Blah Blah Cafe, the Jean-Michel Jarre forum

[Robi83]

What you think, is it likely JM is working on new material?

Style-wise, what is your tip the new album will have?

[Dr_Jones]

Hmm, I think he's in the Oxymore cycle, I mean, it's been October since that one's released.
But there's stuff on the shelves (like the The Eye & I music) which, judging the trailer, sounds a bit Oxymore-ish, and probably some more France:Info jingles.
For a proper new album, I don't expect anything soon. Maybe in 4-5 years or so.

[nexxxus]

The next for a New RENDEZ-VOUS, 3 years to wait?
Why not a live performance... so many past concerts that have not been edited or a non'stop 4 hours live compilation !!! (what Planet Jarre lacked as such an important section in his career!)

[Robi83]

Anyway there is silence for a while now...

What to expect about possible tour, for example?

[Herr Dunkel]

Probably Electronica 3, which he started working on in 2019 (as heard in an interview) In 2020 a few tracks were being worked on. Apparently Marcus Miller and David Gilmour are among the musicians he had planned to work with. As a collaboration album the style will likely vary from track to track.

I hope he doesn't do a "sequel". While Oxygène 3 and Équinoxe Infinity were good, a standalone album (such as his recent output, but more melodic) would be more original and not constrained by the mandatory references to the original albums.

As for live performances, I don't think there will be any tours anymore.

[Robi83]

In an early 2019 interview, he was still planning touring.

[shadow]

We'll see eventually, I just hope we'll never have a Téo & Téa - Electronica gap again...

[Dr_Jones]

Agreed. That was strange time. A huge amount of live concerts and hardly any new music.

(2015-2017 was amazing in terms of JMJ albums though: E1, E2, O3 and Radiophonie 9)

[shadow]

I'll admit that I didn't mind the concerts during that period, the InDoors tour was awesome with some lovely new mixes of absolutely classics tracks.
But album wise, man that was so dire, it really felt as if Téo & Téa was potentially going to his final album and that was just... Weird... And I'm saying that as someone who still kind of digs T&T

[docklands88]

Whatever he chooses to put out next (a new album or a sequel album) I just hope it’s a little more melodic. For me Oxymore was a giant miss and I just cannot stand listening to it (but others seem to love it). He can continue with this modern EDM style he has appropriated however I just want something a little more melodic and optimistic.

[Dr_Jones]

Whatever he chooses to put out next (a new album or a sequel album) I just hope it’s a little more melodic. For me Oxymore was a giant miss and I just cannot stand listening to it (but others seem to love it). He can continue with this modern EDM style he has appropriated however I just want something a little more melodic and optimistic.

I'm with you. I have not listened to Oxymore much myself (still have to try the 5.1 version) and Amazonia works as background music. It's great that he has made something of the stuff he got from Pierre Henry and all in the spirit of Pierre Henry, but it's not something I put on for enjoyment.
On the other hand: as an archivist I do enjoy his output, whatever it is.

[Robi83]

Whatever he chooses to put out next (a new album or a sequel album) I just hope it’s a little more melodic. For me Oxymore was a giant miss and I just cannot stand listening to it (but others seem to love it). He can continue with this modern EDM style he has appropriated however I just want something a little more melodic and optimistic.

I'm with you. I have not listened to Oxymore much myself (still have to try the 5.1 version) and Amazonia works as background music. It's great that he has made something of the stuff he got from Pierre Henry and all in the spirit of Pierre Henry, but it's not something I put on for enjoyment.
On the other hand: as an archivist I do enjoy his output, whatever it is.

And compared to Oxygene, Oxymore is hell of a boring album.
I don't get JM motivations, don't know why he's skipping partners in studio, a good artistic collaborator, a good mastering expert and last but not least, his composing skills to make a monumental album.

[docklands88]

Whatever he chooses to put out next (a new album or a sequel album) I just hope it’s a little more melodic. For me Oxymore was a giant miss and I just cannot stand listening to it (but others seem to love it). He can continue with this modern EDM style he has appropriated however I just want something a little more melodic and optimistic.

I'm with you. I have not listened to Oxymore much myself (still have to try the 5.1 version) and Amazonia works as background music. It's great that he has made something of the stuff he got from Pierre Henry and all in the spirit of Pierre Henry, but it's not something I put on for enjoyment.
On the other hand: as an archivist I do enjoy his output, whatever it is.

And compared to Oxygene, Oxymore is hell of a boring album.
I don't get JM motivations, don't know why he's skipping partners in studio, a good artistic collaborator, a good mastering expert and last but not least, his composing skills to make a monumental album.

Yeah I pretty much agree with everything the two of you said. In my opinion Oxymore is one for the completists. It is the only Jean Michel Jarre album that I’ve found to be genuinely boring and extremely hard to listen to back to back. Even Teo and Tea held my interest more (and that’s saying something).

Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate the effort that went into the sound design and production of Oxymore as it’s a great achievement, however these things alone don’t add up to an enjoyable record to listen to. As an album it is a great technical demo.

I hope that for the next album he continues with the 3D, immersive sound design but with identifiable melodies and catchy hooks. That would be an incredible combination. Zoo look would’ve been incredible if it was designed/composed around this new technology.

IF JMJ does indeed make another sequel album then I hope it’s Zoolook 2.

[Richard-Eastham]

My thoughts on the next opus? I know this is perhaps laden with too much nostalgia, but this is what I’d love JMJ to do next:

- Single word album title, ambiguous and intriguing
- An instrumental album divided into eight parts
- No track titles, just numbers
- Track 4 the obvious, catchy melodic hit single
- Cover art by Michel Granger
- Indirect references through the visuals and the music to space, ecology, art, modernism, and futurism

And a single live performance to promote the album, in the stye of Europe In Concert or Water for Life, a sort of “pop-up” free to attend show case event in a city centre. Not on the scale of Concorde, Houston, PLD, CPLT …. those days have gone …. but nevertheless, a show that is distinctly Jarre in attitude and character and not a VR event. Consider it one last real-world celebration of a remarkable career.

The JMJ “signature approach” that made him distinctive, famous, and influential can best be found in Oxygene and Equinoxe. The closest he has got since to recapturing that mood and approach was in Chronologie. I have no issue with his experimental detours in the years in between – Zoolook, Cousteau, Oxymore. His experimentation and breaks with his own conventions are necessary as a creative person. And I am really quite fond of Oxymore, I like it a lot.

One way he has tried to recapture the mood and approach of his signature style was through sequels. But personally, I have not particularly enjoyed Oxygene 7-13, Oxygene 3 and Equinoxe Infinity. Not because of the music on these albums – which can be really good at times – but because of the concept of a sequel to a famous work is rather too easy to pull off.

I’d love a fresh new concept, a new title and new cover art. One last JMJ epic for us all to cherish.

[Robi83]

I second to all this.

Plus,
- leaving the AI and VR debate behind
- Michel Granger back!
- Michel Geiss also back!