BlahBlahCafe - Jean-Michel Jarre forum

A short history of electronic music: the instruments and innovators that defined a genre

Jean-Michel Jarre must have felt pretty alone in the 70s. While Emerson, Wakeman and Downs were playing synthesisers like be-cloaked keyboard wizards, and the ’League and Cabs were exploring the machines’ innards like scientists, Jarre just wanted to create pure synth music, with lush melodies, chords and memorable tunes; nothing too experimental, but nothing too noodly. He wanted to use early sequencing, and he wanted to be popular without the pop, and with the album Oxygene, he certainly got what he wished for.
This masterpiece recording, and the Oxygene single (part IV), were his introduction into the big league. Recorded with, among other classics, a VCS3, ARP 2600, Eminent 310 and Korg Mini Pops in Jarre’s kitchen(!) it stands up as one of the defining albums in electronic music, yet really exists in a sole category marked ‘Jarre’. There’s Vangelis’ and Wendy Carlos’ soundtracks, yes, and there’s popular synth music, but then there’s the enigmatic French composer stuck somewhere in between. Or, indeed, everywhere else.
He now straddles soundtracks and EDM (see his much later collaborations), he still has hit records, he can play to millions of people in ridiculously huge open-air concerts. He uses a ‘laser harp’ ferchristsake!
Yes Jean-Michel Jarre, with his adoption of every technology, old, new and possibly not even invented, and his ability to dabble in just about every electronic genre is, very probably, the ultimate synth musician. He is out of place in time, both physically and musically, but he certainly deserves his own chapter (or at the very least, this box for now) in the history of electronic music. Actually all music, come to that. A true synth music legend.

Source: https://www.musicradar.com/news/short-h ... onic-music

Wow! Look how history is being kind to JMJ. This sort of adulation would be unthinkable in the English music press just 15 or 20 years ago. He was derided by pretty much all music journalism. I recall scathing reviews of the Paris La Défense video release, the Images (Best of) album and the Chronologie album. There has been an amazing shift in attitudes since. Why is this?

I also recall a scathing review of his Monaco showcase to promote Metamorphoses, with the journalist intimating that his legacy was weak compared to Kraftwerk. In response, JMJ said something like ".... well, let's see in 20 years time shall we?" which was a very pithy comeback and quite prophetic. He's garnering proper recognition now.

Richard-Eastham wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 6:42 pm Wow! Look how history is being kind to JMJ. This sort of adulation would be unthinkable in the English music press just 15 or 20 years ago. He was derided by pretty much all music journalism. I recall scathing reviews of the Paris La Défense video release, the Images (Best of) album and the Chronologie album. There has been an amazing shift in attitudes since. Why is this?

I also recall a scathing review of his Monaco showcase to promote Metamorphoses, with the journalist intimating that his legacy was weak compared to Kraftwerk. In response, JMJ said something like ".... well, let's see in 20 years time shall we?" which was a very pithy comeback and quite prophetic. He's garnering proper recognition now.

Ah yes, I remember that article. Always out for a duel, the British press. Beatles vs. Stones, Oasis vs. Blur, JMJ vs. Kraftwerk

In the Netherlands, JMJ was not treated well in the press in the 90s. It was during Oxygene 7-13 that things turned in a more positive light. Most of his albums in the 00s and 10s were reviewed positively, which is a stark contrast of the albums before that.

I remember the Mojo award. I think that was 2010? There were some at that time who thought it was a joke (!) but that was a turning point I think.