Jean Michel Jarre and many various other artists.

We've waited a long long time for this! The first studio album from Jean Michel Jarre since the inauspicious 2007 'Teo and Tea'. Hell, I've even liked that one, even if most people, including the creator, have disowned it.

My association with Jarre goes back many years, to when vinyl was still king and 'Equinoxe' (1978) was still fresh. For me, that was my first album played on repeat, until the thing damn nearly wore out. I've still got a vinyl copy of an Equinoxe/Oxygene double set somewhere. Since then, I've got pretty much all the studio albums as they were released. Latterly, there's not been so much activity, but we were heartened to hear that a new album was on the way earlier this year.

Since then, there's been a slowly building wave of pre-release hype, limited edition tracks, 'making of' interviews and more. I've tried to avoid most of this to keep my experience of the album as untainted as possible.

For this one, it turns out it's not a solo album. He's collaborated with a great many other artists who are considered as either pioneers in the electronic genre, or else bring a unique defined contribution to it. So you get a mixture of famous names like Tangerine Dream and Vince Clarke, more contemporary but less mainstream artistes such as Gesaffelstein and Boys Noize, past collaborators from olden times like Laurie Anderson, and a couple of frankly odd ones, in that category we have Pete Townshend and Little Boots.

I guess it's supposed to represent a distillation of the unique musical moments that can be created with the best of all of the partners in this enterprise. Still, less talking and more reviewing is needed here.

The following is a track list with some impressions and observations for each of the artistes.

1. "The Time Machine" (with Boys Noize) 3:54

A distant electronic choir kicks off proceedings. This is a promising opener with lots of little Jarre tweaks, there are far off echoes of laser harps and past albums with an insistent beat to the fore. The energy level builds and builds to the end. This first track sticks faithfully to the 'best of both' brief.

2. "Glory" (with M83) 4:12

We get a quieter and slower start to the second track to calm things back down again. Ethereal vocals are strong in this one. The track picks up pace midway. This has a more contemporary poppy and dancey feeling with very faint traces of electronica streaked through it.

3. "Close Your Eyes" (with Air) 6:15

I'm surprised this hasn't been done before. 'Air' are a natural for a Jarre joint effort. It's completely different from the first two again. Starts off with lots of electronic beats and bleeps, then drops into a wistful vocoder drenched soundscape made by Air. It's a success of a track. A lovely blending of the gentler Air style stiffened by a firmer backbeat.

4. "Automatic. Pt. 1" (with Vince Clarke) 3:06

A punchy and sharp track to start the first part of the Vince Clarke joint effort. It's not Erasure and we're a long way from Kansas! This one blends the two artists in together seamlessly. This part one is the overture to the second part below which continues as if naming track 5 wasn't needed. Not sure why this was not one track?

5. "Automatic. Pt. 2" (with Vince Clarke) 3:03

Kicks up a gear from part one and Jarre is confidently to the front now. However, Vince pushes back with greater intensity going into the track. It smells and feels like a classic track with both giving their best. For me, it's over too quickly. This would be even better stretched out and expanded into a twenty minute track from here. See my further thoughts at the end of this review.

6. "If..!" (with Little Boots) 3:13

Next up is a nice track with an unusual choice of artist for Jarre to collaborate with. Little Boots gives her best on vocals. I'm not sure if this is really part of this album? It is a break in mood from what has come before. We do have a superior pop song though, which can be enjoyed on its own merits.

7. "Immortals" (with Fuck Buttons) 4:24

This is a favourite. A echoing wall of sound kicks this off and it just gets better from there. We have a soaring glory of a sound track that embodies the ambition of this album. It would be a great demo tune! It's one of the top tunes of the album, perhaps joint top with 'Stardust'. I would love to hear an extended version of this.

8. "Suns Have Gone" (with Moby) 5:55

We are presented with a picture perfect Moby track for the eighth track, with his characteristic melancholy vocals backed by a perfectly matched electronic soundscape. This track would do really well in a new Moby Album. But I'm not quite sure where Jarre comes into play on this one?

9. "Conquistador" (with Gesaffelstein) 3:09

This is the one track I did partially encounter in a pre-release state during the build up period. The thought that the Master and promising apprentice are playing together, leaps immediately to mind. An ominous growling launches into a pitch perfect grittier darker toned Jarre tribute, which ends perfectly.

10. "Travelator (Part 2)" (with Pete Townshend) 3:10

A high energy dance track which works surprisingly well with the choice of collaborating artiste. Pete Townshend scrubs up like an older gruffer Vince Clarke. There's lots of neat bleeps and acid squiggles, who can object to acid squiggles? I certainly don't! There were three parts of this, part two has turned up on the album. A separate release of all three parts together has been hinted at by Mr Jarre.

11. "Zero Gravity" (with Tangerine Dream) 7:12

Slows back down again with a splash into a pond of reflective sounds. The track slowly builds up and builds up with a melancholy lyrical quality in the background. It is also a track with posthumous creator credits, as Edgar Froese passed away after it was recorded. The rainfall at the end is somewhat prescient?

12. "Rely on Me" (with Laurie Anderson) 2:54

An aptly titled track with a reliable previous collaborator. Laurie Anderson is more lyrical with her vocals and the track as a whole. Maybe we're more familiar with her vocal style since 'Oh Superman' and her contribution to 'Zoolook', but this feels less novel than previously. She's been described as a 'Sensual Female version of Hal 9000'.

13. "Stardust" (with Armin van Buuren) 4:37

This one is for the win! A perfect combination of both artists at their best can be found here. The energy levels are at full trance. In my view, this could be one of the top tracks of the album. These two should definitely work together again!

14. "Watching You" (with 3D of Massive Attack) 4:09

Starts off with disconcerting static noises. As the track develops, there's an otherworldly feel with harsh upfront beats and synths and slightly twisted vocals. A distinctive, indeed unique contribution that refuses to conform to the norm.

15. "A Question of Blood" (with John Carpenter) 2:58

A film orchestra style to start with, from the man who brought electronic music to Hollywood. It gains wings and flies away to freedom from the middle part onwards.

16. "The Train & The River" (with Lang Lang) 7:13

This is one that could have done with a longer track length to let it breathe a bit more. It's very atmospheric and great at storytelling, with inspired use of a upstaging piano blended in with a palette of electronic sounds and chords. This deserved some extra length to add more weight to the up tempo 'train' part and to build on that further. It's still a good one to finish Part One on.

Total length: 69:2

So how did we find this one?

You mean you didn't read the track notes above?! Go back to the start and read the article properly!

Some artistes on this album are clearly a better fit than others on this project. I would add there there wasn't a duff track or anything that was horribly out of place. Just that a couple of the artistes came up with something that would fit their respective styles perfectly, but did not quite seem to be a part of Electronica.

If Jarre is doing another collaboration after this one (there is a part 2 to come next year). He may be better to get a few of the more style compatible artists to work with for a longer contribution. I'd suggest choosing from Vince Clarke, Van Buuren, Gesaffelstein and Fuck Buttons to collaborate on twenty minute's worth each. The sort of length that you would get as an old fashioned vinyl album side.

As we got it here, a few scant minutes per artist felt a bit like a greetings card from the artists concerned. Their contribution being over and done with almost as soon as it was getting going. Lovely to hear, but leaving you wanting more.

(I do note that he seems to have done a three parter with Pete Townshend, for which we're still awaiting the rest of it!)

Conclusion..

After too long a time away, it's a welcome return to form from Jarre, with friends. (Hang on, I thought you said you liked Teo and Tea?! - Ed note.) He has said his next studio album will be a solo project, so we'll have to wait and see how that turns out. Not so long for the next time, we hope.

And one more thing..

I only found out when this was released, there's going to be a Part 2 out in Spring 2016 to feature Gary Numan. Now this is going to be interesting! I am looking forward to what that one will bring.

CiH - For Maggie 25th Anniversary Issue - Nov 2015.

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