Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene parts 14-20 - due 2 December

[MitchT]

Jean-Michel Jarre said:

December 2nd 1976 saw the release of Oxygene 1, which I can say changed my life !

Today, for its 40th anniversary I can reveal that a brand new album, Oxygene 3 will be released on December 2nd 2016.

I don’t necessarily like anniversaries that much…But when I was recording Electronica, two years ago, I did a piece of music (today Oxygene 19) that made me think about what Oxygene could be if I was composing it today. Then I took the 40th anniversary of the first album as a deadline to push myself to see if I could compose this new chapter in six weeks, just like I did for the first one: probably to avoid thinking too much about, whether it was a good idea or not, and also to record everything in one go… The idea was not to copy the first album, but rather keeping the dogma of embarking listeners on a journey from beginning to end with different chapters, all linked to each other.

What made the first Oxygene so different at the time, is probably the minimalist aspect, and the fact that there are almost no drums, and I wanted to keep this approach, creating the groove mainly with the sequences and the structure of the melodies only, through an architecture of sounds.
When I did the first Oxygene in the vinyl days, I had a structure in mind divided in 2 parts, fitting the A&B sides of an album. This time I enjoyed doing the same: one side being darker, the other being brighter. So when I think of it today, Oxygene 3 has actually two sides…

I did the first Oxygene on an 8 track tape recorder with very few instruments, with no other choice than being minimalist. I tried to keep this minimalist approach for Oxygene 3. Some moments are built around one or two elements, like in the first volume.

It was important to me to keep the artwork for Oxygene 3 in line with the two previous albums…40 years ago too, I discovered Michel Granger’s visual universe and immediately felt a total adequacy with the music I was composing. Since then, the cover artwork became famous, like an ecological warning signal, dark and surreal, evoking both outer space and that of our vital living space: this image, for me, has become inseparable from the music.
I wanted the Oxygene 3 visual to remain in that same vein, and hence to re-visit Michel Granger’s original work, simply shifting «photographed-like» from another angle, which was exactly aligned with the approach I had to create this new chapter in music. To this end, I asked Michel Granger’s permission to perform a 3D model of his creation in order to change the angle of the visual, which he amicably accepted.

What an incredible journey Oxygene has been so far. I very much look forward to continuing the Oxygene story with all of you.

See you on the road,

Love

Jean-Michel Jarre

Oxygene 3 and the Triology Boxset will be out 02.12.2016. I may well play sometimes an excerpt of Oxygene 3 during the tour.

[anonymous-user]

Saw that, hope he does something from it at the O2 next week

[MitchT]

Apparently some of it will be included in the Electronica tour though I think I'd rather not hear any of it until I have the album and I'm sat in a big comfy chair with headphones on.

[Flip Martian]

The only work of his I've been able to enjoy in the last 16 years is Oxygene 7-13 so I hope this "back to the original recording ethos" idea works. I could listen to his earlier stuff all day long. Looking forward to hearing what he comes up with - but again, it will be home alone on headphones when I do.

[MitchT]

I like all of his stuff but my favourites by far are the concept format albums. They're so immersive to listen to, unlike albums made up of seemingly unrelated tracks as is the case with your average pop act.

[Flip Martian]

I went through his whole catalogue a couple of years ago when I was preparing a rarities and favourites internet radio show on him. For me he just seemed to go rapidly off the boil and lose what made him unique around Metamorphoses. I managed to find something to play up as far as Geometry of Love but had to leave out Teo and Tea altogether. I would put a link up to it on Mixcloud as it has loads of rarities in it but no doubt that's against the PH rules.

[djdest]

The pre orders have gone live today, but not for the deluxe cd/vinyl/book boxset yet

[MitchT]

Heard one of the tracks at last Thursday's gig in Leeds. Had some of the familar synth sounds but more of a trance-esque lead melody. Looking forward to hearing the whole album.

[djdest]

I wonder how many of the original synths and hardware was used for the new ones. I'd love it to have a similar feel to the first album.
Equinoxe 9-16 would be welcomed too!

[Flip Martian]

There are a few electronic musicians I've come across who mimic his early stuff very well (not hugely original I suppose!) so he may as well do it himself

[djdest]

Most of the ones I've seen are just recreating his tunes, which is still very impressive, there are some excellent played live ones on YouTube of Equinoxe and Oxygene tunes

[Flip Martian]

There's a guy in Denmark under the name of ToxygeneDK - he's done a lot of stuff using the Oxygene/Equinoxe sounds. Quite like how JMJ would have sounded if he'd stuck in the rut.

[MitchT]

There's a Polish guy called Radek Tymecki whose JMJ covers are so accurate they're almost indistinguishable from the originals.
https://youtu.be/uklCOOiRzis
https://youtu.be/7BfqMm7hhN8

Then there's Elektronalin who's done 'Equinoxe 2', his own follow up to Equinoxe.
https://soundcloud.com/elektronalin/equinoxe-2

[djdest]

Loving that Equinoxe 2 so far, they're more like remixes than new tracks

[Flip Martian]

Note for note emulation type covers are very well done, I appreciate that. I just can't see the point. Its like saying "I can copy everything this person did" - which is fine but where's the creativity? Interpretation-type covers, I'm far more of a fan of, where someone does something different with it.

[djdest]

I agree, it as a DJ and producer I also understand the technical side of it regarding recreating the sounds used.
They're all old analogue machines with multiple knobs and dials that offer literally infinite sounds. So to replicate the ones JMJ made is a huge thing in itself

[Flip Martian]

djdest said:

I agree, it as a DJ and producer I also understand the technical side of it regarding recreating the sounds used.
They're all old analogue machines with multiple knobs and dials that offer literally infinite sounds. So to replicate the ones JMJ made is a huge thing in itself

True - but I have a free software instrument emulation that even came with presets named things like "Equinoxe" and sure enough, there's the sound of the phasey whooshy strings. No vintage gear needed anymore - someone has already done the hard work and emulated the sound. Great to play around on but anything you play...does end up sounding like a JMJ rip off

[MitchT]

Flip Martian said:

Note for note emulation type covers are very well done, I appreciate that. I just can't see the point.

I think it's a useful exercise in terms of learning how someone has constructed their music. Radek Tymecki's cover of Magnetic Fields 1 (part 3) starts differently to the original so you get to hear the different layers as they're added, rather than the original where all the elements kick in at the same time. By first emulating what you hear someone else do, until you get it bang-on, you can learn how to create similarly complex structures yourself, but in your own unique way, and then have compositions of your own which are as good, but different.

Radek Tymecki's version:
https://youtu.be/RDJ1j7B-kOg

Original:
https://youtu.be/JX5oI5YYIZM?t=11m38s

Edited by MitchT on Saturday 22 October 11:05

[Flip Martian]

MitchT said:

I think it's a useful exercise in terms of learning how someone has constructed their music. Radek Tymecki's cover of Magnetic Fields 1 (part 3) starts differently to the original so you get to hear the different layers as they're added, rather than the original where all the elements kick in at the same time. By first emulating what you hear someone else do, until you get it bang-on, you can learn how to create similarly complex structures yourself, but in your own unique way, and then have compositions of your own which are as good, but different.

Radek Tymecki's version:
https://youtu.be/RDJ1j7B-kOg

Original:
https://youtu.be/JX5oI5YYIZM?t=11m38s

Edited by MitchT on Saturday 22 October 11:05

I can see that. There's a skill in dissecting music that way and laying bare all the parts.

[MikeT66]

Bit of a thread bump here...

Back in the late 70s my mother bought the original Oxygene album. I loved the cover, and as she usually bought rock stuff (AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc) so I assumed this was going to some rock solo artist. Put the vinyl disc onto the stereo and somehow got catapulted into a future world of sound.

By chance I heard it all again a couple of days ago - has there ever been such a timeless modern piece of music than this? Utterly enthralling and it still sounds like it's from the future.