Hello everyone,
Here is a translation of another "not-so-great" review (source:
http://musique.blogs.lavoixdunord.fr/ar ... 14294.html). At least it's not a personal rant like the one in Le Monde, and the style is funny - I tried to render it in English. So here it is:
MUSIC BLOG FROM LA VOIX DU NORD
19 OCT 2015
Thirty shades of Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel Jarre's eighteen's album, Electronica 1: The Time Machine was released this past Friday. We expected more from this project, which gathers thirty collaborators, and whose second part will be released next spring.
By Pierre Bouyx
We are tempted to say that we'll have to introduce the many collaborators of Jean-Michel Jarre on this album to the elderly. To the young, we'll have to explain who is this sexagenarian who teams up with the highly rated Gesaffelstein, the ultra-respected Boys Noize or superstar Armin van Buuren.
You, young cheeky kid, know that the influence of the king of the laser harp on electronic musics is undeniable. He was a pioneer, he who opened up then unexplored musical terrains. That was forty years ago... Sébastien Tellier, Air and Daft Punk all nod.
You, respectable elder who was delighted by Giorgio Moroder's exhumation a while ago, we hear your nostalgia. Let's espouse your soft look fixated on those colossal shows at the feet of the Eiffel Tower, on the Great Wall [sic, WTF?]...
Like Mario Bros for video games, his works constitutes a cornerstone in the history of electronic music. But is not match for current productions, style being so dependent upon technological evolution.
It was a nice project. "The concept of Electronica is to gather around me musicians from different generations, artists who have influenced me, who are a constant source of inspiration, people who have marked or are still marking electronic music, gather together a kind of tribe of friends who share a vision similar to mine." By going further we could wonder whether the king of the arpeggiator is attempting to set himself up as a father figure of electro...
That's the case for some, like M83, with whom he proposed Glory, one of the best compositions of this first chapter. For the rest, he won't be able to help Air breathe new life under their Oxygène tent. He won't be able to resuscitate Moby whose singing is more emollient than ever and who manages to put us to sleep, upon soporific pads, truth be told. Worse, hearing Pete Townshend stamp ("Move your feet to the beat") can be traumatizing.
The Time Machine is as artistically disappointing as the idea was ambitious and bold. This time machine is jammed and its music all too dated.
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On another subject, does anybody have any news about Francis Rimbert? On the new album Dominique Perrier got a thank you note in the credits, Claude Samard and Joachim Garraud worked on the production. But no trace of Francis!?!?
Cheers,
HD
Concerts: 2017: Upper Darby < 2010: Lille, Liège, Paris < 1997: Lille < 1990: La Défense
