Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Serious? Committed? You Bet Your Aerobooty!
Magnetic Fields Forever has just gone from being yet another blog to having a real identity complete with tech sophisticated address.
This site can now be accessed through http://www.magneticfieldsforever.org !
If this isn't a sign of my renewed commitment and interest, I don't know what such a sign could be.
This site can now be accessed through http://www.magneticfieldsforever.org !
If this isn't a sign of my renewed commitment and interest, I don't know what such a sign could be.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
...and Emilie wanders back into the fray...
Be afraid. Be very afraid. Not only am I back at this blog type thing but my mind is percolating with fresh ideas and new confidence. Notice that in spite of my prolonged absences (still not as long as the time between albums of new music from Jarre, however) I have never abandoned this project. I'm feeling more like the lone fan out on the savage frontiers of the New World than ever, even though I've made great friends from elsewhere on this planet who have supported my lonely outpost.
I do have a good anecdote, though. Back in February I had to take my laptop in for some minor repairs. As I was talking with the tech guys (sweeties) I remembered I had to eject disc 2 of Essentials and Rarities from the machine. The guys were completely in love with the physical disc, cleverly designed to look like a vinyl record. You'd think it was the most fascinating innovation since the laptop itself!
Okay, so here we are. Let's see how things go this time. Peace!
I do have a good anecdote, though. Back in February I had to take my laptop in for some minor repairs. As I was talking with the tech guys (sweeties) I remembered I had to eject disc 2 of Essentials and Rarities from the machine. The guys were completely in love with the physical disc, cleverly designed to look like a vinyl record. You'd think it was the most fascinating innovation since the laptop itself!
Okay, so here we are. Let's see how things go this time. Peace!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Jean Michel Jarre Elected New President of CISAC
CISAC Elects Jean Michel Jarre as New President,
Expands Vice Presidency to Four Positions with
Javed Akhtar, Angélique Kidjo, Marcelo Piñeyro, and
Ousmane Sow
Appointments announced today by CISAC following conclusion of
2013 World Creators Summit
WASHINGTON, DC and PARIS, France (June 6, 2013) – In its annual meeting today, held in Washington DC, CISAC (the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) has officially elected electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre to serve as its new president. Jarre will succeed the late Robin Gibb, who passed away in May 2012, and Hervé Di Rosa, French visual artist and painter who served as CISAC’s acting president for the past year. The organization also expanded its Vice President role to four positions, enabling more territories and repertoire to be represented. These positions will go to Javed Akhtar, one of the most successful multi-platform creators from India; Angélique Kidjo, a Grammy Award-winning artist and activist from the West African nation of the Republic of Benin;Marcelo Piñeyro, an Academy Award-winning producer and director of Spanish-language films; and Ousmane Sow, a revered sculptor from the African city of Dakar in Senegal.
The appointments were announced today by the CISAC’s General Assembly following the organization’s fourth biennial World Creators Summit, the leading international and cross-industry forum addressing the future of copyright and creators’ interests.
The new President and Vice Presidents will act as the voice of the authors’ community worldwide, defending and championing the interests of CISAC, its 231 member societies and the 3 million creators it represents.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jean Michel Jarre and our new four Vice Presidents as we continue striving to create a world where creators can practice their art without fear of being short-changed,” said Kenth Muldin, Chairman of the CISAC Board of Directors. “As creators themselves, all five new appointees are well aware of the issues faced by the creative community, making them ideal candidates to carry on the legacy of our previous President Robin Gibb, who fought tirelessly for creators’ rights throughout his life. We look forward to working with them to continue the work of making his vision a reality.”
“When I first started making music, I never thought my path would lead me to become the head of an organization with such an important mission, and it is a true honor to accept the responsibility of the CISAC Presidency,” said Jarre. “Creators’ rights are up for debate all over the world, and it is our duty to ensure that they are able to maintain their control of and right to be compensated for their own art. I am excited to begin this journey with the rest of the CISAC Board, our new Vice Presidents, and all of our talented members.”
“Jean Michel Jarre is already demonstrating his strong leadership for the international community of creators, and I know he, Javed Akhtar, Angélique Kidjo, Marcelo Piñeyro, and Ousmane Sow will serve us all very well to ensure the voice of the artist is heard in the debate around the policies that most affect our lives. I look forward to working with them closely,” said Hervé Di Rosa. Di Rosa will now serve as the chair of CISAC’s International Council of Creators of Graphic, Plastic and Photographic Arts, CIAGP.
Jarre was one of the first electronic musicians, coming to international fame in 1977 with his smash #1 album Oxygene. The record has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, and Jarre has gone on to sell over 80 million albums total, including subsequent hits Equinoxe, Magnetic Fields, Zoolook, and Rendezvous. He is also a true innovator in the live-performance space, bringing his music and vision outdoors to the masses. He was the first western musician invited to perform in Post-Mao China, and he has played at the Great Pyramids of Egypt, collaborated with NASA on a Houston City concert in memory of the Challenger space crew, performed for Pope John Paul II, played in front of France’s Eiffel Tower in celebration of the country World Cup victory, and more. Jarre recently embarked on his first-ever world tour, which will took him to more than 30 countries and feature over 220 performances.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wolf in the Woman
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.
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.
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!
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