Jarre Week!

In our latest installment in what has unofficially quickly become 'Jarre Week' at Vive le Roq, here's a great video for Equinox 5, a track that could probably be described as "The other Jean-Michel Jarre tune that people recognise after Oxygene IV'.

Have to again marvel at the quality of the video, very much a product of a different era. In some ways it reminds me of some of the Abba videos from the 70s, with the 'turn and look at the camera' shot, the beach, the horse (videos from this era always seemed to feature a horse for some reason) and you've got to love anyone who can rock a cravat in a music video.

There are probably hipsters in an expensive loft apartment trying to recreate the look of this video for a project as we speak, using words like 'retro-futurist' and 'naif-modernist.' Good luck to them, they'll struggle to get close to the originality that's gone into this.

I think that both Oxygene and Equinox are outstanding work and I reckon this era of Jarre's music put the focus on his music, before the attention was diverted more to the showmanship. Not to do down the Jarre live experience, far from it, as events the size of those he's been involved in are little short of extraordinary. Just that I've always thought that there was more to Jarre than a laser/light show and these two albums make that clear.

Looking forward to seeing him in an arena sized venue. I've seen video of the La Defence and Houston gigs and while the video is pretty great, I suspect those attending the events might not have exactly been up-close enough to see the man himself, the audience being so big that most of those there were probably in a different arrondisement to the stage.

Still, I reckon the shots in this video of the modernist buildings look pretty good, as do the shots of the synths set up in the woods. Had it been me, more shots of modern buildings with the Equinox figures peering out of the windows, with more shots of Jarre walking about the area. Some crimes against fashion perhaps, but in his defence there were far worse things going on in the music world at the time. But lets not try to get too clever and just enjoy the way the future used to look.

Jarre v Penguins

Thinking a lot about Jean Michel Jarre at the moment, on account of his forthcoming Glasgow gig. Mostly along the lines of the 'why have I never actually gone to see him before' kind of thing.

I mean, given the size of the audiences to some of his gigs at Place de la Concorde and La Defense, never mind in Moscow, a sizeable proportion of the population of Europe must have been to just these three gigs.

Anyhow, been going back over Oxygene (obviously) and came across this priceless little video that really works well for Oxygene IV. Sometimes the simplest ideas really are the best. Two minutes and 51 seconds that will make your life that little bit better.

Nice juxtaposition of the ultra-futurist music with a very lo-fi visual aesthetic, optimistic sounding music with an environmentally aware message. Love it.

I'm on my second copy of oxygene these days, but my CD seems to have vanished. No doubt sitting happily in a box with the Faust CDs I've been trying to find for a workmate.

More Jarre on Vive le Roq very soon, including possibly a very exciting Jarre event before the gig in October. Fingers crossed it all comes together, but "very exciting" is the understatement of the year...

Antisocial 2010

Came across this great version of the trust classic, video is quite well done as well, on account of some of the early footage of Sarko I'd never seen before. Almost beyond parody.

Bernie looking older than he did back in the day in the brief interview clip, but Nono looking strangely well preserved.

Trust are probably the reason beyond all others that this blog exists, as without Trust I'd never have got into French music at an impressionable age. I'll write more about them again soon, with some more clips.

As it says in the youtube description: "Tout évolue...mais rien ne change."