Les chants magnétiques

by

Jean Michel Jarre

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"les chants magnetiques" is a first JMJ album that was created with digital synths and fairight synthesiser. It sounds really more modern that his previous albums like "Oxygen" or "Equinoxe".

The first four parts including 17 minutes long epic part 1 and funky part 2 (which is absolute jarre classic tune) are almost flawless. Each track flows perfectly into another. The whole atmosphere of "les chants..." is much more de-humanized than "equinoxe".Some wierd samples of machines,trains,clocks...cold synths...if you will switch this album on soon you will become addicted to it...soon after about 30 minutes we have also a part called "the last rumba" (part 5).well...hm...definitly it is wierd ending. at the beginning it can annoy you.it sounds like it was played on toy synthesiser.but compared to the whole concept of "les chants" which is about reality surrounded by technology and chaos,this last part becomes deeper.like it is a sign of commercy and supermarkets.

"Les chants magnetiques" is a really good album (not including last track).definitly if you will turn it up loud and relax you will discover a whole new world of sonic delight. Well to put it in few words - definitly on of Jarre's best moments

Of the eight JMJ albums I have, this is my least favorite. The melodies are not that compelling and the sound textures are a bit odd (the digital sound effects don't seem all that interesting). I bought this after listening to Les Concerts En Chine (The Concerts in China), in which JMJ performs all of these pieces live. I much prefer the live performances, which are not dramatically different but seem to have more punch than the studio versions.

Oxygene is still his best, with Oxygene 7-13 an admirable follow-up. Chronologie, Equinoxe and Rendez-Vous are consistently rewarding, and I also like some of the tracks on the 2000 disc, Metamorphoses, a somewhat radical change of pace. But this disc just doesn't ring my chimes.

Trivial pursuit: I'm curious as to why Les Chants Magnetiques is translated as Magnetic Fields. Chants is songs or tunes; champs is fields. Both words are pronounced exactly the same, but it's hard to imagine that JMJ would get confused, as French is his native language.