Blah Blah Cafe, the Jean-Michel Jarre forum

[nexxxus]

an excellent work to decode the masterpiece

[Dr_Jones]

Ha, I just got this in the recommendations! Gonna jump into it immediately!

[1906]

Oxygene: Decoding Jean-Michel Jarre’s Synthesizer Masterpiece

[shadow]

It's a fascinating listen, but him explaining time stamps, signatures and whatnot boils down to basically this for me:

[nexxxus]

Yes, that's my point of view too... it's cool to see this decoding... but it's too short and light... No analysis of the rhythms for example.
But it's always a pleasure to discover this timeless standard even today.

"Oxygene" is life, essential and fundamental.

[Dr_Jones]

He also quickly steps over Oxygene 3 and the 2nd part of Oxygene 5.

[Jote]

I skimmed through this and seems pretty pointless to me. He basically tries to play along and imitates 3 synth sounds. Not much is "decoded" (whatever that means). We have (or used to have) members here that would do a 1000% better analysis. This guy does it 95% just for the views.

[Richard-Eastham]

I really like Dr Mix videos. His enthusiasm and sense of humour are great. He also has a clear and obvious admiration for all the artists he explores in his videos. He has a lot of respect for the creativity and ideas he shares with the viewer, making known that this is somebody else’s work. It might not be too detailed or a deep decoding – only JMJ can do that for us, and let’s keep the mystery, shall we? – but for a half hour watch, this is great.

The Planet Jarre podcast with Matt Berry (to promote the album of the same name) had that brilliant little bonus episode, the sounds of Oxygene. In the studio, JMJ took the ‘raw’ sound of the Eminent and bit by bit in real time, he added the filters and processes to get that distinctive, wide soundscape. Hearing it happen there and then in front of your eyes ears was really special.

[plate of chips]

Dr Mix trying to Jam along to bits of Oxygene shows it is the preciseness minimalism simplicity of Oxygene makes it stunning. As well as Oxygene's synthesis sound design.

Even some of the most famous composers in history from Classical to Jazz to 1940s 50s 60s oscar winning Hollywood composers, Vangelis, would have messed it up because they would added too much.

[Richard-Eastham]

As somebody who is not trained in music, I really enjoyed the section where he explains what's going on in Oxygene Pt 2 e.g. how the initial melody has 'gaps' that are filled with a repeated note; that what follows sounds like an improvisation but it's highly organised; and how the 'tension' created by that middle section is then resolved.

This is how the long-established European ‘rules’ of music are being applied in Oxygene but when orchestrated with a synthesizer that makes sounds that can’t be found in nature, you get this exceptional sounding ‘space’ music.

[Dr_Jones]

Thans to JeromeTV for bringing this youtube comment to my attention. It's by Michel Geiss:

I just discovered this video and watched it. Thanks to Doctor Mix for his enthusiasm and for highlighting the Oxygene album. It brings back my memories of working with Jean-Michel Jarre in 1976. It was 2 years earlier that he had been given my telephone number following my presentation of the ARP 2600 for the AES (Audio Engineering Society). I confess I still wonder how I ended up working on such a legendary album!

I had noticed that, apart from the single Oxygene 4, the contents of the album were little known. Hence the interest of this analysis. In fact, I've heard a number of criticisms of this single, often described by musicians as simplistic.

I thought it would be useful to add a few details.

First, the technical context of the recording.

The recorder was an 8-track Scully. In today's unlimited-track environment, it's not uncommon for projects to reach several dozen tracks. But... each of the 8 tracks contained several parts, some of them completely different. Consequently, to achieve the final mix of one side of the vinyl, we worked in sections. Each was made up of pieces of magnetic tape cut with a razor blade and assembled with adhesive tape. And as console automation was not yet available in 76, mixing was done in real time with several pairs of hands. Each person was responsible for his or her own work, and couldn't make a mistake or they'd have to start all over again!

One of my roles was to take care of the recordings, and in particular to make “on-the-fly” pick-ups of sections to be re-recorded, the "drop-ins". Jean-Michel had also consulted me on the structure of the single. My experience of music fairs had enabled me to advise him on the purchase of new instruments when he was looking to expand his sound palette. And so RMI's Harmonic Synthesizer entered the studio. Its arpeggiator forms the basis of Oxygene 4. And it's also this arpeggiator, plugged into Electro Harmonix's Electric Mistress flanger, which makes the chorus sound on the single.

It's also quite fair to say that JM Jarre's signature sound was largely the result of combining the strings of the Eminent 310 with Electro Harmonix's phasing pedal, the Small Stone, also for Equinoxe. in principle intended for guitarists (the guitar had been Jean-Michel's 1st instrument in his rock band). But Oxygene's sound is also largely derived from the use of the Revox tape recorder as an echo chamber. During the recording sessions, the Revox was constantly running. Then, during mixing at Studio Gang, the same Revox was used with the same settings.

Yes, Doctor Mix at 7"36 is indeed an imitation of an opera voice, played on the VCS3, which Jean-Michel humorously called ‘Arlette’ (the female first name).

As for the sounds of noise, they come from three sources, two analog and one digital. One, heard mainly on the A side, is produced by the VCS3. The granular sound evokes the sound of pebbles on a beach. Another noise sound is produced by the ARP 2600. Well done Doctor! And at 28"37, you were right to mention cutoff movements on the filter. Jean-Michel had also entrusted me with this role and directed me like a conductor! I also created the seagull sound you hear in this part. I certainly had a good mastery of the 2600. And finally, the other noise sound in Oxygene 5, this one rhythmic, comes from the RMI.

Of course, Jean-Michel Jarre could very well have given these explanations. But given his many activities, I'm not sure he'd have the time. And given the interest of this video, I thought you might like these details.

And thanks to Doctor Mix, who, thanks to this video, has enabled me to tell this important part of my life story. Michel Geiss

[Jote]

It might not be too detailed or a deep decoding – only JMJ can do that for us, and let’s keep the mystery, shall we?

Are you seriously telling this to a guy who spent 5 YEARS recreating that Ethnicolor Dead Sea mix, Richard? ;>

[Richard-Eastham]

It might not be too detailed or a deep decoding – only JMJ can do that for us, and let’s keep the mystery, shall we?

Are you seriously telling this to a guy who spent 5 YEARS recreating that Ethnicolor Dead Sea mix, Richard? ;>

Your Ethnicolor Dead Sea mix is EPIC!!! An incredible piece of work

In terms of the "mystery" of Oxygene, I was referring to the inspiration, the intentions and the origins of the music on the album. These are things that only JMJ can reveal. The arrangement, the musicology and the structure can be assessed by anybody and I think Dr Mix discussed these things rather well.