Jean Michel Jarre
Oxygène 7-13

Despite having (almost) the same title as the debut album, "Oxygene 7-13" contains completely new material. Jarre dedicates this work to Pierre Schaeffer, the pioneer of musique concrète who passed away in 1995, whom he had met in 1968 and whose Groupe de recherches musicales he had been part of for a few years. Thus, Jarre looks back at the time of his first work, "Oxygene," released in 1976 and divided into six parts, and more than twenty years later, in 1997, he pays tribute to himself with this album structured in seven new episodes (7-13).

At several points, the music of "Oxygene 7-13" recalls that of the predecessor album: in the choice of sounds, in the structure of the tracks, and in the overall atmosphere that permeates the listening experience. And also, importantly, in the use of the same keyboards that were featured in 1976, which have since gone out of production: the synthesizers that Jarre dusts off for the occasion are the ARP 2600 (which for electronic music is the equivalent of the Fender Stratocaster in rock), the VCS3, the AKS, alongside Eminent and Mellotron. To these vintage synths, he adds instruments of the new generation so that the sound does not seem dated but rather meets the new expressive needs without denying itself.

For those familiar with the first "Oxygene," it's fun to listen to this kind of sequel and trace the passages that more or less directly refer to the old album. A clear example is the third track, "Oxygene 9," which revives the sounds and structure of the predecessor's beginning; while the last track, "Oxygene 13," is a melancholic electronic ballad that recalls the conclusion of the old work, both for the rich melodic theme and the bustling percussive backdrop.

But citations and references are scattered all over "Oxygene 7-13," and it's not important to recognize them all: because this is an excellent album in itself, a traditional electronic style compared to the innovations brought by other protagonists throughout the '90s, yet still a captivating listen.