking for but for those willing to trust in Jarre and follow him on a musical odyssey there is much to like and savour.

Jean Michel Jarre Announces Oxygene 3 Album

It was nearly 40 years ago that electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre released the legendary Oxygene album. To mark the occasion Jarre has created a follow up with Oxygene 3 to be released worldwide on 2nd December 2016, the exact date the original was released all those years ago (well, except 40 years ago obviously).

I am so excited for this as I am a huge fan of Jarre. In an influence map I created 3 1/2 years ago he features quite prominently and there is good reason. I discovered his work off the Landscape Channel (remember that old satellite TV chestnut?) whilst enjoying the Children's Channel (another old Sky TV errr... Brazilnut?) and falling in love with the synthesizer music of Haim Saban and Shuki Levy for The Mysterious Cities of Gold (a great cartoon which is my favourite show ever).

Jarre's last few albums have been a bit of a mixed bag but with Oxygene 3 I am hopeful. He created the album in just 6 weeks, which is how long it took to compose the original Oxygene, and he has kept the art style the same, borrowing Michel Granger's art style to give the album an added sense of history.

I am eagerly awaiting the new album and will review it here. In the meantime enjoy his new track below and let me know what you think!

Jean Michel Jarre Back With Electronica Vol. 1

The new album from electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre recently dropped and after an 8 year gap since this album has been eagerly awaited. The album, Electronica Vol 1, is a collaborative piece of work with various luminaries in the electronic music medium working with Jarre to create an album which is a celebration of electronic music in all its forms. The album features artists such as Vincent Clark (of Erasure fame), Armin Van Buurin, John Carpenter, Moby and Tangerine Dream; all amazing electronic music artists in their own right.

It's been a while but it has definitely been worth the wait!

Reading some of the reviews on Amazon a lot of Jarre fans have been down on the album saying that it doesn't have the 'Jarre sound' and that he's 'sold out', however they should understand the as a collaborative album; Jarre is working with different people and so his influence is there but not as prevalent as in his solo work. I like the album, especially the track with Little Boots 'If', 'Automatic parts 1 and 2' with Vincent Clark and 'Close Your Eyes' with Air. There are a couple of tracks that don't sit with me, like the ones with Pete Townshend and Laurie Anderson but maybe these are growers.
Overall, its no Oxygene (but then what is) however it's also no Teo and Tea and we can thank the Lord for that! Would I recommend it? Yes!  Now I'm excited to see who he works with for the follow-up album, fingers crossed for Burial, Mike Oldfield, Vangelis and Aphex Twin.