Jean‐Michel Jarre | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Celebrated as the European electronic music communitys premier ambassador, composer Jean-Michel Jarre elevated the synthesizer to new peaks of popularity during the 1970s, in the process emerging as an international superstar renowned for his dazzling concert spectacles. The son of famed film composer Maurice Jarre, he was born in 1948 in Lyon, France, and began studying piano at the age of five. Abandoning classical music as a youth, Jarre became enamored of jazz before forming a rock band called Mystere IV; in 1968, he became a pupil of the musique concrète pioneer Pierre Schaeffer, joining Groupe de Recherches Musicales. His early experiments in electro-acoustic music yielded the 1971 single "La Cage"; the full-length Deserted Palace followed a year later. Jarres early works were largely unsuccessful, and gave little indication of the work to follow. As he struggled to find his own voice, he wrote for a variety of singers, including Françoise Hardy, and also composed for films. Seeking to push electronic music away from its minimalist foundations as well as the formal abstractions of its most experimental practitioners, he slowly developed the orchestrated melodicism of his 1977 breakthrough effort, Oxygène, an enormous commercial hit that reached the number two spot on the U.K. pop chart. The follow-up, 1978s Equinoxe, was also a smash, and a year later Jarre held the first in a series of massive open-air concerts at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, the estimated one million spectators on hand earning him a place in The Guinness Book of World Records. Only in the wake of 1981s Les Chants Magnétiques (Magnetic Fields) did Jarre mount a proper tour, traveling to China with a staggering amount of stage equipment in tow; the five performances, performed by some 35 traditional instrumentalists, later generated the LP Concerts in China. Released in 1983, Music for Supermarkets instantly became one of the most collectible albums in history -- recorded for an art exhibit, only one copy was ever pressed, selling at a charity auction for close to $10,000. The master was then incinerated, guaranteeing the records rarity. Jarres next proper release was 1984s Zoolook, which failed to connect with audiences with the same success as its predecessors. A two-year hiatus followed before he resurfaced on April 5, 1986, with an extravagant live performance in Houston celebrating NASAs silver anniversary; in addition to the over one million in attendance, it was also broadcast on global television. Rendez-Vous appeared a few weeks later, and after another highly visual live date in Lyon, France, Jarre assembled the best material from the two events as the 1987 concert LP Cities in Concert: Houston/Lyon. Revolutions, featuring legendary Shadows guitarist Hank B. Marvin, followed in 1988, and a year later a third concert LP, dubbed simply Jarre Live, hit stores. After 1990s En Attendant Cousteau (Waiting for Cousteau), Jarre mounted his biggest live experience yet, with an attendance of over two-and-a-half million fans converging on Paris to see him perform in honor of Bastille Day. The decade to follow proved surprisingly quiet, however, and apart from the occasional live appearance, Jarre largely removed himself from the limelight; finally, in 1997 he issued Oxygène 7-13, updating his concepts for a new musical era. At the turn of the millennium, he recorded Metamorphoses and then took a break from the studio as a flurry of reissues and remixes followed, including Sessions 2000, Les Granges Brulees, and Odyssey Through O2. In 2007, after a seven-year hiatus from recording, Jarre released a new dance single, "Teo and Tea," a surprisingly strong return to electro, and followed it with a trancey, angular album also titled Teo and Tea. The collection Essentials & Rarities appeared in 2011, a year that also saw him perform a three-hour, internationally broadcast concert in Monaco honoring the marriage of Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock. He released the albums Electronica, Vol. 1: The Time Machine and Electronica, Vol. 2: The Heart of Noise in 2015 and 2016, respectively, both of which featured numerous well-known guest musicians including John Carpenter, Vince Clarke, Cyndi Lauper, Pete Townshend, Armin van Buuren, and Hans Zimmer. Also in 2016, Jarre revisited his signature work yet again, with the release of Oxygène 3. All three Oxygène albums were also issued as Oxygène Trilogy. 2018 saw the release of Planet Jarre, a compilation album commemorating 50 years of material which also featured two new tracks -- "Herbalizer" and "Coachella Opening" -- the latter of which was featured during Jarres set list at Californias Coachella Festival a few months earlier. In November of that year, he release his 20th studio album, Equinoxe Infinity, which acted as a sequel to his 1978 album Equinoxe. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 34 Title: Deserted Palace Released: 1972 Tracks: 15 Duration: 34:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Poltergeist Party (02:16) 2 Music Box Concerto (02:46) 3 Rain Forest Rap Session (01:44) 4 A Love Theme for Gargoyles (01:15) 5 Bridge of Promises (03:19) 6 Exasperated Frog (00:51) 7 Take Me to Your Leader (02:00) 8 Deserted Palace (02:27) 9 Pogo Rock (01:08) 10 Wind Swept Canyon (07:44) 11 The Abominable Snowman (00:56) 12 Iraqi Hitch Hiker (02:32) 13 Free Floating Anxiety (02:19) 14 Synthetic Jungle (01:43) 15 Bee Factory (01:00) |
 | Album: 2 of 34 Title: Oxygène Released: 1976 Tracks: 6 Duration: 39:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène, Part I (07:40) 2 Oxygène, Part II (08:20) 3 Oxygène, Part III (02:50) 4 Oxygène, Part IV (03:50) 5 Oxygène, Part V (11:10) 6 Oxygène, Part VI (05:55) |
 | Album: 3 of 34 Title: Équinoxe Released: 1978-12 Tracks: 8 Duration: 38:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Équinoxe, Part 1 (02:23) 2 Équinoxe, Part 2 (05:02) 3 Équinoxe, Part 3 (05:09) 4 Équinoxe, Part 4 (06:54) 5 Équinoxe, Part 5 (03:53) 6 Équinoxe, Part 6 (03:28) 7 Équinoxe, Part 7 (07:05) 8 Équinoxe, Part 8 (04:59) |
| Équinoxe : Allmusic album Review : As the follow-up album to Oxygene, Equinoxe offers the same mesmerizing affect, with rapid spinning sequencer washes and bubbling synthesizer portions all lilting back and forth to stardust scatterings of electronic pastiches. Using more than 13 different types of synthesizers, Jarre combines whirling soundscapes of multi-textured effects, passages, and sometimes suites to culminate interesting electronic atmospheres. Never repeating the same sounds twice, it is obvious that the science fiction hype of the late 70s played a large part in the making of this album. Computerized rhythms and keyboard-soaked transitions scurry by, replaced by even quicker, more illustrious ones soon after. There is always a pulsating beat or a fluttering tempo happening somewhere in each of the tracks, which are titled as a numbered sequence one to eight. Each track harbors its own energy and electronic fleetness, but none are identical in sound or pace. So much electronic color is added to every track that it is impossible to concentrate on any particular segment, resulting in waves of synth drowning the ears at high tide. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 34 Title: Les Chants magnétiques / Magnetic Fields Released: 1981-05-22 Tracks: 5 Duration: 35:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Les Chants magnétiques, Part 1 (17:50) 2 Magnetic Fields, Part 2 (03:59) 3 Magnetic Fields, Part 3 (04:15) 4 Magnetic Fields, Part 4 (06:18) 5 Magnetic Fields, Part 5 (03:30) |
 | Album: 5 of 34 Title: Synthesis Released: 1982 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Overture (04:24) 2 Oxygène, Part IV (03:50) 3 Équinoxe, Part 5 (03:50) 4 Les Chants Magnétiques (Part 2) (03:50) 5 Oxygène Part I (03:50) 6 Magnetic Fields Part I (02:50) 7 Orient Express (03:48) 8 Équinoxe, Part 4 (03:28) 9 Oxygène (Part 6) (04:30) 10 Les Chants Magnétiques Part 4 (03:17) 11 Équinoxe, Part 3 (05:09) 12 Équinoxe, Part I (02:18) 13 Fishing Junks at Sunset (03:26) |
 | Album: 6 of 34 Title: Les Concerts en Chine Released: 1982 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:19:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Overture (04:50) 2 Arpegiator (06:53) 3 Équinoxe, Part 4 (07:47) 4 Fishing Junks at Sunset (09:42) 5 Band in the Rain (01:25) 6 Équinoxe, Part 7 (09:54) 7 Orient Express (04:22) 8 Magnetic Fields, Part 1 (00:21) 9 Magnetic Fields, Part 3 (03:48) 10 Magnetic Fields, Part 4 (06:49) 11 Laser Harp (03:38) 12 Night in Shanghai (07:02) 13 The Last Rumba (02:07) 14 Magnetic Fields, Part 2 (06:24) 15 Souvenir of China (03:55) |
 | Album: 7 of 34 Title: Musik aus Zeit und Raum Released: 1983 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:01:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène, Part IV (04:06) 2 Équinoxe, Part 5 (03:53) 3 Oxygène, Part 2 (07:35) 4 Magnetic Fields, Part 2 (04:01) 5 Arpegiator (06:35) 6 Magnetic Fields, Part 1 (03:10) 7 Orient Express (04:15) 8 Équinoxe, Part 4 (03:28) 9 Oxygène, Part 6 (06:30) 10 Magnetic Fields, Part 4 (06:24) 11 Équinoxe, Part 3 (05:09) 12 Équinoxe, Part 1 (02:23) 13 Magnetic Fields, Part 5 (03:30) |
 | Album: 8 of 34 Title: The Essential Jean-Michel Jarre Released: 1983 Tracks: 14 Duration: 51:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène 4 (03:53) 2 Équinoxe, Part 5 (03:53) 3 Oxygène 2 (03:19) 4 Les chants magnétiques 2 (04:01) 5 Orient Express (04:14) 6 Les chants magnétiques 1 (03:09) 7 Jonques de pecheurs au crepuscule (03:22) 8 Souvenir de Chine (04:02) 9 Équinoxe, Part 4 (03:44) 10 Oxygène 6 (04:31) 11 Les chants magnétiques 4 (03:12) 12 Équinoxe, Part 3 (02:48) 13 Zoolookologie (03:45) 14 Magnetic Fields, Part 5 (03:30) |
 | Album: 9 of 34 Title: Musique pour supermarché / Music for Supermarkets Released: 1983-07-06 Tracks: 8 Duration: 29:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Music for Supermarkets, Part 1 (04:09) 2 Music for Supermarkets, Part 2 (02:18) 3 Music for Supermarkets, Part 3 (03:29) 4 Music for Supermarkets, Part 4 (02:17) 5 Music for Supermarkets, Part 5 (03:52) 6 Music for Supermarkets, Part 6 (05:53) 7 Music for Supermarkets, Part 7 (03:59) 8 Music for Supermarkets, Part 8 (03:51) |
 | Album: 10 of 34 Title: Zoolook Released: 1984 Tracks: 7 Duration: 37:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Ethnicolor (11:44) 2 Diva (07:26) 3 Zoolook (03:55) 4 Wooloomooloo (03:18) 5 Zoolookologie (04:17) 6 Blah-Blah Cafe (03:21) 7 Ethnicolor II (03:52) |
| Zoolook : Allmusic album Review : On the first departure of his career since 1977s Oxygène, Jean Michel Jarre combined an actual band and processed vocal samples -- recorded in 25 different languages -- with his rich, melodic synthesizer pop. The rhythm is often propelled by guttural vocal snippets, as on "Ethnicolor" and "Zoolookologie." Thats not half as disconcerting for those used to his previous work as the albums art-funk backing: Adrian Belew on guitar, Marcus Miller on bass, and Yogi Horton on drums, plus Laurie Anderson on one track. Though Zoolook is interesting throughout, the tracks with Jarre alone are often the best, reprising the classic Oxygène sound. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 34 Title: Rendez-vous Released: 1986-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Premier rendez-vous (00:54) 2 Second rendez-vous, Part 1 (04:35) 3 Second Rendez-vous, Part II (03:16) 4 Second Rendez-vous, Part III (02:18) 5 Second Rendez-vous, Part IV (02:43) 6 Troisième rendez-vous (03:34) 7 Quatrième rendez-vous (04:00) 8 Cinquième rendez-vous, Part 1 (03:01) 9 Cinquième rendez-vous, Part 2 (01:11) 10 Cinquième rendez-vous, Part 3 (03:45) 11 Dernier rendez-vous (05:47) |
| Rendez-vous : Allmusic album Review : Just after his live performance in Houston to celebrate NASAs anniversary, Jean-Michel Jarre released Rendez-Vous, an appropriately cosmic-sounding album of glittering synth pop. It consists of the same music heard at the Houston concert and shows Jarre moving closer to conventional rock territory, though still with his distinct blueprint. The final track, "Last Rendez-Vous: Rons Piece," was composed by Jarre for astronaut Ron McNair and was intended to be the first musical piece played and recorded in space. McNairs historic duty was cut short, however, by the Challenger shuttle disaster of January 1986. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 34 Title: Revolutions Released: 1988 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Révolution industrielle, Ouverture (05:11) 2 Révolution industrielle, Part 1 (05:10) 3 Révolution industrielle, Part 2 (02:19) 4 Révolution industrielle, Part 3 (04:11) 5 London Kid (04:28) 6 Révolutions (04:59) 7 Tokyo Kid (05:22) 8 Computer Weekend (04:43) 9 September (04:05) 10 L’Émigrant (03:57) |
| Revolutions : Allmusic album Review : While it can be easy to dislike and dismiss some cookie-cutter electronic music, the challenge lies in finding reasons to listen to it again. Such is the case with Revolutions by Jean Michel Jarre. One reviewer wrote, simply, "(This) is not revolutionary." That is true; Jarre breaks no new ground with the release of this album. He does, however, continue to create original music in his own style. He is often imitated and that is the sincerest form of flattery. This album features ten short pieces (five minutes and 22 seconds is the longest) of pop influenced e-music. This disc neither challenges nor offends the listener. It has its moments but it neither soars nor plunges. Of course, die-hard Jarre fans will love this disc. Fans of Synergy, Char-El, Klaus Schulze, and Ashra will like it. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 34 Title: En attendant Cousteau / Waiting for Cousteau Released: 1990-06-11 Tracks: 4 Duration: 1:08:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Calypso (08:22) 2 Calypso, Part 2 (07:10) 3 Calypso, Part 3 (Fin de siècle) (06:30) 4 En attendant Cousteau (46:53) |
 | Album: 14 of 34 Title: Images: The Best of Jean Michel Jarre Released: 1991 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:12:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène, Part 4 (03:09) 2 Équinoxe, Part 5 (03:21) 3 Les Chants magnétiques / Magnetic Fields, Part 2 (03:57) 4 Oxygène, Part 2 (03:11) 5 Computer Week-End (03:36) 6 Équinoxe, Part 4 (03:12) 7 Ethnicolor, Part 1 (03:41) 8 Band in the Rain (01:26) 9 Orient Express (03:19) 10 Calypso 1 (03:07) 11 Calypso 3 (Fin de siècle) (03:42) 12 Rendez-vous, Part 4 (03:24) 13 Moon Machine (02:58) 14 Eldorado (03:39) 15 Globe Trotter (03:29) 16 Wooloomooloo (03:18) 17 Blah-Blah Cafe (03:26) 18 London Kid (03:45) 19 Zoolookologie (03:47) 20 Rendez-vous, Part 2 (08:48) |
| Images: The Best of Jean Michel Jarre : Allmusic album Review : Putting together Jarres best tracks over 12 albums, Images is a superb collection of his greatest electronic feats and atmospheric pieces, displaying his supreme instrumental prowess. With 20 tracks spanning the same number of years, this compilation serves as an enjoyable guide through electronic transition. Beginning with the keyboard gurgling of "Oxygene" and "Equinoxe," Jarre delves into three different eras; the 70s, 80s and 90s, showcasing how electronics, instrumentation, and Jarre himself has changed by way of modernization. Each of the tracks on this compilation reflect a certain mood and concept sketched splendidly from numerous synthesizers, sequencers, and computerized instruments. For example, "Moon Machine" captivates the chill of deep space with its icy synth layering, while "Orient Express" uses electric string imitations to transform the listener into the mystique of the Far East. Surprisingly, the tracks do not lose any resilience by being taken out of their conceptual domain and hold their own wonderfully as contributing pieces to the set. The most astounding factor to the album is the beautiful sound of this disc, digitally remastered in 24-bit technology, making every cut of synthesizer sound even sharper. Jarre helped change the feel and the image of new age music, which is firmly proven on this amazing compilation. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 34 Title: Chronologie Released: 1993-10-22 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Chronologie, Part 1 (10:52) 2 Chronologie, Part 2 (06:05) 3 Chronologie, Part 3 (03:59) 4 Chronologie, Part 4 (03:59) 5 Chronologie, Part 5 (05:34) 6 Chronologie, Part 6 (03:45) 7 Chronologie, Part 7 (02:17) 8 Chronologie, Part 8 (05:33) |
 | Album: 16 of 34 Title: Rarities Released: 1994 Tracks: 16 Duration: 52:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Happiness Is a Sad Song (05:51) 2 Hypnose (03:29) 3 Eros Machine (02:57) 4 La Cage (03:23) 5 Chanson Des Granges Brûlées / Song of the Burnt Barns (02:45) 6 Windswept Canyon (07:40) 7 The Abominable Snowman (00:52) 8 Deserted Palace (02:24) 9 Le Pays de rose (02:03) 10 Rain Forest Rap Session (01:39) 11 Black Bird (03:06) 12 Music Box Concerto (02:43) 13 Iraqi Hitch-Hiker (02:28) 14 Les Granges Brûlées / The Burnt Barns (03:13) 15 La Cage (Vitalic remix) (04:16) 16 Erosmachine (Vitalic remix) (03:45) |
 | Album: 17 of 34 Title: Jean-Michel Jarre, Volume 1: Les Chants magnétiques / Concerts en Chine Released: 1996 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:54:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Les Chants magnétiques, Part 1 (17:50) 2 Les Chants magnétiques, Part 2 (05:25) 3 Les Chants magnétiques, Part 3 (02:54) 4 Les Chants magnétiques, Part 4 (06:13) 5 Magnetic Fields, Part 5 (03:30) 1 The Overture (04:50) 2 Arpegiator (06:53) 3 Équinoxe, Part 4 (07:47) 4 Fishing Junks at Sunset (09:42) 5 Band in the Rain (01:25) 6 Équinoxe, Part 7 (09:54) 1 Orient Express (04:22) 2 Magnetic Fields, Part 1 (00:21) 3 Magnetic Fields, Part 3 (03:48) 4 Magnetic Fields, Part 4 (06:49) 5 Laser Harp (03:38) 6 Night in Shanghai (07:02) 7 The Last Rumba (02:07) 8 Magnetic Fields, Part 2 (06:24) 9 Souvenir of China (03:55) |
 | Album: 18 of 34 Title: The Complete Oxygène Released: 1997 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:26:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène, Part I (07:40) 2 Oxygène, Part 2 (08:04) 3 Oxygène, Part 3 (02:54) 4 Oxygène, Part IV (04:06) 5 Oxygène, Part V (10:26) 6 Oxygène, Part VI (06:24) 1 Oxygène 7 (11:41) 2 Oxygène 8 (03:54) 3 Oxygène 9 (06:13) 4 Oxygène 10 (04:16) 5 Oxygène 11 (04:58) 6 Oxygène 12 (05:40) 7 Oxygène 13 (04:27) 8 Oxygen in Moscow (05:31) |
| The Complete Oxygène : Allmusic album Review : Fans looking for something extra from The Complete Oxygene shouldnt get worked up. This is simply both albums -- the original Oxygene released in 1977 and Oxygene 7-13 issued in 1997 -- in a slipcase box. That said, these two albums are seminal electronic recordings, very different in sound and approach given how much technology changed in the 20 years between the first and second entries. The later recording may be more comfortable for those familiar with the work of 777 or Sven Väth in the late 90s, while the earlier one may appeal to those who were deeply entrenched in the work of Klaus Schulze in the late 70s. What makes these albums so enduring, however, has little to do with technology: its the deep focus of the composer, his sense of presenting two different but unified bodies of work that make up the dark and light sides of an idea. The earlier material is full of open sweeping expanses that hint at the transcendent, where rhythm and pulse are a part of the architecture, but not at its foundation. The latter set is exactly the opposite. The individual parts are seemingly accidents here; they all come together in the moment where knotty rhythms and concurrent sequences stack on top of one another, moving forward more quickly, while at the same time being denser. It makes everything more kinetic. Taken as a whole, it is an enduring work that may not reach the same heights that his Zoolook did, but that was a singular moment -- most artists only get one of those. Oxygene is still a masterpiece of unified technological vision that marries the very heart of musicality to its expression. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 34 Title: Oxygène 7–13 Released: 1997-02-14 Tracks: 7 Duration: 41:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène 7 (11:41) 2 Oxygène 8 (03:54) 3 Oxygène 9 (06:13) 4 Oxygène 10 (04:16) 5 Oxygène 11 (04:58) 6 Oxygène 12 (05:40) 7 Oxygène 13 (04:27) |
 | Album: 20 of 34 Title: Metamorphoses Released: 2000-01-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:00:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Je me souviens (04:25) 2 C’est la vie (07:09) 3 Rendez‐vous à Paris (04:19) 4 Hey Gagarin (06:20) 5 Millions of Stars (05:41) 6 Tout est bleu (06:01) 7 Love Love Love (04:26) 8 Bells (03:49) 9 Miss Moon (06:08) 10 Give Me a Sign (03:49) 11 Gloria, Lonely Boy (05:31) 12 Silhouette (02:29) |
| Metamorphoses : Allmusic album Review : Recorded in 2000 and not available in the United States until 2004, Metamorphoses is another of those enormous productions by the French electronic music master. Offering a cycle of songs, Jarre and his platoon of keyboards -- a wonderful meld of cutting-edge and vintage technologies -- delve into the notion of change and evolution with a remarkable efficiency despite the plethora of guest vocalists and instrumentalists. His collaborations with Laurie Anderson ("Je me souviens") and Natacha Atlas ("Cest la Vie") are wonderfully successful. The former is a staggered sequencer-driven track whose pulse varies, throbs, and wanes as the vocals are articulated in syncopated fashion in alternating cadences. The latter is an Eastern-tinged house track, where elements of disco, breakbeat, and even jungle enter and leave the mix after leaving traces of themselves on what follows their articulation. Atlas sings and wails and whispers, following sequences of broken beats and ushering in acid house pulsations as a lonesome violins caresses the proceedings and the cut breaks wide open in a frenzy of longing and increasing tempos before a trancey set of beats takes it out. Other vocalists include Lisa Jacobs ("Millions of Stars"), Dierdre Dubois ("Miss Moon"), and Veronique Bossa ("Give Me a Sign") Because of its many colors, Metamorphoses is the most adventurous recording of Jarres in a decade, and articulates his universal language of transcultural musicality and futuristic altruism fantastically. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 34 Title: Sessions 2000 Released: 2002-10-28 Tracks: 6 Duration: 42:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 January 24 (05:57) 2 March 23 (08:02) 3 May 1 (04:49) 4 June 21 (06:18) 5 September 14 (09:30) 6 December 17 (08:11) |
| Sessions 2000 : Allmusic album Review : Sessions 2000, Jean-Michel Jarres first Stateside release after a maddening drought, is essentially a year in the life of the mind of the master who wowed the world with his seminal "Oxygene" suite in 1976. Jazzier than early fans would probably expect, but as interesting as hes always been, Jarres six-track view of a year is energetic, invigorating, and after-dinner-drink smooth. Eschewing song titles for a deceptively simpler system of dates, Jarre has both taken away outside meaning from each song, but has also imbued each one with the sensory synapse each season brings. So, then, "January 24" is shot through with the ambience of ice and wind, becoming a chilled "Auld Lang Syne" of sorts, leaving "March 23" to open up sunnier vibes with jazz trumpet and down beat synths. And it just goes on from there across the rest of the year, as "May 1" gives way to the sleepy vibe of midsummers "June 21," before "December 17" eventually comes round full circle to connect the end to the beginning. The use of breaks and spaces to define moments of sound and moments in time are things weve come to expect from Jarre, and Sessions 2000 is no exception; his formula is refreshed here with some surprising musical twists and turns, including a pedal steel guitar. Jarre is, for most, an acquired taste, so those not accustomed to the musicians musings, or not in love with instrumental experiments in melodic fusion probably wont get it -- at all. But thats fine, because that just leaves more glee for the rest of us. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 34 Title: Geometry of Love Released: 2003-09-09 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Pleasure Principle (06:15) 2 Geometry of Love, Part 1 (03:51) 3 Soul Intrusion (04:45) 4 Electric Flesh (06:01) 5 Skin Paradox (06:17) 6 Velvet Road (05:54) 7 Near Djaina (05:01) 8 Geometry of Love, Part 2 (04:06) |
 | Album: 23 of 34 Title: AERO Released: 2004-09-20 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:13:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Aero Opening (00:50) 2 Oxygène, Part 2 (07:41) 3 Aero (03:09) 4 Équinoxe, Part 8 (01:24) 5 Oxygène, Part 4 (05:05) 6 Souvenir of China (04:46) 7 Aerology (03:40) 8 Équinoxe, Part 3 (06:33) 9 Équinoxe, Part 4 (06:46) 10 Last Rendez-Vous (05:08) 11 Zoolokologie (03:54) 12 Aerozone (04:56) 13 Magnetic Fields, Part 1 (05:59) 14 Chronologie, Part 6 (06:10) 15 Rendez-Vous 4 (live version) (07:34) |
 | Album: 24 of 34 Title: Téo & Téa Released: 2007-03-26 Tracks: 13 Duration: 50:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Fresh News (02:44) 2 Téo & Téa (03:29) 3 Beautiful Agony (04:40) 4 Touch to Remember (06:09) 5 OK, Do It Fast (03:25) 6 Partners in Crime 1 (03:38) 7 Partners in Crime 2 (03:35) 8 Chatterbox (02:16) 9 In the Mood for You (04:20) 10 Gossip (02:11) 11 Vintage (03:06) 12 Melancholic Rodeo (03:51) 13 Téo & Téa 4:00 AM (07:06) |
 | Album: 25 of 34 Title: Oxygène: New Master Recording Released: 2007-11-23 Tracks: 6 Duration: 40:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène, Part I (07:39) 2 Oxygène, Part II (07:54) 3 Oxygène, Part III (03:06) 4 Oxygène, Part IV (04:13) 5 Oxygène, Part V (10:11) 6 Oxygène, Part VI (07:05) |
 | Album: 26 of 34 Title: Essentials & Rarities Released: 2011-05-30 Tracks: 31 Duration: 2:02:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Souvenir of China (03:55) 2 Oxygène, Part 2 (03:11) 3 Arpegiateur (06:16) 4 Oxygène 4 (04:15) 5 Équinoxe 4 (06:41) 6 Calypso 2 (02:29) 7 Zoolook (03:50) 8 Magnetic Fields 1 (05:21) 9 Magnetic Fields 2 (04:01) 10 Équinoxe 5 (03:55) 11 Industrial Revolution 2 (02:22) 12 Rendez-vous 4 (04:00) 13 Gloria, Lonely Boy (05:30) 14 Oxygène 6 (06:20) 15 Space of Freedom "March 23" (08:02) 1 Happiness Is a Sad Song (05:53) 2 Hypnose (03:29) 3 Erosmachine (02:58) 4 La Cage (03:23) 5 Chanson Des Granges Brûlées / Song of the Burnt Barns (02:45) 6 Windswept Canyon (07:39) 7 The Abominable Snowman (00:52) 8 Deserted Palace (02:22) 9 Le Pays de Rose / Roseland (02:02) 10 Rain Forest Rap Session (01:39) 11 Black Bird (03:06) 12 Music Box Concerto (02:40) 13 Iraqi Hitch-Hiker (02:25) 14 Les Granges Brûlées / The Burnt Barns (03:13) 15 La Cage (Vitalic remix) (04:16) 16 Erosmachine (Vitalic remix) (03:45) |
| Essentials & Rarities : Allmusic album Review : The third Jean-Michel Jarre compilation to contain the word "essential," this two-CD collection, released as a tribute to the late founder of his first record company, Francis Dreyfus, has perhaps more right to the title than either of the 1983 and 2005 sets. Apart from 1993s Chronologie and 1997s Oxygene 7-13, the ten albums he recorded on the Disques Dreyfus label are all covered on the first disc, from the three pieces taken from his 12 million-unit-selling 1976 juggernaut Oxygene, right up to his 2000 vocal-led label swan song Metamorphoses ("Gloria," "Lonely Boy"). His first three pioneering synth pop records and his 1982 live album, The Concerts in China, unsurprisingly make up the bulk of this discs 15 tracks, but the likes of rugby world cup anthem "Industrial Revolution 2," the sample-heavy "Zoolook," and the underrated "Calypso 2" still show why hes widely acknowledged as one of the most influential French composers of modern times. As classic as these iconic instrumentals are, its the second disc of rarities which will really intrigue his global army of fans. Listed in chronological order, the hodge-podge of pre-Oxygene material includes three previously unreleased tracks, "Happiness Is a Sad Song," "Hypnose," and "Black Bird," the first of which, along with 1971 single "La Cage" and B-side "Erosmachine" (which appear in both their original form and 2010 Vitalic remixes), was recorded with experimental 60s collective Groupe de Recherche Musicales, alongside six tracks from his deleted 1972 debut, Deserted Palace, and three cuts from his 1973 soundtrack to the Alain Delon-starring film Les Granges Brulees. Of course, the fact his three most recent noughties studio albums are ignored means that Essentials & Rarities isnt the definitive picture of Jarres glittering 40-year career, but as an overview of his heyday, this is a well-selected affair which should offer something for both casual and hardcore fans. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 34 Title: Essential Recollection Released: 2015-08-28 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:08:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Oxygene, Part 2 (04:59) 2 Arpegiateur (live) (06:23) 3 Oxygene, Part 4 (04:07) 4 Souvenir of China (03:55) 5 Equinoxe, Part 4 (06:43) 6 Zoolookologie (04:21) 7 Magnetic Fields, Part 1 (06:34) 8 Magnetic Fields, Part 2 (03:59) 9 Equinoxe, Part 5 (03:57) 10 Chronology, Part 4 (03:59) 11 Rendez-Vous 4 (03:52) 12 Oxygene, Part 6 (06:01) 13 Bells (03:49) 14 Last Rendez-vous (Rons piece) (05:48) |
 | Album: 28 of 34 Title: Electronica 1: The Time Machine Released: 2015-10-16 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:08:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Time Machine (03:51) 2 Glory (03:56) 3 Close Your Eyes (06:24) 4 Automatic, Pt. 1 (03:09) 5 Automatic, Pt. 2 (02:58) 6 If..! (02:57) 7 Immortals (04:30) 8 Suns Have Gone (05:47) 9 Conquistador (album version) (03:06) 10 Travelator, Pt. 2 (03:06) 11 Zero Gravity (original album version) (06:46) 12 Rely on Me (02:56) 13 Stardust (04:36) 14 Watching You (original version) (04:05) 15 A Question of Blood (03:00) 16 The Train & The River (07:13) |
 | Album: 29 of 34 Title: Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise Released: 2016-05-06 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:14:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Heart of Noise, Part 1 (04:26) 2 The Heart of Noise, Part 2 (04:10) 3 Brick England (04:01) 4 These Creatures (03:40) 5 As One (03:58) 6 Here for You (03:59) 7 Electrees (04:10) 8 Exit (06:19) 9 What You Want (03:27) 10 Gisele (03:43) 11 Switch on Leon (04:43) 12 Circus (03:09) 13 Why This, Why That and Why? (03:58) 14 The Architect (04:43) 15 Swipe to the Right (04:54) 16 Walking the Mile (04:52) 17 Falling Down (03:23) 18 The Heart of Noise (The Origin) (02:39) |
 | Album: 30 of 34 Title: Oxygène 3 Released: 2016-12-02 Tracks: 7 Duration: 39:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène, Pt. 14 (05:27) 2 Oxygène, Pt. 15 (06:40) 3 Oxygène, Pt. 16 (06:50) 4 Oxygène, Pt. 17 (04:20) 5 Oxygène, Pt. 18 (02:48) 6 Oxygène, Pt. 19 (05:45) 7 Oxygène, Pt. 20 (07:58) |
 | Album: 31 of 34 Title: Oxygène Trilogy Released: 2016-12-02 Tracks: 20 Duration: 2:00:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène, Part I (07:40) 2 Oxygène, Part II (07:37) 3 Oxygène, Part III (03:07) 4 Oxygène, Part IV (04:06) 5 Oxygène, Part V (10:12) 6 Oxygène, Part VI (06:24) 1 Oxygène 7 (11:41) 2 Oxygène 8 (03:54) 3 Oxygène 9 (06:13) 4 Oxygène 10 (04:16) 5 Oxygène 11 (04:58) 6 Oxygène 12 (05:40) 7 Oxygène 13 (04:27) 1 Oxygène, Pt. 14 (05:27) 2 Oxygène, Pt. 15 (06:40) 3 Oxygène, Pt. 16 (06:50) 4 Oxygène, Pt. 17 (04:20) 5 Oxygène, Pt. 18 (02:48) 6 Oxygène, Pt. 19 (05:45) 7 Oxygène, Pt. 20 (07:58) |
| Oxygène Trilogy : Allmusic album Review : French electronic music innovator Jean Michel Jarre has revisited his signature work Oxygène numerous times throughout his career, through concerts, remixes, the 1997 sequel Oxygène 7-13, and a new master recording in 2007. A third volume was released in 2016, completing a 40-year trilogy, and all three albums were released as a box set. Taken as a whole, the project shows a remarkable consistency, exploring similar moods and themes even as technology drastically changes throughout the decades. The original Oxygène, of course, is the standard, and easily one of Jarres best (which is not to discredit other spectacular albums such as Equinoxe). Playful, meditative, and slightly eerie, its still a masterpiece. The second part, which is now renamed Oxygène 2, holds up surprisingly well. Using much of the same equipment, Jarre created another dazzling soundscape in the same style as the original. While this album is generally more uptempo, and there happens to be an increased presence of arpeggios common to trance music (which wouldnt have existed without the work of Jarre and his peers), it still seems like he was exploring his own mind rather than just trying to chase whatever was trendy at the time. Oxygène 3 has its trance-like moments but keeps with the spirit of the original (probably even more so than the second volume). Its rich and adventurous but it never goes over the top, which is a relief. All three albums are worthy on their own, but the entire trilogy is a fascinating multi-generational journey. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 34 Title: Original Album Classics Released: 2017-09-15 Tracks: 32 Duration: 3:42:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Magnetic Fields, Pt. 1 (17:57) 2 Magnetic Fields, Pt. 2 (05:25) 3 Magnetic Fields, Pt. 3 (02:55) 4 Magnetic Fields, Pt. 4 (06:13) 5 Magnetic Fields, Pt. 5 (03:31) 1 Ethnicolor (11:47) 2 Diva (07:22) 3 Zoolook (03:52) 4 Woolloomooloo (03:18) 5 Zoolookologie (04:21) 6 Blah Blah Cafe (03:21) 7 Ethnicolor II (03:52) 1 Rendez-Vous 1 (02:54) 2 Rendez-Vous 2 (11:00) 3 Rendez-Vous 3 (03:31) 4 Rendez-Vous 4 (04:02) 5 Rendez-Vous 5 (07:47) 6 Last Rendez-Vous (Rons Piece) (06:04) 1 Industrial Revolution : Overture (05:09) 2 Industrial Revolution, Pt. 1 (05:09) 3 Industrial Revolution, Pt. 2 (02:17) 4 Industrial Revolution, Pt. 3 (04:12) 5 London Kid (04:26) 6 Revolution, Revolutions (04:56) 7 Tokyo Kid (05:21) 8 Computer Weekend (04:41) 9 September (04:04) 10 LEmigrant (03:56) 1 Calypso (08:23) 2 Calypso, Pt. 2 (07:10) 3 Calypso, Pt. 3 (06:22) 4 Waiting For Cousteau (En Attendant Cousteau) (46:45) |
 | Album: 33 of 34 Title: Planet Jarre: 50 Years of Music Released: 2018-09-14 Tracks: 41 Duration: 2:42:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Oxygène, Part I (07:40) 2 Oxygene, Part 19 (05:01) 3 First Rendez-vous (02:54) 4 Millions of Stars (05:39) 5 Chronology, Part 1 (03:23) 6 Oxygene, Part 20 (05:30) 7 Équinoxe, Part 2 (05:02) 8 Waiting for Cousteau (03:00) 9 The Heart of Noise (The Origin) (02:39) 10 Révolution industrielle, Part 2 (02:19) 11 Oxygène 4 (03:53) 12 Équinoxe, Part 5 (03:53) 13 Oxygene, Part 2 (05:25) 14 Zoolookologie (03:44) 15 Bells (02:05) 16 Equinoxe, Part 4 (05:32) 17 Magnetic Fields, Part 2 (03:58) 18 Rendez-vous, Part 2 (Laser Harp) (02:20) 19 Rendez-vous, Part 4 (04:09) 20 Chronology, Part 4 (04:08) 1 Coachella Opening (03:59) 2 Arpeggiator (06:15) 3 Automatic, Part 1 (02:58) 4 Exit (05:45) 5 Equinoxe, Part 7 (03:35) 6 Oxygene, Part 8 (05:24) 7 Stardust (04:36) 8 Herbalizer (03:26) 9 Revolutions (03:23) 10 Ethnicolor (03:30) 11 Souvenir of China (04:00) 12 Blah-Blah Cafe (03:22) 13 Music for Supermarkets (Demo Excerpt) (02:04) 14 Le Pays de rose (02:03) 15 La Cage (03:09) 16 Erosmachine (02:59) 17 Hypnose (03:27) 18 The Song of the Burnt Barns / La chanson des granges brûlées (02:45) 19 Happiness Is a Sad Song (05:51) 20 AOR BLEU (03:09) 21 Last Rendez-vous (04:08) |
 | Album: 34 of 34 Title: Equinoxe Infinity Released: 2018-11-16 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Watchers (Movement 1) (02:57) 2 Flying Totems (Movement 2) (03:54) 3 Robots Don’t Cry (Movement 3) (05:44) 4 All That You Leave Behind (Movement 4) (04:01) 5 If the Wind Could Speak (Movement 5) (01:32) 6 Infinity (Movement 6) (04:14) 7 Machines Are Learning (Movement 7) (02:06) 8 The Opening (Movement 8) (04:16) 9 Don’t Look Back (Movement 9) (03:35) 10 Equinoxe Infinity (Movement 10) (07:33) |