Jean-Michel Jarre has announced a 50th anniversary reissue of Oxygene, the album that turned him into a global electronic music superstar.
Oxygene was released in France in 1976, and in the rest of the world a year later. Famously, Jarre recorded it in his kitchen using an eight-track tape machine, homemade mixing desk and a small collection of synths and drum machines. These included the ARP 2600, the EMS VCS3 and Synthi AKS, a Farfisa organ, a Mellotron, and a Korg Mini-Pops.
The anniversary edition is bolstered by a stereo remaster, along with a Dolby Atmos version that was mixed by David Kosten, Steven Wilson and Jarre himself.
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“When I created Oxygene, I was working directly with analogue instruments and tape, and the sound had a particular depth, movement and life of its own,” says Jarre. “For this anniversary edition, we returned to the original tapes with the aim of preserving that character rather than changing it.”
As music critic Alexis Petridis writes in his new liner notes, Oxygene sounded like “a curious transmission from the future” when it was released. “Jean-Michel Jarre managed to capture and tie together every extant aspect of electronica into 40 minutes of music,” he notes.
German writer Torsten Groß, meanwhile, says that “the foundation for this unique career was laid in that kitchen – with a broken Mellotron and ideas for eternity.”
The 50th anniversary edition of Oxygene will be available on half-speed vinyl, limited-edition coloured eco-vinyl, CD and digital platforms. There’s also a ‘Blu-ray mediabook’ that includes Dolby Atmos and new 5.1 mixes, the stereo remaster and archival material.
Prior to the album’s release, on 20 November, Jarre will appear as guest of honour at the Amsterdam Dance Event on 21 October. He’ll not only be performing there, but also speaking on the history of electronic music and its future in the age of AI.
Let’s not forget that Jarre has a book on the way, too. Machines: A History of Electronic Music will be released on 24 November.
