Blah Blah Cafe, the Jean-Michel Jarre forum

[Pat Gleeson]

I've personally given up on JMJ / Aero releasing anything worthwhile as a bonus anymore. He just doesn't get it or see any value in releasing supplementary extra material when reissuing his past albums. He seems content in either re-recording older material or releasing new material for anniversary reissues. The few extras he has released have been confined to compilations (where Moon Machine got a CD release) and are generally excellent, and only whet the appetite more. I'm as frustrated as anyone - I would love outtakes, 12" versions, vault recordings etc. but JMJ has been very consistent on this, so it's best to keep our expectations realistic.

[Richard-Eastham]

I've personally given up on JMJ / Aero releasing anything worthwhile as a bonus anymore. He just doesn't get it or see any value in releasing supplementary extra material when reissuing his past albums. He seems content in either re-recording older material or releasing new material for anniversary reissues. The few extras he has released have been confined to compilations (where Moon Machine got a CD release) and are generally excellent, and only whet the appetite more. I'm as frustrated as anyone - I would love outtakes, 12" versions, vault recordings etc. but JMJ has been very consistent on this, so it's best to keep our expectations realistic.

Ineed, all of the above. I can imagine the conversation:

- Hello, M. Jarre. It’s the 40th anniversary of Zoolook this year. Would you be interested in releasing a special commemorative version of the album?

- Yeah, sounds good. What should we do?

- Well, how about a double disc, with the first disc containing a remastered version of the original album and the second disc full of demos, outtakes, effects, the 12 inch mixes and extra tracks from that era that remain unreleased? We can accompany all this with various short films, including a “making of” video, with you explaining what it was like working with the CMI Fairlight, how you worked with all those different voices, and with Laurie Anderson, Marcus Miller and more. And why did Zoolook get a clever and cool video with robots while Zoolookologie got the most dreadful cheesy video, almost the opposite. Total mystery! It was a landmark album, a total break from the Oxygene, Equinoxe and Magnetic Fields era. It deserves something special.

- No, just stick Moon Machine on it, call that a brand new track and re-release it.

- What, the same Moon Machine that’s been available for over 30 years?

- Yes, that one.

[Domestos]

At the very least, I hope that the "[JMJ] personally re-mastered the originals" part could be referring to something akin to the 2007 Oxygene New Master Recording, where for example the bubbling transition to Oxygene 5 starts (or rather, becomes more audible) at a later point than in other versions, thus making it very unique.

(Sadly, it also has bad stuff like some of the effects in Oxygene 1 sounding like they were played off a bad tape, but still )

I think we all know that we’ll be getting the version of the album we already have, but with the dynamic range squashed out of it. Oh and a new old track added on.

[shadow]

I'm curious about Moon Machine, the wording is rather poor since it can be read as both that Moon Machine is a new track to the album as well as there being a new version of Moon Machine. We'll know soon enough when the streaming version releases, but if it's the original Moon Machine, then I'm purchasing a train ticket to France, visit Jarre at his home, knock on his door and slap him in the face and leave again. Because good lord...

I've personally given up on JMJ / Aero releasing anything worthwhile as a bonus anymore.

Gotta wait for the next compilation, only chance we have apparently.

[Jote]

- Well, how about a double disc, with the first disc containing a remastered version of the original album and the second disc full of demos, outtakes, effects, the 12 inch mixes and extra tracks from that era that remain unreleased? We can accompany all this with various short films, including a “making of” video, with you explaining what it was like working with the CMI Fairlight, how you worked with all those different voices, and with Laurie Anderson, Marcus Miller and more. And why did Zoolook get a clever and cool video with robots while Zoolookologie got the most dreadful cheesy video, almost the opposite. Total mystery! It was a landmark album, a total break from the Oxygene, Equinoxe and Magnetic Fields era. It deserves something special.

- No, just stick Moon Machine on it, call that a brand new track and re-release it.

- What, the same Moon Machine that’s been available for over 30 years?

- Yes, that one.

I mean short films, interviews are actual work.

HOWEVER, simply throwing extra tracks like Zoolookologie from 2017, Ethnicolor from 2017, extended Zoolook/Zoolookologie... that's almost NO WORK AT ALL. They are all there and ready to go. Just master them and put on the media or online. This should be the bare minimum. Studio outtakes/demo versions would be the next level.

I'm curious about Moon Machine, the wording is rather poor since it can be read as both that Moon Machine is a new track to the album as well as there being a new version of Moon Machine. We'll know soon enough when the streaming version releases, but if it's the original Moon Machine, then I'm purchasing a train ticket to France, visit Jarre at his home, knock on his door and slap him in the face and leave again. Because good lord...

You can buy that ticket now, even a non-refundable one.

[Finaero]

I think we all know that we’ll be getting the version of the album we already have, but with the dynamic range squashed out of it. Oh and a new old track added on.

I mean, yeah.

Could still be interesting if, for some reason, this "Moon Machine" turned out to be a different track altogether (maybe the last part of MFS or whtever).

(or thhedk's version)

[Synner]

Here's hoping it is a new version of Moon Machine, as the original really doesn't fit with the whole vibe of Zoolook in my opinion. Yeah, it's sample based, but that is the only thing it has in common. No vocal FX at all, unlike the rest of Zoolook. Probably why it was pulled from the album to begin with. Doesn't really fit Rendezvous either, again, different mood to the rest of that album - despite being released as a 'B' side for Rendezvous 4 single.

[Dr_Jones]

It's exactly as long as the Images version (2:58 or 2.59), so I doubt it'll be different.

[Richard-Eastham]

It's exactly as long as the Images version (2:58 or 2.59), so I doubt it'll be different.

Do you know where in the running order it will appear?

I always loved the 'short' side 1 with just Ethnicolor and Diva and then the ‘pop songs’ of side 2 with Zoolook and Zoolookologie interspersed with the experimental – the forever fascinating Wooloomooloo and the bonkers Blah Blah Cafe. Ethnicolor II is the perfect way to close, offering a symmetry to side 1. Sticking Moon Machine on the end of side 2 is both obvious and too easy. Slotting in the middle somewhere will disrupt an otherwise perfect album.

[Finaero]

It's exactly as long as the Images version (2:58 or 2.59), so I doubt it'll be different.

Oh. Nevermind then.

@Richard-Eastham Seems to be the last one https://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B0DKTVD5MQ/

[Jarrepeggiator]

the forever fascinating Wooloomooloo and the bonkers Blah Blah Cafe.

Blah Blah Cafe is just a masterpiece in my opinion, very underrated. It was a great idea to name this forum after this track. Wooloomooloo is simply cathartic, elements from some Australian native tribal ritual, floating ambient sounds and the more 'technological' vocal elements makes it somehow really old and really new/innovative/progressive at the same time, but also very spiritual and modern/technological at the same time. It's definitely a top 10 Jarre track in my book.
The jazz-funk avant garde weirdness of the former and the Aboriginal worldbeat influence of the latter gives an extra organic factor to the more technological, musique concrete inspired sound design, which - in my opinion - elevates it even further than the 'space' vibe of Oxygene and Equinoxe, which makes Zoolook the greatest Jean-Michel Jarre album and quite possible the most creative electronic album of all time.

[Dr_Jones]

Did someone download the exclusive track where Jean-Michel Jarre is talking about the album when you "pre-order" the album on the streaming platforms? Total length is 3:33. Some things we knew, some things I didn't (he talks briefly about the album sleeve and Mark Fisher). Also, he's working with David Perreau on this... O_o

Apparently, there will be more of these things in the coming weeks.

Also, just saw the vinyl is a limited edition. Wonder how many copies.

[Richard-Eastham]

Did someone download the exclusive track where Jean-Michel Jarre is talking about the album when you "pre-order" the album on the streaming platforms? Total length is 3:33. Some things we knew, some things I didn't (he talks briefly about the album sleeve and Mark Fisher). Also, he's working with David Perreau on this... O_o

Apparently, there will be more of these things in the coming weeks.

Also, just saw the vinyl is a limited edition. Wonder how many copies.

I don't use streaming platforms so can't pre-order. Why did he mention Mark Fisher? I know he worked with Fisher Park on the stage design for the Concerts in China (pre Zoolook) and Houston (post Zoolook) but Zoolook wasn't linked to any live performance.

[shadow]

Do you have to 'pre-save' or actually pre-order? I genuinely have zero interest in purchasing a digital version of this album when the last bunch of (re)masters were trash tier on all fronts.

Also, he's working with David Perreau on this... O_o

Not too surprising, he's been doing the (re)mastering for two decade by now.

[Dr_Jones]

Yeah, you have to "pre-save" and then you get the audio file.

https://forms.sonymusicfans.com/campaig ... y_presave/

Fisher worked with JMJ on the design of the sleeve, for example the design of all the alphabets.