Oxygene 3

[jancivil]

at one time, about all I knew of Kraftwerk was Autobahn, and this picture probably on that record's cover of some very Kraut-y sorts. I figured I do not like it, Sam-I-Am.

Much later I found out about their early work, which used guitars and like ghetto said, and from a now opened-up perspective I find them kind of fascinating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBbyS6ihmcM

[HunterKiller]

To be fair, many of the sounds in the original Oxygene, Equinoxe, Rendezvous etc. and Zoolook are quite dated.

Just out of curiosity's sake, what specific sounds on those albums do you think are dated?

[himalaya]

If I were to rank his best albums it'd probably be something like this:

1) Oxygene
2) Equinoxe
3) Magnetic Fields
4) Zoolook
5) Concerts in China

Everything after that is meh IMO.

That's exactly the list I would make.

These albums make Jarre who he is, at least for me. Beautiful, evocative classic electronic music, with some sublime sounds, a lot of which haven't dated, again, to my ears.

Whether Jarre is a product of privilege and luck (I bet it helped to have had a famous film-music-scoring dad) is immaterial, since these albums are a mark of true talent (to my ears), as cheesy as it may sound. All I can do is wax lyrical since this is pure nostalgia...

So...Oxygene 3...let's have a listen....

[HunterKiller]

I bet it helped to have had a famous film-music-scoring dad

Actually he had no contact with him whatsoever, during the 70's or early 80's. They only relatively recently reestablished contact. Before Maurice passed. So his father's influence or even financial support was non-existent. Jarre has spoken candidly about this very thing, several times.

[foosnark]

To be fair, many of the sounds in the original Oxygene, Equinoxe, Rendezvous etc. and Zoolook are quite dated.

Just out of curiosity's sake, what specific sounds on those albums do you think are dated?

The slap bass on Zoolook immediately comes to mind; it's Totally 80s (tm). And the quasi-vocal "ah" sounds that come in at about 3:45 in "Diva." There is some brilliant and unique sounding stuff going on with that album, but a lot of it is also very obviously 80s pop.

On the earlier albums, string machines are everywhere. Korg Minipops. That "singing" lead sounds in Oxygene Pt 1 that sounds like pure Tomita. And a lot of the composition and overall sound design is pretty easily placed in the 70s-80s, though not quite as much as Fast or Carlos from that time. It all has more of an orchestral approach than most more recent electronic music.

I'm not saying dated is bad

[ghettosynth]

I bet it helped to have had a famous film-music-scoring dad

Actually he had no contact with him whatsoever, during the 70's or early 80's. They only relatively recently reestablished contact. Before Maurice passed. So his father's influence or even financial support was non-existent. Jarre has spoken candidly about this very thing, several times.

Well, you guys are obviously bigger fans than I am. I wasn't really talking about his father's fame, which I also know nothing about. In any case, not feeling Oxygene 3.

[himalaya]

Interesting, didn't know about Jarre and his lack of contact with his father...more kudos to JMJ then for relying on his own resources, whether financial (to secure all those instruments) or tutelage (Maurice Jarre also used synths so must have known a lot that he could've thought to Jarre).

[Numanoid]

He happened to be taken by synthesizers in a time where that wasn't all that common. I think, for example, that had he been interested in classical piano that nobody would have ever heard anything about him.

Well, you can say that about Kraftwerk as well.

Not really. Kraftwerk released several improvisational albums with traditional instruments prior to their more successful synth work. I don't think that their paths are similar at all really. In any case, I'm not of the mind that Kraftwerk is overrated. YMMV.

I don't get your point.

Oxygene wasn't his debut or anything.

Les Granges Brulées and Deserted Palace from 1973 are quite different from Oxygene

[Numanoid]

Interesting, didn't know about Jarre and his lack of contact with his father...more kudos to JMJ then for relying on his own resources, whether financial (to secure all those instruments) or tutelage (Maurice Jarre also used synths so must have known a lot that he could've thought to Jarre).

I think one of the most important people in Jean Michel's career is Francis Dreyfus.

Like Daniel Miller at Mute, Dreyfus was very good at getting the product of his label out to a wider public.

[himalaya]

On the earlier albums, string machines are everywhere. Korg Minipops. That "singing" lead sounds in Oxygene Pt 1 that sounds like pure Tomita. And a lot of the composition and overall sound design is pretty easily placed in the 70s-80s, though not quite as much as Fast or Carlos from that time. It all has more of an orchestral approach than most more recent electronic music.

I'm not saying dated is bad

I understand what you are saying, although, in my mind, I differentiate most of those sounds between vintage/retro, which still find their use in contemporary music, and 'dated' sounds, which are too 'cheesy' (for a lack of a better word) to use in music nowadays. So, string machines, evidently retro mono/poly synth sounds and various vintage drum machines are still relevant today (although, not sure about the Minipops! hehe!) but stuff like a typical DX7 electric piano, or the sampled Shakahuhchi flute, the Firlight Orch Hit, and other 'such' sounds are of the 'dated-do-not-use' variety.

There are sounds in Oxygene 1 which to this day are fresh and very original, and unlike typical filter sweeps and zaps of other contemporaries (I'm obviously generalising here so forgive me, would hate my post to be micro-quoted into oblivion, as happens so often on KVR). For example, Oxygene part 5 has this mellow lead line which sounds like some 'hybrid' reed. It's a very plain sound on the surface but it fascinates me. The sound and how it was played, simple line, I know, but it's magical:

https://youtu.be/AAM3uIlyHG4?t=6m28s

[Numanoid]

This single sold 117 copies back in '71. La Cage sounds like a Percussionist suddenly struken by Parkinsons when accidentaly colliding with a Buchla repairman in an elevator

Erosmachine sounds like it was the next Autechre single.

I think Jean-Michel has his retro cred in order no doubt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eZqmoIWK-I

[Equinoxe1978]

Here are my thoughts. Oxygene3 is good, not great. It's for the die hard fan only I think. But I believe JMJ when he decided quickly to do the album in 6 weeks. I don't think it is a cash-in, in fact I think the release has been low profile considering the name attached.

[Equinoxe1978]

I've having to split up my post due to spam filter. Not sure what is causing it.

As for JMJ background, as stated his father had very little to do with him. He left the family home to moved to do soundtracks and started a second family.

[ghettosynth]

This single sold 117 copies back in '71. La Cage sounds like a Percussionist suddenly struken by Parkinsons when accidentaly colliding with a Buchla repairman in an elevator

I do know of those records, but you shouldn't waste energy trying to convince me. I think that he's overrated and I don't think that it's worth discussing at length.

[Equinoxe1978]

When he was a kid he played guitar in a band and loved British bands such as The Who, but was interested in electronic music as well. As stated he did a couple of very basic sounding albums with limited equipment before deciding to sell his guitar and amp and buy more keyboards. I gather hearing the Dr.Who theme was an influence (I've always thought Oxygene 7 had that sound).