PRESS INFORMATION POLYDOR INTERNATIONAL GMBH,HAMBURG
JEAN-MICHEL JARRE (Equinoxe)
JEAN-MICHEL JARRE was born on August 24, 1948, in Lyon to a very musical
family. He began taking piano lessons at five and while attending grammar
school took classes on harmony, counterpoint and fugue composition at the
Conservatoire de Paris. As a teenager, however, he was swept up by the
English rock phenomenon and played electric guitar with various groups in
the west suburbs of Paris.
By the time he graduated from the Conservatoire de Paris, he was impatient
with what he considered conservative teaching methods and went to the other
extreme by joining the Groupe de Recherches Musicales, directed by Pierre
Schaeffer. The Groupe's work was based on a concept of music that went far
beyond the traditional musical scale to embrace all the sounds of our daily
environment.
This concept led Jarre to electronic music and he had the rare opportunity
to work with one of the first synthesizers in Europe. At 20, he felt ready
to conquer new musical worlds.
While preparing a thesis on non-European music he discovered parallels
between futuristic music and the music of the Indian, Pygmy and Amazon
peoples. Moreover, he came to believe that most present-day musical
experiments are only abstract structures, devoid of the emotion and
sensitivity| that are so much a part of true artistic creation. Once again
disillusioned, he left the Groupe de Recherches Musicales.
Satisfied neither with traditional teachings nor with the sterility of
modern experimental methods, the only courSe left open to him was to
experiment on his own and analyze his own experiences. To allow himself
maximum freedom he set up his own studio.
The debut of his first work was a sensational musical event in Paris. To
celebrate the re-opening of the Paris Opera House in 1971, electronic music
was presented there for the first time. Jarre also became the youngest
composer ever to be featured at the Palais Garnier.
All the while Jarre was becoming aware of a wide audience who was ready to
listen to, to criticize and to enjoy his music. Realizing this, he rejected
the most logical path open to him: writing music for the informed, musical
elite.
In order to reach a larger audience, Jarre turned to the mass media and the
various forms of popular entertainment. He experimented widely, writing
soundtracks for films and television, background music for airports and
stores and commercial spots.
Jarre's major breakthrough, however, was his composition and recording of
"Oxygene". The album has been tremendously successful all over the world,
with sales of over five million copies. It topped most international charts
and won 25 gold records. Jarre was awarded the prestigious "Grand Prix de
l'Acadamie Charles Cros." In 1979 "Oxygene" will be presented at the Paris
Opera House. The American magazine "People" chose Jarre as "Personality of
the Year" and the international press raved:
"A French Revolution to Rock the World" - Daily Mirror
"L'Oxygene d'une Revolution Musical" - H. Chapier - Le Quotidien de Paris
"Best Composer of the Year" - Radio & Records
"Jarre's Breath of Air" - Melody Maker
"The Hottest Music Maker" - Boston Herald Tribune
"Jean-Michel Jarre donne de l'Oxygene au monde entier" - France Soir
"The Latest Bestseller in Europe - Der Stern
"The most important musical event of the last ten years" - Playboy
What is the explanation for Jarre's phenomenal success? In various
interviews, Jean-Michel Jarre himself has explained:"I'm against every kind
of elitism. The only duty and function of an artist is to communicate."
"You can express an emotion with a violin, but also with a synthesizer. I
just employ the technology of my age. Music is not electronic - just the
instruments are." "Creation has, to my mind, only one goal: to inspire
others. My only duty is to allow others to be inspired in their own way."
Now Jarre presents his second work, "Equinoxe". Once again he is composer,
producer and musician in one.
"Equinoxe" opens up a world full of new sounds. Paradoxically, electronic
sources are used to express temperature, tenderness, breathing and dreams -
music of today, yesterday and eternity.
With JEAN-MICHEL JARRE the future begins today.
October 1978
Blah Blah Cafe, the Jean-Michel Jarre forum
