Jean-Michel Jarre Sounds He Was to Make
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INVESTIGATION time around, Jarre says, he wanted the cover artwork to inspire the Jean-Michel Jarre sounds he was to make. ‘I decided that I would ask a The prince of synths talks high-end hi-fi while premiering his new album young artist from Prague called Filip Hodas, whom I met on Instagram, RIGHT: French to do two covers for the new album, electronic music one in green and blue to symbolise pioneer Jean- a peaceful, harmonious future, the Michel Jarre other reflecting a world that was explains the more apocalyptic and dystopian. concept behind The album is the soundtrack his new album, to both these futures, with Equinoxe Infinity, some parts sounding more before playing uplifting and poppy and it to invited others more dark.’ journalists and As such, on its release guests at the on November the 16th – 2018 Audio 40 years to the day that Video show in Equinoxe hit the shelves – the Warsaw, Poland new album will be available in one of these two sleeves. Only they are to be shipped out at random, so buyers are unable to choose which one. A comment that our future lies TOP: Jarre lines studio with some in the hands of fate rather than our up the source up-to-date software power to change it? files before the and I even used premiere of instruments during the recording of that company’s other products. PICK ’N’ MIX Equinoxe Infinity process that didn’t even exist when For those who want me to get really When it came to the recording of I started it. One example is a small geeky about the process, I’m also Equinoxe Infinity, Jarre says the ABOVE: Ableton instrument called the GR-1 Granular using a plug-in for delay called Echo end comprising a Vivaldi DAC, came to sales, peaking at No 11 in project was special in that he used Live on a laptop Synthesiser made by a company Farm from Line 6, which until very Upsampler, Clock and CD/SACD the UK album charts, the LP has now a mixture of analogue and digital in a typical small called Tasty Chips Electronics, which recently was available only for the Transport. ‘It’s a system I really provided the springboard for Jarre’s instruments. ‘I think it was 50/50. home studio I discovered on Kickstarter. I was Pro Tools digital audio workstation. enjoy listening to,’ he says, latest venture – Equinoxe Infinity – When I started recording I thought really lucky to be sent the prototype But now you can use it in older units, ‘and that’s rare.’ his 20th studio album to date. it would be cool just to use the RIGHT: The delay and have included this on the album. so I take advantage of that. I use A pioneer of popular ‘I was always intrigued by the analogue instruments that I had plug-in Echo Farm ‘I also use a lot of native many others too.’ synthesised music, Jarre sprung cover of the Equinoxe LP,’ he employed for the first Equinoxe from Line 6 instruments as well as software plug- into public consciousness in explains, ‘with its strange creatures – album. But then I reconsidered and ins and also own some quite obscure HI-DEF SOUND late 1976 with the release of his I call them the “watchers” – staring thought no, because if I was once BELOW: The instruments, such as a Hollow Sun Jarre points out that this mix of third studio album, Oxygene. ‘It out at us from the sleeve. In fact I again the young guy I was when I Equinoxe Project sampler that I inherited from a analogue and digital is reflected was turned down think it’s one of began that LP 40 years ago, I would box set contains brilliant guy who used to work a in the make-up of the hi-fi system by all the record the most striking use the instruments available today. both the original lot with Peter Gabriel. Otherwise used to play his new album. ‘I have a ean-Michel Jarre likes what companies,’ he ‘“In the studio a and intriguing ‘So I mixed some of the old and new album I’m using the Ableton Live digital laptop as my source and am running ABOVE: One of he hears. And it’s not only the would later confess. covers in the analogue equipment I have in my on LP and CD audio workstation along with many it through all this gear, which is the two covers sound of his new album, which ‘It was made in the good speaker is history of vinyl. So of Equinoxe he is playing to an eager middle of the disco a loudspeaker I decided that 40 Infinity, this J audience packed into the and punk eras and years later it would version reflecting Audiofast room at the Audio Video the record labels that you know”’ be a good idea man at peace show in Warsaw, but the very audio said, “What is it? No to pay tribute to with technology system on which it is being played. singer, no proper song titles? And, those “watchers” and ask what has (left). The record ‘My new album is a good test on top of that, it’s French!”. Even happened to them now that four label shows for loudspeakers,’ he says smiling, my mum asked, “Why are you giving decades have passed, and what will the alternative ‘because I know that it has lots of your music the name of a gas?”.’ happen to them in the future. It’s album artwork different frequencies. This means not a sequel, but a new project, illustrating that it’s hard to hear the whole STRANGE CREATURES and for me symbolises the evolution a dystopian effect on some hi-fi systems, but this Recorded in a makeshift recording of technology since I first began future in which one is highly capable.’ studio in his home, Oxygene would making music.’ machines rule He motions to the system go on to sell some 12 million copies The sleeve artwork for both the world. The LP itself: a pair of Wilson Audio Alexx worldwide. It was followed in Oxygene and Equinoxe was by comes on 180g loudspeakers, Dan D’Agostino 1978 by Equinoxe, released on the the celebrated French visual artist vinyl and is also Progression preamp and Relentless Disques Dreyfus label and licensed Michel Granger and selected by Jarre available on CD monoblocks, with a dCS digital front- to Polydor. Again no slouch when it because it reflected his music. This Reprinted from Hi-Fi News | www.hifinews.co.uk www.hifinews.co.uk | Reprinted from Hi-Fi News INVESTIGATION been convinced, from the start, that electronic music would become a major genre in the 21st century. And here we now are, and you have so many interesting things going on. ‘You know, I know a lot of people say “Ah yes, but you know we have so many things that we are actually losing something”, but I don’t agree with that at all. The great thing with technology and the Internet is that it’s allowing us to democratise music and the means of making it. These days, even if you don’t have lots of money or if you live in a remote country, you can made up of analogue and digital we have here in this room, the ABOVE: compose, record and components. It’s quite a sign of important thing is to get to know it.’ Jarre ups the distribute your album or the times we are in when it comes Some say the story of electronic volume on the music on the web. This is a big to audio replay. I started in the music is the story of Jarre himself. D’Agostino change, of course.’ analogue world and, if I’m honest, Yes, Tangerine Dream enjoyed preamp during going through the dark age of Top 20 album success with Phaedra the album’s BEYOND NATURE digital was quite painful. in 1974 while Kraftwerk even had playback and Does he create and craft his own ‘At the beginning we all a hit back in ’75 with the single (inset) fielding sounds from scratch these days or knew that digital was not very ‘Autobahn’. But when Jarre was questions from take them from a sound library? sophisticated and at times was quite wrestling to marshal sounds from an the audience ‘Basically, I steal everything I can,’ harsh in terms of ARP 2600 modular he replies with a huge grin, followed sound quality. It’s synth in his home BELOW: On by laughter from the crowd. ‘But really cool that now, ‘“We’re entering studio back in the stage in 2009 seriously, you have so many sounds even though this early ’70s, he was with a Roland around that using a sound bank, for has only happened a world of high- essentially working AX synth at the instance, is well… What I mean is in the past seven or definition sound in isolation. This is Manchester that if you like the sound of a violin, eight years, we are one of the reasons MEN Arena you use the sound of the violin and at last once more once more”’ why he has cited then you can process it. entering a world of the soundtracks to ‘Or you can think about a sound high-definition sound. I am really sci-fi movies, like Stanley Kubrick’s that maybe exists somewhere, but happy about that.’ 2001 Space Odyssey from 1968, you don’t know where, so you as being an early inspiration.