I had a dream of you again.
I cannot stop now. Part of me you have been and part of me you will always be.
You don't know me, but you pulled me back into the waking living world. A tribe of people have helped me come along this slow and dreary course. You are the music of this march into the sunlight.
Now I know the power you have. It is no less than the power of life.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
America, Meet Jean-Michel Jarre
One of the Premier Musicians in the World Remains Mostly Unknown in the United States
In my own research I've been able to compile a list of the top ten reactions of American listeners to the music of Jean Michel Jarre.
10. "I'm feeling kind of odd."
9. "Wow. I can actually feel my brain taking shape."
8. "What the hell is this stuff?"
7. "I think I've heard this before, but I can't remember where."
6. "Turn it off. Please, turn it off!"
5. "Tragically new age. Someone's going to attack me with a crystal and a smudge wand any second now."
4. "All right. I'm hooked."
3. "There's no singing. What's up with that?"
2. "This is from some indie movie, right?"
1. "I don't quite understand it, but I like it."
It's no exaggeration to say that Jean Michel Jarre, the dynamic French composer, is the godfather of electronic music as we know it. The great revolution first went international with the release of Jarre's album "Oxygene" in 1976 and Jarre has never stopped. Around the world he's celebrated for his live light and music extravaganzas, many of which have had audiences of one million or more, and his concerts have set and broken world records for number of attendees. Jarre was the first western musician to ever perform in the People's Republic of China. In 1993 he became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Jarre gave a free concert as part of the celebration of the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco in early July. He even has an asteroid'"4422 Jarre'"named after him.
Yet, after all of these accomplishments, after 80 million records sold, Jean Michel Jarre remains largely unknown in the United States. It's not that the American demographic is the do-all and end-all, of course, but in a country where so many different musical styles are loved and enjoyed it's hard to understand how a performer with Jarre's credentials could slip under the radar.
Then again, maybe it's no surprise that Jarre isn't a household name in the United States. He's not particularly controversial, he's not making a fool of himself in public, he doesn't have a reality show or a fashion line (even if many people think he must be a designer based on his name), and his music actually requires the listener to be still and have an experience. He's never released an "Unplugged" album (obviously). For me and my coterie of Jarre fans, these are all positive things. But we're the exception.
Being a United States citizen, I've taken a step back to look at musical artists and the whole industry, wondering how would Jarre fit into the aural matrix. First, I refuse to believe that there's not a clandestine population of would-be fans who have simply never been introduced to Jarre and his work. Heck, I have to think of how I myself was introduced. Basically, my father was and is a Francophile and a French teacher. As he was tapped into the European current, he learned about this amazing new release called "Oxygene" and that was the beginning. Jean-Michel Jarre has been the music of my family's life ever since.
Lots of fans are here but they just don't know it yet. After all, it's not like electronic music isn't wildly popular. I keep bringing up the example of Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. Reznor has been commercially successful without compromising his art and is widely considered an electronic musical genius in his own right. All of this was capped by his Oscar win for Best Soundtrack for his work on "The Social Network".
All right. As much as it pains me to admit it, looks and personality weigh in big time with American audiences. On this count, Jean-Michel Jarre has the whole package, whether he means to or not. In linguistics there is a class of accents called "plus accents", and for Americans a French accent is tops. Jarre goes one better with his clarity of expression and witty, personable style. I suspect he would easily fall into the American idea of "handsome". Like I said, it's awful that I need to even think along these lines, but it's the nature of the beast. On the other hand, if you've got it, flaunt it.
Finally, another thing to consider is the vast desert the music industry has become. This is the perfect time for the new--even if it's actually old. A new way of listening is like finding a new way of thinking, a new way of looking at the world. For us in the States, Jarre is not only something different, but it's nourishing, the encouragement to maybe reach beyond the limits we've set for ourselves.
Getting Jarre to bring his live spectacular to the United States is another matter.
On April 5, 1986, Jean-Michel Jarre performed a legendary concert Rendez-Vous Houston: A City in Concert. The futuristic skyscrapers were the backdrop for a spectacular light and laser show which accompanied the concert. This concert had an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest outdoor "rock concert" in history, with figures varying from 1 to 1.5 million in attendance. Rendez-Vous Houston celebrated the astronauts who had been lost in the Challenger disaster only two and a half months previously. Astronaut Ron McNair, a personal friend of Jarre, had been killed in the disaster. He was supposed to play the saxophone from space during the track "Last Rendez-Vous"; his substitute for the concert was Houston native Kirk Whalum. The event marked Houston's 150th birthday and NASA's 25th anniversary.
2011 marks 25 years since the Houston concert, and Jarre has not made a return visit. I've read some of his remarks about America being old fashioned and completely disinterested in his art and performance. I don't agree. I think the problem is that Jarre's music has no popular outlet in the United States. People who are fans were probably introduced to the music by other fans. But where would fresh listeners get to sample the Jarre experience left to their own devices?
Of course there are American Jarre fans already, but consider this an open invitation. Plug "Jean Michel Jarre" into your favorite search engine and find the various opportunities to listen to his music that are online. Who knows?
In my own research I've been able to compile a list of the top ten reactions of American listeners to the music of Jean Michel Jarre.
10. "I'm feeling kind of odd."
9. "Wow. I can actually feel my brain taking shape."
8. "What the hell is this stuff?"
7. "I think I've heard this before, but I can't remember where."
6. "Turn it off. Please, turn it off!"
5. "Tragically new age. Someone's going to attack me with a crystal and a smudge wand any second now."
4. "All right. I'm hooked."
3. "There's no singing. What's up with that?"
2. "This is from some indie movie, right?"
1. "I don't quite understand it, but I like it."
It's no exaggeration to say that Jean Michel Jarre, the dynamic French composer, is the godfather of electronic music as we know it. The great revolution first went international with the release of Jarre's album "Oxygene" in 1976 and Jarre has never stopped. Around the world he's celebrated for his live light and music extravaganzas, many of which have had audiences of one million or more, and his concerts have set and broken world records for number of attendees. Jarre was the first western musician to ever perform in the People's Republic of China. In 1993 he became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Jarre gave a free concert as part of the celebration of the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco in early July. He even has an asteroid'"4422 Jarre'"named after him.
Yet, after all of these accomplishments, after 80 million records sold, Jean Michel Jarre remains largely unknown in the United States. It's not that the American demographic is the do-all and end-all, of course, but in a country where so many different musical styles are loved and enjoyed it's hard to understand how a performer with Jarre's credentials could slip under the radar.
Then again, maybe it's no surprise that Jarre isn't a household name in the United States. He's not particularly controversial, he's not making a fool of himself in public, he doesn't have a reality show or a fashion line (even if many people think he must be a designer based on his name), and his music actually requires the listener to be still and have an experience. He's never released an "Unplugged" album (obviously). For me and my coterie of Jarre fans, these are all positive things. But we're the exception.
Being a United States citizen, I've taken a step back to look at musical artists and the whole industry, wondering how would Jarre fit into the aural matrix. First, I refuse to believe that there's not a clandestine population of would-be fans who have simply never been introduced to Jarre and his work. Heck, I have to think of how I myself was introduced. Basically, my father was and is a Francophile and a French teacher. As he was tapped into the European current, he learned about this amazing new release called "Oxygene" and that was the beginning. Jean-Michel Jarre has been the music of my family's life ever since.
Lots of fans are here but they just don't know it yet. After all, it's not like electronic music isn't wildly popular. I keep bringing up the example of Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. Reznor has been commercially successful without compromising his art and is widely considered an electronic musical genius in his own right. All of this was capped by his Oscar win for Best Soundtrack for his work on "The Social Network".
All right. As much as it pains me to admit it, looks and personality weigh in big time with American audiences. On this count, Jean-Michel Jarre has the whole package, whether he means to or not. In linguistics there is a class of accents called "plus accents", and for Americans a French accent is tops. Jarre goes one better with his clarity of expression and witty, personable style. I suspect he would easily fall into the American idea of "handsome". Like I said, it's awful that I need to even think along these lines, but it's the nature of the beast. On the other hand, if you've got it, flaunt it.
Finally, another thing to consider is the vast desert the music industry has become. This is the perfect time for the new--even if it's actually old. A new way of listening is like finding a new way of thinking, a new way of looking at the world. For us in the States, Jarre is not only something different, but it's nourishing, the encouragement to maybe reach beyond the limits we've set for ourselves.
Getting Jarre to bring his live spectacular to the United States is another matter.
On April 5, 1986, Jean-Michel Jarre performed a legendary concert Rendez-Vous Houston: A City in Concert. The futuristic skyscrapers were the backdrop for a spectacular light and laser show which accompanied the concert. This concert had an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest outdoor "rock concert" in history, with figures varying from 1 to 1.5 million in attendance. Rendez-Vous Houston celebrated the astronauts who had been lost in the Challenger disaster only two and a half months previously. Astronaut Ron McNair, a personal friend of Jarre, had been killed in the disaster. He was supposed to play the saxophone from space during the track "Last Rendez-Vous"; his substitute for the concert was Houston native Kirk Whalum. The event marked Houston's 150th birthday and NASA's 25th anniversary.
2011 marks 25 years since the Houston concert, and Jarre has not made a return visit. I've read some of his remarks about America being old fashioned and completely disinterested in his art and performance. I don't agree. I think the problem is that Jarre's music has no popular outlet in the United States. People who are fans were probably introduced to the music by other fans. But where would fresh listeners get to sample the Jarre experience left to their own devices?
Of course there are American Jarre fans already, but consider this an open invitation. Plug "Jean Michel Jarre" into your favorite search engine and find the various opportunities to listen to his music that are online. Who knows?
Sunday, July 17, 2011
UPDATE: I Seem to Be Back
The new fan experience in the United States, which we're calling JarreFan USA-International (as it's open to everyone everywhere) has taken a definite shape with a network of Jarre fans from all parts of the States and our partners abroad.
"Magnetic Fields Forever" is the name of our website (in progress) as well as any
fanzines or publications created by the group.
We declared our existence and our purpose (to celebrate Jean Michel Jarre with the rest of the world) this past July 14, "La fete nationale". We're aiming to have the website and all of its goodies working by Jarre's birthday, August 24. Okay, so maybe this is too adorable...
Anyway, we're taking ideas, contributions, membership requests, whatever you can imagine at jarrefanusa@novemberwolf.com and remember that you don't have to be from the US to help bring a US presence into the world of Jarre fandom!
We're getting there!
"Magnetic Fields Forever" is the name of our website (in progress) as well as any
fanzines or publications created by the group.
We declared our existence and our purpose (to celebrate Jean Michel Jarre with the rest of the world) this past July 14, "La fete nationale". We're aiming to have the website and all of its goodies working by Jarre's birthday, August 24. Okay, so maybe this is too adorable...
Anyway, we're taking ideas, contributions, membership requests, whatever you can imagine at jarrefanusa@novemberwolf.com and remember that you don't have to be from the US to help bring a US presence into the world of Jarre fandom!
We're getting there!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Essentials and Rarities Review
From playgroundmag.net
Jean Michel Jarre has always been a hard one to crack in the underground, as the memories of his excesses, especially those concerts in front of over a million people and his omnipresence in the eighties, still weigh on us heavily. In fact, even today, his music is seen as an extension of the worst commonplaces of progressive rock, the stuff that punk sought to eradicate: the symphonic, the epic, the virtuoso complacency, the passivity instead of angst, and even a certain scientific optimism close to new age, which is now strangely out of fashion. However, over the past few years there have been cautious attempts to revaluate certain aspects of his production, in the first place with the first wave of cosmic synths led by Lindstrøm, but most of all after the revolution caused by hypnagogic pop. A very clear example was given in a very funny article in The Wire, where Savage Pencil described how “hypnagogic kids” (sic) were flooding the secondhand stores to buy old Jean Michel Jarre vinyls.
The first CD of this double compilation album focuses on the most triumphant part of his career, and not one of his hits is missing, even to the point where it seems too obvious a selection, mostly because there already are a lot of other compilations with very similar tracklists. I suppose it’s a strategy to make the second, much more interesting part more attractive commercially, but in any case, it’s quite revealing to hear those compositions again after a few seasons of listening to artists like Stellar Om Source and Oneohtrix Point Never. Without a doubt, more than one of Jarre’s ideas have been used in hypnagogic pop, although with less grandiloquence and more darkness.
But, as said, the second part of the CD is the truly interesting one. It’s a collection of tracks from albums and singles prior to “Oxygène” (1976), which show quite a different side to the French musician. While it was known that Jean Michel was a student of Pierre Schaeffer in his Groupe de Recherches Musicales (Musical Research Group), it was almost an insignificant piece of information due the fact that the music he made under the influence of that group drew hardly any attention at the time and that, until now, few people had heard it, which made it hard to evaluate the true importance of his episode as a student of one of the pioneers of electronica and concrete music.
The excellent “Happiness Is A Sad Song” is a surprising opening to the second CD, a song made especially for an art exhibition, that shows Jarre as a good student of Schaeffer, completely immersed in the sound of the GRM and getting the best out of it. It’s not bad at all, as a starting point for his career. A big part of what follows shows an embryonic Jarre, experimenting in different fields, like prog, on the delicious “Hypnose”, on which his preference for the grandiloquent melody that has characterised the better part of his work is already showing. “Erosmachine” and “La Cage” were on a 7” that is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting rarities of this collection. It’s a single that would now most likely be released by Ghost Box. The two songs are spot on, from the meticulous sonic design in stereo and the oppressive tone of “Erosmachine” to the rhythmic exploration and abrasive sounds of “La Cage”.
The rest of the selection focuses on the two albums prior to “Oxygène”: the soundtrack of “Les Granges Brûlées” and “Deserted Place”, an album of library music constructed basically from a Farfisa organ and an EMS synthesiser. Of the two, the most interesting moments are on the latter, as the first is somewhat more functional, despite its trademark melodic attractiveness. Those melodies have a very Ghost Box-ish flavour to them on “Windswept Canyon”, of which the placid tone is accompanied on several occasions by a bubbling rhythm and the abrasive character of the sound of the wind mentioned in the title. Many of the tracks off “Deserted Place” are short, as they should be, because it’s library music, but there are also some interesting, albeit failed, experiments, like the upbeat “Rain Forest Rap Session” or the dismissible “Music Box Concerto” and “Iraqui Hitch-Hiker”. The songs from “Deserted Place”, in general, show Jarre as hesitant and irregular, but eager to try out different ideas with a more Spartan aesthetic than what he would do later on in his career.
“Essentials & Rarities” is, therefore, an inconsistent but opportune compilation, as it allows us to clarify his little-known beginnings at a time when his music is on the rise again, thanks to hypnagogic pop and the new cosmic sounds.
Jean Michel Jarre has always been a hard one to crack in the underground, as the memories of his excesses, especially those concerts in front of over a million people and his omnipresence in the eighties, still weigh on us heavily. In fact, even today, his music is seen as an extension of the worst commonplaces of progressive rock, the stuff that punk sought to eradicate: the symphonic, the epic, the virtuoso complacency, the passivity instead of angst, and even a certain scientific optimism close to new age, which is now strangely out of fashion. However, over the past few years there have been cautious attempts to revaluate certain aspects of his production, in the first place with the first wave of cosmic synths led by Lindstrøm, but most of all after the revolution caused by hypnagogic pop. A very clear example was given in a very funny article in The Wire, where Savage Pencil described how “hypnagogic kids” (sic) were flooding the secondhand stores to buy old Jean Michel Jarre vinyls.
The first CD of this double compilation album focuses on the most triumphant part of his career, and not one of his hits is missing, even to the point where it seems too obvious a selection, mostly because there already are a lot of other compilations with very similar tracklists. I suppose it’s a strategy to make the second, much more interesting part more attractive commercially, but in any case, it’s quite revealing to hear those compositions again after a few seasons of listening to artists like Stellar Om Source and Oneohtrix Point Never. Without a doubt, more than one of Jarre’s ideas have been used in hypnagogic pop, although with less grandiloquence and more darkness.
But, as said, the second part of the CD is the truly interesting one. It’s a collection of tracks from albums and singles prior to “Oxygène” (1976), which show quite a different side to the French musician. While it was known that Jean Michel was a student of Pierre Schaeffer in his Groupe de Recherches Musicales (Musical Research Group), it was almost an insignificant piece of information due the fact that the music he made under the influence of that group drew hardly any attention at the time and that, until now, few people had heard it, which made it hard to evaluate the true importance of his episode as a student of one of the pioneers of electronica and concrete music.
The excellent “Happiness Is A Sad Song” is a surprising opening to the second CD, a song made especially for an art exhibition, that shows Jarre as a good student of Schaeffer, completely immersed in the sound of the GRM and getting the best out of it. It’s not bad at all, as a starting point for his career. A big part of what follows shows an embryonic Jarre, experimenting in different fields, like prog, on the delicious “Hypnose”, on which his preference for the grandiloquent melody that has characterised the better part of his work is already showing. “Erosmachine” and “La Cage” were on a 7” that is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting rarities of this collection. It’s a single that would now most likely be released by Ghost Box. The two songs are spot on, from the meticulous sonic design in stereo and the oppressive tone of “Erosmachine” to the rhythmic exploration and abrasive sounds of “La Cage”.
The rest of the selection focuses on the two albums prior to “Oxygène”: the soundtrack of “Les Granges Brûlées” and “Deserted Place”, an album of library music constructed basically from a Farfisa organ and an EMS synthesiser. Of the two, the most interesting moments are on the latter, as the first is somewhat more functional, despite its trademark melodic attractiveness. Those melodies have a very Ghost Box-ish flavour to them on “Windswept Canyon”, of which the placid tone is accompanied on several occasions by a bubbling rhythm and the abrasive character of the sound of the wind mentioned in the title. Many of the tracks off “Deserted Place” are short, as they should be, because it’s library music, but there are also some interesting, albeit failed, experiments, like the upbeat “Rain Forest Rap Session” or the dismissible “Music Box Concerto” and “Iraqui Hitch-Hiker”. The songs from “Deserted Place”, in general, show Jarre as hesitant and irregular, but eager to try out different ideas with a more Spartan aesthetic than what he would do later on in his career.
“Essentials & Rarities” is, therefore, an inconsistent but opportune compilation, as it allows us to clarify his little-known beginnings at a time when his music is on the rise again, thanks to hypnagogic pop and the new cosmic sounds.
My Bad
I guess I'm apologizing to myself more than to anyone else. Things have gotten a little bumpy lately and I haven't been posting here as much as I'd like to. However, I want to credit my copy of "Essentials and Rarities" for helping me get through what's been kind of a rough time. But things are looking up, and I hope to have much to share about the "Princely Wedding" in Monaco and Jarre's jaw-dropping free concert in celebration at Port Hercule!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Euronews Partnership
For the first time in its history, euronews is becoming a partner with a major figure of the music world to create a unique alliance between an international news channel and a world-renowned artist.
An extraordinary alignment of the stars must have brought about this surprising, yet natural joining of forces. The international news channel, euronews, and the world-renowned musician, Jean Michel Jarre, have decided to work together to cover a series of events, uniting their respective talents and know-how.
All Rights reserved
euronews and Jean Michel Jarre gravitate in similar directions, using the strength of images projected on the international stage. They also share common roots in the city of Lyon where Jarre was born and where euronews was established in 1993.
euronews will now accompany the artist on his European and global tours in the coming years.
The channel will be covering the release of Jean Michel Jarre's albums, including the upcoming "Essentials & Rarities," available as of Monday, 30 May 2011.
euronews will also participate in Jarre's European tour which will soon take him to every corner of the continent
Jean Michel Jarre and the teams of Euronews are exploring a whole range of collaborative projects on themes such as innovation in images, sound, the media and emerging technologies.
No Comment Live at the concert in Monaco
euronews will give a live, exclusive broadcast of the concert by Jean Michel Jarre for the wedding of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock on 1 July. The show will be rebroadcast on a special edition of the channel's emblematic programme, "No Comment Live," and on all of its media platforms. From the event preparations to the live concert at Port Hercule and the ceremony, euronews will for the first time in its history create a real media event with complete coverage of the princely wedding. The build-up in the week before the celebration and highlights including the concert will be detailed in an upcoming press release by the channel.
About the partnership, Jean Michel Jarre said, "I always watch euronews during my frequent travels around the word. I genuinely appreciate the channel and feel a close connection with the values it defends: pure information, without distortion, factual analysis and a comprehensive perspective on the world. For me, it is an incredible resource for sharing and a platform for my European projects."
Michael Peters, Managing Director of euronews, explained, "The contact with Jean Michel Jarre has convinced us that an international news channel like euronews can venture into new territory by creating such an original partnership. We have found a synergy in the uniting of two different worlds and euronews is proud to accompany Jean Michel Jarre and his team on their worldwide audio-visual explorations."
An extraordinary alignment of the stars must have brought about this surprising, yet natural joining of forces. The international news channel, euronews, and the world-renowned musician, Jean Michel Jarre, have decided to work together to cover a series of events, uniting their respective talents and know-how.
All Rights reserved
euronews and Jean Michel Jarre gravitate in similar directions, using the strength of images projected on the international stage. They also share common roots in the city of Lyon where Jarre was born and where euronews was established in 1993.
euronews will now accompany the artist on his European and global tours in the coming years.
The channel will be covering the release of Jean Michel Jarre's albums, including the upcoming "Essentials & Rarities," available as of Monday, 30 May 2011.
euronews will also participate in Jarre's European tour which will soon take him to every corner of the continent
Jean Michel Jarre and the teams of Euronews are exploring a whole range of collaborative projects on themes such as innovation in images, sound, the media and emerging technologies.
No Comment Live at the concert in Monaco
euronews will give a live, exclusive broadcast of the concert by Jean Michel Jarre for the wedding of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock on 1 July. The show will be rebroadcast on a special edition of the channel's emblematic programme, "No Comment Live," and on all of its media platforms. From the event preparations to the live concert at Port Hercule and the ceremony, euronews will for the first time in its history create a real media event with complete coverage of the princely wedding. The build-up in the week before the celebration and highlights including the concert will be detailed in an upcoming press release by the channel.
About the partnership, Jean Michel Jarre said, "I always watch euronews during my frequent travels around the word. I genuinely appreciate the channel and feel a close connection with the values it defends: pure information, without distortion, factual analysis and a comprehensive perspective on the world. For me, it is an incredible resource for sharing and a platform for my European projects."
Michael Peters, Managing Director of euronews, explained, "The contact with Jean Michel Jarre has convinced us that an international news channel like euronews can venture into new territory by creating such an original partnership. We have found a synergy in the uniting of two different worlds and euronews is proud to accompany Jean Michel Jarre and his team on their worldwide audio-visual explorations."
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
How Do I Say It In "American"?
Kind of a funny story. Indulge me.
My poor father has been searching for a replacement vehicle (new car sounds so materialistic). Since 1985 he has driven nothing but Chrysler minivans, and has sworn by them as the most efficient cars around. Unfortunately, the minivan is going by way of the dodo. My dad would just get another of what he has know if he could, but it's not an option.
So we've both been researching minivan-like vehicles for months. Finally, he's starting to like the Chevrolet Equinox (that's the tie in). But after more than thirty years of using the French version in his speech because of Jarre's Equinoxe I'm having to train him in saying the word in a way our local car dealing folks will understand.
But there's no way around it. "Equinox" just looks strange to us. "We can fix it," I told him. "We'll get a stick on metallic 'e' to the name and have the only Equinoxe in the neighborhood."
My poor father has been searching for a replacement vehicle (new car sounds so materialistic). Since 1985 he has driven nothing but Chrysler minivans, and has sworn by them as the most efficient cars around. Unfortunately, the minivan is going by way of the dodo. My dad would just get another of what he has know if he could, but it's not an option.
So we've both been researching minivan-like vehicles for months. Finally, he's starting to like the Chevrolet Equinox (that's the tie in). But after more than thirty years of using the French version in his speech because of Jarre's Equinoxe I'm having to train him in saying the word in a way our local car dealing folks will understand.
But there's no way around it. "Equinox" just looks strange to us. "We can fix it," I told him. "We'll get a stick on metallic 'e' to the name and have the only Equinoxe in the neighborhood."
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