Jean-Michel Jarre announce ‘OXYMOREWORKS’

Jean-Michel Jarre announces ‘OXYMOREWORKS’, a collection of collaborations with other artists, to be released on November 3. The nine track body of work comprises re-works of tracks from his 2022 album ‘OXYMORE’, some of which have been revealed over previous months. Each track has been meticulously composed and produced by Jarre in direct collaboration with each featured artist, resulting in a distinctive new version that showcases the collective artistry of both musicians. The album spans a broad spectrum of electronic genres and includes the hypnotic, expensive techno of ‘SEX IN THE MACHINE TAKE 2’ with Nina Kraviz, the cinematic ‘SYNTHY SISTERS TAKE 2’ with Adiescar Chase, the warm, uplifting progressive opus of ‘EPICA TAKE 2’ with Marseille-based Electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist French 79; ‘EPICA EXTENSION’ with Brian Eno; ‘BRUTALISM TAKE 2’ with Martin Gore; and ‘BRUTALISM REPRISE’ with Deathpact.

The collection also features ‘EPICA MAXIMA’, a collaboration with Armin Van Buuren. The two artists have previously worked together on the hugely popular track ‘Stardust’, which appeared on Jarre’s 2015 album ‘Electronica’.

Speaking about the collection, Jean-Michel Jarre said: “OXYMORE held a special place in my heart, as it embarked on a truly unique sonic journey. With the profound joy of collaborating with fellow artists, much like my previous venture, Electronica, I aimed to foster a fresh perspective on my music. I extended my hand to musicians whose distinct talents I believed would infuse an intriguing dimension into each track. OXYMOREWORKS stands as a testament to the art of collaboration; a vibrant collection of musical dialogues."

To mark the announcement of ‘OXYMOREWORKS’, Jarre reveals his collaboration with French techno producer Irène Drésel. ‘ZEITGEIST BOTANICA’. The new version of ‘ZEITGEIST’ sees the two artists create a multi-layered narrative with otherworldly rhythms and spacious, mesmerising synths.

“In the German language, "Zeit" signifies time, and "Geist" represents spirit,” explains Irène, who draws on these meanings to infuse in her interpretation of the original version of ‘ZEITGEIST’ with a profound sense of the eternal.

She goes on to explain, “Jean-Michel and I have created a version that still has a soul and dives the listener back in time. This rework features a narrative composed of ruptures while infusing a hypnotic dimension with techno overtones. The sound of Pierre Henry’s breath gives rhythm to the track, like an instrument from another world, another space-time.”

OXYMORE, released in 2022, was crafted as a tribute to the French roots of electronic music which has had a major influence on the music production of the genre over the years. OXYMORE is also an homage to the late French composer Pierre Henry, an iconic figure in electronic and classical music, and one of Jarre’s influences at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) where he studied. OXYMORE was released in October 2022. Conceptually it is his most ambitious and groundbreaking album to date, and the first commercial release of this scale which fully utilizes multichannel and binaural sound (spatial 3D). Jarre produced, composed, recorded and mixed in 360 degree audio in the "Innovation" studios at Radio France.

Jean-Michel Jarre has also recently collaborated with Renault to develop unique new sounds for the car manufacturer's future electric vehicles. Some of the sounds Jarre developed were inspired by tracks from OXYMORE. Additionally, as part of the collaboration with Renault, a new version of the legendary track Oxygène 4 was created, merged with ‘EPICA’ from OXYMORE. The new version will be available commercially soon.

OXYMOREWORKS IS RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 3.