==============================================================================  JEAN-MICHEL JARRE DISCONNECTED ============================================================================== Success after success, Jarre has conquered a very large public which grows every day, and his concerts are present to remind us of that. One likes, another ones not, but no one is indifferent to his activities. Someones are fanatic, they are called in France the 'Jarriens' or the 'Jarristes'. They are always willing to buy a C note played by Jarre with an old analogic synthesizer when he has nothing to read in the W.C. (Yep, I don't know if Jarre has a bookcase in the W.C. but I've a big one at home!). Other ones are anti-all-what-he-does (Hello Mum! I love always to think that her saucepans are falling down when she hears ZOOLOOK!). At last, the third category of people (I'm livin' in) appreciates his music, with moderation of course but doesn't like to be fooled with a monstruous mediatic-din, making Jarre as a god. That doesn't prevent me to have all his albums!!! By the way, his last compilation 'IMAGES' is pretty good because it contains remixed-old-titles and some new ones (I like very much 'El Dorado'). So, why saying that Jarre is out of order? Because he is not all there since he has success! In fact, the synthesizers are better switched on than himself. I'll explain you why. Flash-back: when I coded on Amstrad computer, I had done a fanzine-disk in three parts, and in one of the issues, I wrote a very explosive article about Jarre activities. I said all the truth about his concerts and new compositions. That was a scoop for the readers, of course not for close relations of Jarre. So I re-write this article (I'm going to) with some new information. If you are part of the first category, keep cool! One of my friends knows the 'Jarre's tribe' very well, and of course it's easier to contact the compositor when you live in France. That's why I can write all these lines. Before starting, I want to specify this article DOES NOT TRY to wickedly and freely disparage Jarre, it would be stupid. But Jarre is a public man, and when someone practices the job he has chosen, his public doesn't have to be cheated. That's the law of the show-biz! Even it's a daily-hold up to ridicule-law. And you know, I like Jarre's activities too, so I want to have true informations about him. So let's go. 1/ THE LASER-HARP (Called CIRRINGE in France): This wonderful and magic instrument (better than Bontempi!) was built by a popular musician in England during the seventie's. His name is Bernard SAJNER (Once more a french-man, what a piece of chance I have, but french-people are always late with music, what a toughluck I have. Did you know that Oxygene (of Jarre), was first in the Uk-charts ? That's only AFTER that Jarre began to have success in France). Hum, back to the subject. So Jarre isn't the creator of the harp but he bought the concept to use it in the concerts or perhaps at the beginning to play with it when there is no foot at the TV. The functioning of the harp is ultra-simple (if you practice a little bit electronic), but the result is very nice isn't it? Then Jarre have built new harps with new high-tech design, but ... but ... but ... he has modified the directions for use as well (What a crafty this guy! Hum, is 'guy' a swear word?). In the beginning, every beam corresponded to a note. So the space between two beams had to be differently calculated according to a note, to recognize a C from a F (In fact, that was very difficult in use). But have you noticed now that the distance between EVERY beam is equal ? So, how can Jarre discern a C or a F note? No problemo: every note is pre-recorded in a sequencer directly linked to the harp. When a ray is cut, step by step the notes are played. But Jarre would have to be more carefull when he is on a scene: when he cut a dozen of beams whith his five hands (don't ask me why five hands), we can hears a splendid-major-chord! Have you never been puzzled seeing that? With such system, he can play with the buttock, he's sure to do no error!!! 2/ COMPOSITIONS: Are you sure Jarre composes his music alone ? You are wrong if you think yes. Let's be straight: he has really made his first albums alone (Ah if he could make another ones like Equinoxe, I'll send him chocolates). Since concerts in China (Note that he had BUILT sythesizers just for these concerts... I believe I'll send him LEGO instead of chocolates), his collaborators are now more and more important. Michel GEISS is one of them and his collaboration is very precious because he computes almost all the machines (if you think I'm speaking about washing-machine then break off!). And Jarre is a little mad since he has saw his growing-success, and sometimes he needs help for music and to stand all right too. So GEISS brings him some ideas. Jarre doesn't always appreciate and think he is is perfect! GEISS isn't perfect but he has his feet on ground. You can't imagine how Geiss is speaking about Jarre: like the title of this article: 'Jarre is now disconnected'. Jarre needs Geiss, Geiss doesn't need Jarre. So, the next time you listen JMJ, remember that perhaps you are listening ideas of... Always in this chapter, I specify that in France his album 'REVOLUTION' hab been blamed, because Jarre used the simpleness. He had composed the music when the D50 synthesizer born, and he took the sfx of this keyboard with no changes. It wasn't very serious. Do you want a good example? I hear the crowd... that's OK. In REVOLUTION part 1, at the beginning, he simply took one of the pre-definied loop of the D50 and played it with two notes espaced of one octave. That's incredible (but right). If you're sceptical, I've the parameters at home. They are for you if you want. I've found them in less than half an hour, yet D50 isn't so easy to compute than a Bontempi keyboard! I grab this chance to say that for me the D50 isn't very special. For two reasons: 1/ Changing parametres is source of stress: I hate this way to compute, I prefer directly a big pannel with alphanumeric buttons. 2/ Sounds are too set and the loops very ugly. I sincerly think that D50 is an effects-machine, very poor for the real synthese. Lucklily, Michel GEISS thinks like me (that calms mind ). A great example is the sound called DIGITAL NATIVE DANCE. Used many and many times at the TV for special productions or movies, and of course in songs. 3/ MUSIQUE POUR SUPERMARCHES / MUSIC FOR SUPERMARKETS: That's the title of the album sold on a auction in 1983. An unique album composed for the occasion. Original has been destroyed in front of usher. Jarre said it wasn't a mediatic action (hum hum) and added "this spectacularly provocative gesture was in aid of young artists, painters and sculptors". Before the sale at Drouot (Paris/France/Europe/On Earth), the record was played on a radio-station, and everyone who has recorded it on a cassette has got a treasure for his collection. This album, I've heard it. How many times? Once! About 90 per cent of the music is in ZOOLOOK album, released one year after. In fact, MUSIC FOR SUPERMARKETS is a rough of ZOOLOOK! The 'rough' has been sold for about 70000 French francs (a little less than 14000 U.S. Dollars), I had bought ZOOLOOK for 110F! I've said 90% of rough, and the rest? It's an original music build with the same musical approach than ORIENT EXPRESS (See CONCERTS IN CHINA). It's pretty pleasant and I think to make it on Amiga on exclusi- vity for UGA. And it's not very difficult to play because the chords are the same, only detuned!!! 4/ LIVE CONCERTS: That's cheerless: not a lot of things are live. I know that's a very current practice actually, but that's not a reason. Now, all the concerts are made with play-back. It's not very difficult to see it: for old albums, since OKYGENE to ZOOLOOK (and sometimes more), the tapes are playing and the musicians only bring some musical textures to drown play-back music. Otherwise, even when Jarre has got a keyboard on scene, he doesn't play. The next time you see a video of his concerts, look very attentively: you hear the play-back (same sound quality than records in studios), you hear and see musicians with drums and keyboards playing the melody, and Jarre dancing stupidly with a strange keyboard made excusively for him and playing ... playing ... what he wants. Yes, using MIDI sequences is almost necessary, but there's a limit and Jarre (many others artists too) likes to go out of these. Playback was very visible at London during Docklands concerts. It was raining and raining, the synthesizers was DIRECTLY UNDER the water, without any protection, but the music was playing: that's better than a portable Amiga!!! In fact, since a very little time, artists have to tell if musics or songs played during concerts are in live or in playback, that's why the 'tribe' of Jarre recognized that playback is very used to simplify the life. Otherwise it was bringing an action. Remember concerts of Madonna: a scandale in France. For Jarre, that's equal, but there's no bed on the scene!!!! When Jarre is on TV, in fact I see laser and others light effects, I don't look Jarre, he is less interessant. Hey, do you know that you can have your own laser at home? Yes. In France it costs less than 2000 Francs. That's CRAZY but very difficult to use because of the mirrors. It's like using X, Y and Z coordinates for vector graphics on demo!!! 5/ HIS NEW KEYBOARDS: Every one knows that JMJ (Just Means Jar ... What a joke!) likes to have beautiful(!) and strange new keyboards built especially for him. In a technic way, they bring nothing because they are only MIDI remote controls linked to slave synthesizer. One of these keyboard had a looked like an insect: very dirty, weird... Only Jarre liked it! Michel GEISS said that it was HORRIBLE to use, because blacks keys was all incurved and fingers were slidind on them. Actually he used a new and sincerly very beautiful high-tech design keyboard. It will bring nothing new, but it's only beautiful to see. I hope it incite him to play really with during concerts or TV shows. For Houston and Lyon, he had a big luminous keyboard with keys as large as man-hand! That was impossible to play on it: it was only to control pyrotechic effects. While he had fun with the lights the musicians were playing on real keyboards... I hope with all these informations fans of Jarre will not be too depressed! I have some other informations but a disk only contains 800Kb!!! I've promised to me that one day I'll try to give a rendez-vous with Jarre to have an interview. I know he's very busy, but he takes the time to eat, so he can take the time to eat with me as well! The friend I've mentioned in this article perhaps could help me in my action... I wish one day Jarre will release an album like EQUINOXE. But I believe that's not possible: now he uses acoustic instruments and the sound is not the same. Don't forget that his father, Maurice JARRE, is one of the greatest composers of movie soundtracks. Like father, like son... SOME INFORMATIONS: Next album will be based upon EUROPE, that was very simple to imagine in fact. Folklore could be included. Wait'n see... Jarre has just finished soundtrack for Cousteaus' movie. As well he wants to make his wife singing for the next albums. I'm afraid when I think about it... TWO PERSONNAL MESSAGES: I'm searching remix of EQUINOXE 4 made only for the TV. This music was played like a clip with little robots and Jarre played electronic tam-tam. I've had problems during recording. This is a very old clip. If sometimes has recorded it on video, give me a sign! I'm searching as well maxi 45 RPM of ZOOLOOKOLOGIE (from ZOOLOOK album). Impossible to find for the moment... Thanks. HIS GREATEST ALBUMS: The three following records are not available now. If you want to have them, try to contact collectors: 1969 CAGE First record of electro-acoustic music. 1972 DESERTED PALACE Second experimental record. 1972 LES GRANGES BRULEES Soundtrack of Jean Chapots' movie. (The movie is a drame played by great french artists like Alain DELON. Story is very good). Except MUSIC POUR SUPERMARCHES, all the following records are available: 1976 OXYGENE Note that MIDI norm didn't exist in 1976! 1978 EQUINOXE 1980 LES CHANTS MAGNETIQUES 1982 CONCERTS EN CHINE 1983 MUSIQUE POUR SUPERMARCHES Contact collectors or wait my module! 1984 ZOOLOOK 1986 RENDEZ-VOUS 1987 HOUSTON-LYON CITIES IN CONCERT 1988 REVOLUTIONS 1989 JARRE LIVE 1991 IMAGES A compilation called "THE ESSENTIAL" was released several years ago but it brought no new musics and it's forgotten now. If you want any other informations about Jarre, you can try in France minitel 3615 JARRE. If you want to contact me, that's OK, I like to receive letter (and to write too). And if in your country you really can't find some albums of Jarre, then I can try to help you. If you live in Norway, Sweden, Island or any other cold country, please send me postcards instead of paper! My dream is to go in such countries. If you don't really know music of JMJ, then I recommend you these albums: OXYGENE and EQUINOXE to start. Then ZOOLOOK, CONCERTS IN CHINA and RENDEZ-VOUS. If you want to know Jarre and have not a lot of money: EQUINOXE is the BEST album he has never composed. Equinoxe Parts 4 and 5 are an impressive demonstration of analogical and digital sequential programming Contact: Frédéric BELLEC / ABSYS 9 rue du cerf-volant F-03000 MOULINS FRANCE <<< END OF FILE >>> Frederic BELLEC / ABSYS - Amiga Beat SYStem ==============================================================================  JEAN-MICHEL JARRE DISCONNECTED ==============================================================================