"AT THE TIME 'OXYGENE' WAS CONCIDERED A TOTALLY 'FAR OUT' CONCEPT...
WHAT WAS 'IN' AT THE TIME WAS DISCO, HARD-ROCK, AND THE EARLY DAYS OF PUNK... AND MOREOVER, 'OXYGENE' WAS INSTRUMENTAL.
AND I WAS FRENCH!"
- JEAN MICHEL JARRE
Most people I know have an idea who Jean Michel Jarre is, perhaps because I've been playing his music over the speakers for the past 35 years. The few who do not know who he is get to hear Oxygene IV, and then everyone knows who I mean.
As a 12 year old looking for good music, I was introduced to Jean-Michel Jarre's amazing soundscape in 1985 through his Concerts in China album. Through Arpegiator I was sold. The following year, his concert in Houston was broadcast on television and the fascination was complete. At first I tried to get hold of the entire catalog, preferably on vinyl, as it was this format it was all about for me in 1986 and the collection was growing. As the years have passed, the interest has increased along with new records and concerts. See my collection here. The collection is getting bigger and bigger and the number of concerts is increasing. Until now I have attended nine concerts, mostly in Norway, but I have also seen him live in Denmark and Sweden.
I have been a member of the Norwegian fan club (JMJFKN) for a number of years, which is the longest living fan club to date.
A dream came true in the spring of 2008 when Jean Michel Jarre was on his Oxygene tour and visited the Oslo Concert Hall. My brother and I showed up early outside the artist entrance in hopes of meeting my idol for decades. Finally he came driving in, surrounded by security guards, but still Jarre took his time to talk to us. Shook his hands before he took the pen and signed my Oxygene and AERO CD. Exchanged a few words where I welcomed him to Norway. He was as nice as everyone says he is, and he took his time.
After the concert, we lined up again outside the artist entrance in the hope of seeing him again before he went on. Now suddenly there were many more fans waiting. In the end, he comes out, along with Francis Rimbert, who unfortunately comes a little in the shadow of the boss. This time I have to stand in line to take a picture with him, before he signs the newly purchased Oxygene poster. The interest did not diminish from this. This page is therefore dedicated to Jean Michel Jarre, his work and being an amateur collector.
SHORT BIO
Jean-Michel André Jarre; born 24 August 1948 is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and new-age genres, and is known for organising outdoor spectacles featuring his music, vast laser displays, large projections and fireworks.
Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and grandparents and trained on the piano. From an early age, he was introduced to a variety of art forms, including street performers, jazz musicians and the artist Pierre Soulages. He played guitar in a band, but his musical style was perhaps most heavily influenced by Pierre Schaeffer, a pioneer of musique concrète at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales.
His first mainstream success was the 1976 album Oxygène. Recorded in a makeshift studio at his home, the album sold an estimated 12 million copies. Oxygène was followed in 1978 by Équinoxe, and in 1979, Jarre performed to a record-breaking audience of more than a million people at the Place de la Concorde, a record he has since broken three times. More albums were to follow, but his 1979 concert served as a blueprint for his future performances around the world.
Several of his albums have been released to coincide with large-scale outdoor events, and he is now perhaps as well known as a performer as he is as a musician.
As of 2004, Jarre had sold an estimated 80 million albums. He was the first Western musician officially invited to perform in the People's Republic of China and holds the world record for the largest-ever audience at an outdoor event for his Moscow concert on 6 September 1997, which was attended by 3.5 million people.
Photo©François Rousseau
NEWS
LATEST ALBUM
OXYMOREWORKS is a collection of collaborations with other artists, spanning a broad spectrum of electronic genres. The nine track body of work comprises re-works of tracks from Jarre’s 2022 album ‘OXYMORE’. Each track has been meticulously composed and produced by Jarre in direct collaboration with each featured artist, resulting in a distinctive new version that showcases the collective artistry of both musicians.
Speaking about the collection, Jean-Michel Jarre said: “OXYMORE held a special place in my heart, as it embarked on a truly unique sonic journey. With the profound joy of collaborating with fellow artists, much like my previous venture, Electronica, I aimed to foster a fresh perspective on my music. I extended my hand to musicians whose distinct talents I believed would infuse an intriguing dimension into each track. OXYMOREWORKS stands as a testament to the art of collaboration; a vibrant collection of musical dialogues.
Tracklist
01. Brutalism Take 2 - Jean-Michel Jarre & Martin Gore
02. Epica Extension - Jean-Michel Jarre & Brian Eno
03. Brutalism Reprise - Jean-Michel Jarre & Deathpact
04. Epica Take 2 - Jean-Michel Jarre & French79
05. Synthy Sisters Take 2 - Jean-Michel Jarre & Adiescar Chase
06. Epica Maxima - Jean-Michel Jarre & Armin van Buuren
07. Sex in the Machine Take 2 - Jean-Michel Jarre & Nina Kraviz
08. Zeitgeist Take 2 - Jean-Michel Jarre & NSDOS
09. Zeitgeist Botanica - Jean-Michel Jarre & Irène Drésel
SEE MY COMPLETE COLLECTION
Since I first heard of Jean Michel Jarre in 1985 I have grown i little collection of records, singles, videos, posters, t-shirts etc.
WANT TO KEEP UPDATED ONLINE?
JARRE ON INTERNET
There are many resources online to keep you updated on Jean-Michel Jarre. It all comes down to what you want to know.
To visit his official webpage, go to www.jeanmicheljarre.com.
Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube.
Watch the Social section.
I often frequent Discogs.com to look for used records. I have put my record collection there, and it is interesting to se an aproximately value of your records. A 'want' list alerts you if rare records are avaliable.
eBay is also being used to look for gems. Most of my purcases come from eBay. See my collecting page.
There are a lot of Facebook fan pages to follow from around the world. A great way to keep updated.