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