Blah Blah Cafe, the Jean-Michel Jarre forum

[ralf]

Electronica vol.1

is not JMJ album. This is invited guests album with small JMJ part.

20% JMJ 80% invited guests.

Im still waiting for REAL Jarre album.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/8285738
"whenever I met with someone I came with a demo I did systematically in the function of the person I wanted to work with. For instance, I composed something to approach Moby by thinking about Moby's world. To approach Massive Attack I composed something thinking of Massive Attack's world. I thought, "What is the touch of this artist?"

Imagine if JmJ had asked them to compose in his styles :
they may all have said thanks sorry we only compose in our style.

It is because JmJ composed in their style : every artist readily agreed.

JmJ is showcasing how easy he finds it to compose in 30 different styles.
Also his humbleness, open mind, absence of ego : yep the attributes of Yoda

Lets just appreciate JmJs diverseness musically.

[Finaero]

Random thoughts:
* In the vinyl version, Immortals has an intro track (well, segue from the earlier track) with some machinery sounds, reminiscent of the receipt machines in Chronologie 8. Intentional musical reference, maybe?
* Anyone else reminded of Depeche Mode (Enjoy The Silence in particular) by the guitar work in Close Your Eyes?

To me , the pad sound on Immortals also brings me back to Chronologie 5, wide cold-space pad sound.beautiful with that noisy scraping evolving lead sound on top!

[matt222]

I wrote something in haste about not being impressed with this long anticipated album. I always expect too much because Jarre is a hero! ( And I'd ran out of whisky! )

Bits are growing on me now.

I like Immortals, Automatic part 2, A Question of Blood and I'd love Stardust if it wasn't for that horrid, cheesy dancefloor build thats starts at 2.37. But I guess there had to be a compromise?

[(Unknown)]

I'd love Stardust if it wasn't for that horrid, cheesy dancefloor build thats starts at 2.37. But I guess there had to be a compromise?

Here's a tip: listen to Armin van Buuren's "Rising Star" remix of "Stardust", esp. to the "dancefloor build", where the snare drum rolls are twice as fast (I guess that's how Trance music advances - you make the snare roll faster). Then, listen to the album version again - I'm pretty sure you won't call it "cheesy" ever again!

Elf, thanks for the summary. It makes sense. Can't say I'm a big fan of those transitions, they hardly seem to glue the tracks together. Someone on youtube did a "continuous mix" of Metamorphoses and it's a much better attempt than this one.

[Violator]

What about standard LP version of the album? Is it contains continuous mix too?

[shadow]

What about standard LP version of the album? Is it contains continuous mix too?

No one knows yet.

[Finaero]

Tried listening to the "3D" remixes of certain tracks. Either my headphones (AKG K271 MKII) really aren't suited for it (which is certainly not false) or it's just a gimmick that I really JMJ isn't going to emphasize later on.

In any case, the Rising Star remix of Stardust sounds far better than it did when I previously listened to it (whenever that was, in early August maybe). I do have a soft spot for trancey stuff like this, so I definitely have it on my regular rotation.

[plate of chips]

I wrote something in haste about not being impressed with this long anticipated album. I always expect too much because Jarre is a hero! ( And I'd ran out of whisky! )

Thing is much of composition is a moment thing.

Later albums from finest musicians invariably never reach their earlier.
Simply because the moment has gone.
Inspiration stayed a while then flew away.

Musical ability still there , frequently far more than before
However inspiration was essential.

JmJ had it 1976-1990 that's rather generous.
We are lucky if we have it a few years, even the Beatles had it just 1964-1970.

Two notable exceptions Beethoven, Miles Davis.
There are final hurrahs as Johnny Cash The Man Comes Around just before his passing.

I feel there are three classic albums remaining in JmJ.
Personal introspective.
We will hear them when JmJ frees himself from Sony.

[funkygreenalien]

The best tracks on the album for me (in no particular order):

Glory
Close your eyes
Immortals
Conquistador
Watching you

The rest of the album is mediocre.

[Velodynamic]

In case you didn't know the complete Electronica 1: The Time Machine is on Spotify.



If I dare to say I think this is the best album since god knows when....Rendez Vous perhaps.
As someone said erlier it's a very sprawling album. It goes nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It doesn't follow a fixed line but that doesn't have to be a bad thing.
I think you can hear traces from almost all of JMJ's albums in this project.
And boy is the Suns Have Gone a real Moby sounding track. Strings and piano sounds. As a Moby fan it doesn't matter. Just sweet music to my ears.
You can still hear the beats and background pattern is JMJ all around.
I'm a sucker for Automatic pt.1 & 2. I think it has got some Oxygene 12 over it. The collaboration with Vince Clark is very interesting.
Immortals is an other amazing track. Close Your Eyes with Air also a fantastic track.
There's so much to find in this album it will take some time to digest it all.

[Violator]

What about standard LP version of the album? Is it contains continuous mix too?

No one knows yet.

Yes, it does.

Same stamper, same matrix number, same record, 180 gram vinyl, but different labels.

[

Very bad that they didn't made two vinyl versions of the album (continuous and not continuous versions). They could sell more copies of the album if they did two versions.
And I don't like the fact that they removed some music from the vinyl version of the continuous mix.


So, at the moment we have 3 versions of the album:
1. Not continuous mix.
2. Continuous mix (downloadable and USB versions).
3. Edited continuous mix (vinyl version).

[Jote]

And I don't like the fact that they removed some music from the vinyl version of the continuous mix.

Well, when you have to change side the whole gimmick of "transition" is gone, so it kinda makes sense.

On the other hand the transitions in "Continuous Mix" are hardly seamless (there's too much room between previous track fadeout and "transition")...

[matt222]

Wow, how this album has made me realise just how stagnant and narrow minded MY expectations were when it came to what a ' new Jarre album might sound like '

The first thing I wanted to do this morning was get this album on. The more I listen to it, the more energised I become musically. It's woke me up and with the exception of the last track, I'm loving it.

I don't agree with comments suggesting his collaborations somehow dillute the Jarre ' authenticity ' of the album.

All his previous, early works which we all hark back to involved other people from Michel Geiss who had an enormous involvement programming sequences, sounds etc to all the other musicians, musical advisors etc through whom he derived inspiration. Dominique Perrier writing solos for him for instance.

Every track clearly, has Jarre's direction and control - they're his tracks through and through.

Oxygene, Equinoxe, Magnetic Fields, Zoolook all involved completely new instruments that made sounds we were yet to hear - sequenced music was new -that can't be repeated again.

But he's done it for me with Electronica - it's the first Jarre album in a long, long while that I WANT to play. And hurray, I'm hungry again - I can't wait for part 2!

[shadow]

Going by the image the Vinyl is, once again, properly mixed. Anyone by any chance already have a full rip?

[Finaero]

I've got one (hasn't been separated to individual tracks, tho'), recorded with my PRO-JECT DEBUT CARBON DC OM-10 PHONO USB. Wish I had an amplifier and better equipment, but eh, it's good enough for now.