«I don’t believe being unconventional is a conscious choice; it’s simply part of your character,» states the French artist, reflecting on his long-standing ambition to make sound accessible to everyone.
Presented by GRAMMY.com, Living Legends is an editorial series that honors musical icons and recognizes their unique legacies and continued influence on culture. GRAMMY.com recently spoke with Jean-Michel Jarre, whose contributions have significantly shaped electronic music and set numerous records.
Jean-Michel Jarre exemplifies that age is merely a concept.
The 74-year-old electronic music icon remains as eager and passionate about music as young artists embarking on their first album tours. For fifty years, Jarre’s career has radiated a spirit of creativity.
His rise to international fame began with the 1976 album Oxygéne, which was among the first to exclusively employ synthesizers for three-to-four-minute pop songs. The second single, «Oxygene, Pt. 4,» combined previously unheard bubbly synth sounds with distinct melody and structure, elevating both technology and electronic music to unprecedented levels.
In the following decades, the global music scene acknowledged Jarre’s groundbreaking work, making him a sought-after collaborator. He has teamed up with classical composers like Hans Zimmer, dance genre veterans such as Detroit techno legend Jeff Mills and trance icon Armin Van Buuren, alongside collaborations with Moby and up-and-coming artists like the unknown project, Deathpact.
However, Jean-Michel Jarre’s influence surpasses his musical catalog; he constantly redefines what electronic music can represent in both listening and live experiences.
He’s created hybrid instruments like the laser harp and has set records with performances for crowds exceeding a million on various occasions. Jarre has also transcended geographic and cultural limitations with his shows; in 1981, he became the first Western artist to perform in post-Mao China. Recently, on November 25, Jarre commemorated the 40th anniversary of these landmark concerts with The China Concerts, a remastered collection of live recordings from those five events.
Nonetheless, this year, Jarre is focused on more than reflecting on his impressive past. His 22nd album, Oxymore, released in October, is described as the «first commercial release of its scale» to harness multichannel and binaural sound across production, composition, recording, and mixing. This immersive 3D audio allows listeners to feel enveloped by the music — a vision Jarre has harbored since witnessing Chet Baker play trumpet in Paris at age 10. Developed in Radio France’s «Innovation» studios, the album pays tribute to the late Pierre Henry, Jarre’s mentor and a forerunner in electronic music.
Jarre has also created a VR world based on Oxymore called Oxyville, hosting several performances in the metaverse. During a digital meet-and-greet with fans and avatars, he recalls, «one girl was incredibly enthusiastic, asking numerous questions and bouncing around.» Jarre shares from his home in Paris. «Through our conversation, I learned she was quadriplegic, and it was her first concert experience, where she danced all evening.»
This kind of interaction fuels Jarre’s excitement for what lies ahead in his career. It’s not just about technology; it’s the magic of generating shared creative experiences with others.
«Who cares about the technology? When you dine out, you don’t worry much about the kitchen or how the food was prepared. You simply enjoy the meal or not; the same goes for music or art,» Jarre comments. «Mystery is essential. My son is a talented magician, and the last thing I want to know is how he performs his tricks. It’s a joy killer.»
Jarre continues to seek that magic. He discussed with GRAMMY.com his two new albums, his enduring experimentation, and the evolving (or persistent) role of art and culture over the past fifty years.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
I understand you began experimenting with music as early as eleven using a secondhand tape recorder. Have your feelings about musical experimentation changed over time?
When I started at 11 or 12 with the secondhand tape recorder my grandfather gifted me, I became infatuated with it. I recorded everything throughout the day and sometimes into the night, unaware that it would connect to my future in music.
One day, I played the tape backward and felt as if aliens were communicating with me, which ignited my recording passion. I began participating in local rock bands with friends, recording my guitar and organ, manipulating those recordings by reversing them and altering speeds to experiment freely with sound.
Then, upon discovering the Groupe de Recherches Musicales in Paris, one of the pioneers of French electro-acoustic music, I realized that some individuals were reimagining music by integrating noise and sounds. It was truly revolutionary — a game-changer in music.
While I followed American and British rock bands that resonated worldwide, I believed there was more to explore. These times coincided with a student revolution, where rebellion against the establishment was embraced, and electronic music represented a rebellion against rock norms. We endeavored to discover a distinct voice in unconventional ways, often utilizing limited technology, conducting field recordings, manipulating sounds, and crafting DIY synthesizers by repurposing radio station oscillators.
Today, whether in hip-hop, rock, pop, or techno, we all incorporate sound effects into our music. We have all evolved into sound designers alongside music producers. Currently, the rise of immersive technology and environments marks another transformative phase in my career.
Does that urge to innovate in music continue shaping your forward path as an artist?
I don’t think being unconventional is a deliberate choice; it’s part of who you are. I’ve always pursued new ideas and tools. Technology has often dictated styles, not the other way around.
Without the invention of the violin, Vivaldi wouldn’t have made music with it. Similarly, the 78s from Elvis Presley’s era dictated short, three-minute tracks that were suited for juke boxes. The pop single format evolved alongside radio, not vice versa. The relationship between technology and culture remains essential in music production.
My fascination with new techniques stems from the beauty in music production, often resulting from a creative hijacking of technology — taking tools not specifically designed for musicians and bending them to our will. We’re all thieves in that regard.
This brings us back to the idea that true artistry often challenges the past.
(Electronic music is) likely the world’s most popular genre, yet it still retains an underground essence. Every new musical movement has faced rejection from its predecessor. The first jazz faced skepticism from classical musicians, and early rock artists were dismissed by jazz musicians.
When I entered electronic music, it stood in stark contrast to established rock. Many rock figures dismissed electronic devices as mere machines without authenticity as instruments. Decades later, those very devices continue to be labeled as machines.
All these signs illustrate how electronic music still embraces its underground identity, tethered to a rebellious spirit in sound and music production.
Reflecting on the «machine-instrument» dynamic, you’ve created the laser harp, which undoubtedly qualifies as both a machine and an instrument.
Precisely. It’s a cultural consideration. What defines an instrument? A saxophone is a remarkable piece of technology. A clarinet, too, showcases sophistication. Both are machines — acoustic and manual. They, too, carry the label of being machines.
For Oxymore, you were the first artist to conceive and produce an entire album utilizing 360-degree audio. How do you feel about your current use of technology in music?
(I don’t identify as) a tech enthusiast. I’m not particularly drawn to technology for its own sake. Just like you wouldn’t expect a pianist to fix a piano, my focus lies in how my music interacts with space. Even during the creation of Oxygéne, I sought delays or reverb to expand the soundscape.
We culturally experience music mainly in a frontal manner. When composing for an orchestra, you visualize the ensemble before you. In a studio, speakers face you. At a concert, the sound system is placed in front of you, maintaining this frontal relationship. Stereo sound does not occur in nature — communication is essentially mono, as is the singing of birds. Our environment and our ears shape the auditory perspective.
Today’s advancements allow us to return to a more innate experience with sound, and for the first time, we can immerse ourselves within the music. This is a completely disruptive phenomenon.
Much of modern spatial audio is initially created in stereo and later manipulated, but my music for Oxymore was crafted in space. Positioning each element of my arrangement in surrounding speakers represents a transformative approach, akin to moving from painting to sculpture.
Can you explain how you conceived and composed this record using spatial audio?
I began my work in my studio utilizing a 5.1 speaker arrangement, which facilitated spatial sound placement. Next, I transitioned to Radio France Internationale, known for its advanced studio featuring 36 speakers, allowing precise sound adjustments.
You may wonder, «that’s intriguing, but who can listen to it?» The answer is significant.
Binaural audio, originally designed for film, was not meant for music. It required adaptation to produce a convincing binaural experience that closely matches the feel of real surround speakers.
The binaural format is crucial because it truly democratizes immersive sound. With standard headphones and any smartphone or laptop, anyone can access this immersive experience. As we embrace forwarded technologies in the metaverse and VR, as well as immersive sounds in electric cars, it’s evident that this technology represents the next evolution.
I firmly believe that in five or six years, we’ll regard stereo sound with the same nostalgia we attribute to our grandparents’ gramophones.
I also believe that the new genres and artists emerging in hip-hop, punk, and future pop will depend on this groundbreaking technology, just as all previous styles of music have relied on the tools available to music producers.
For more insights: What Is Immersive Audio?: How Engineers, Artists & Industry Are Changing The State Of Sound
Your first profound experience with music occurred at age 10 when Chet Baker played for you. Fast forward to today, and you’re performing in VR environments with 360 audio, immersing audiences in sound. How do the physical experiences of VR and spatial audio compare to your time with Chet Baker?
In many ways, they are quite alike. I perceive our connection with art as inherently organic, rooted in emotions and physical sensations. When I recall the moment with Chet Baker and felt the instrument’s air against my chest, it was purely a physical, organic feeling.
Similarly, VR is a means of projection; reading a book is the first VR experience, where you imagine characters and immerse yourself in a fantasy. VR extends this further by allowing your digital self to enter a virtual world, yet it remains emotional and organic.
While performing in VR, I engage my physical instruments, yet if I’m in front of avatars that are real human representations, I still sweat and experience nerves or joy as if performing live. It’s remarkable how quickly you forget you’re in a virtual space because genuine emotions still resonate physically.
The social aspect often gets overlooked in discussions about the metaverse. Many conflate it with cryptocurrency, associating the metaverse solely with commerce.
In reality, VR holds tremendous creative and poetic potential, providing a platform for individuals to craft their worlds from their living rooms. For the past twenty to thirty years, artists have been able to produce, compose, and share their music using just a laptop. This potential will likewise arise for VR, enabling young artists to create their own fantastical realms from home.
As you celebrate 40 years of performances in China, which exemplify how music fosters unity, how do you perceive your role as a prominent musician amid today’s strife?
Raised by an extraordinary woman, my mother was a prominent figure in the French resistance. She often emphasized that ideology should never overshadow humanity.
I believe we must reach out to places where freedom of speech and expression are limited. More than ever, culture should function as a Trojan horse.
The beauty of VR is that individuals from countries like Iran or North Korea — as long as they possess a headset or laptop — can experience concerts held in New York, Paris, or London.
Looking back, my concerts in China stand out as extraordinary. It was as if I were performing on the moon for both sides. At that time, people had virtually no knowledge of Western culture. I brought a stage project that was revolutionary from a Western viewpoint — incorporating electronic music, lasers, and concepts that were unprecedented. Yet, for the Chinese audience of that era, it must have been nothing short of astonishing.
Your enduring career, culminating in this 40th-anniversary album, is remarkable. When reflecting on your artistic journey, what insights do you glean?
The key takeaway is the power of curiosity. With every new project comes the opportunity to reset. I approach each endeavor as if I’m a beginner again. Past achievements no longer belong to me; what intrigues me now is the future. As long as that excitement persists, I believe I’ll continue on my path.
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Fuente original: www.grammy.com
Publicado originalmente el 2022-12-08 08:00:00 por
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