Tag: Tangerine Dream (Page 4 of 5)

QUAESCHNING & SCHNAUSS Synthwaves

9 July 2017 / electricityclub

Quality instrumental electronic music is often overlooked these days at the expense of vocal driven synth material.

The halcyon days, of when artists such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze and TANGERINE DREAM were all at their peak, are all but a distant memory. However, there are still artists that are producing quality work in this vein. ‘Synthwaves’ is a collaboration between TANGERINE DREAM members Thorsten Quaeschning and Ulrich Schnauss which utilises their enviable collection of synthesizers.

Whereas solo Schnauss has a fairly identifiable “wall of sound with Shoegaze elements” aesthetic, the link-up with Quaeschning has produced a more direct and melodic sound which, in places (unsurprisingly) references the classic sound of TD.

The start-off track ‘Main Theme’ appears to be a homage to the ‘Stranger Things’ opening music, which in itself paid tribute to TD and electronic artists of the era. From the off, the track relies on a deep resonant synth bass and sequencer lines before introducing some William Orbit-style stabs and big reverberant drum sounds. In classic TD style, more layered echoed sequencer parts raise the energy level and what makes the piece sustain interest over its 8 minute length is its continually changing chord progressions and refusal to rely on a linear approach.

‘Slow Life’ starts off with a quite beautiful ambient Eno-esque acoustic piano part drenched in a long reverb before swiftly introducing another wonderfully deep bass and hooky synth sequence. Alongside a later track on the album, the ghost of the classic ‘Risky Business’ soundtrack piece ‘Love On A Real Train’ is initially recalled here, but the introduction of phased Solina strings and guitar-like textures add a further dimension.

‘Cats and Dogs’ which relies on a vintage Oberheim DMX for its drum pattern and the PROPAGANDA lyric-pinching ‘A Calm But Steady Flow’ are pleasant enough, but come across as mid-album fillers.

Where the album really hits its stride though is in the final trilogy of tracks; ‘Thirst’ is the second track to owe a debt to ‘Love on a Real Train’. Based around a Manikin Schrittmacher sequencer part, the track’s skittering percussion and additional synth layers hit a wonderful climax at 3 minutes 17 seconds when a bass synth modulates around the hypnotic synth parts.

Although over 8 minutes in length, ‘Thirst’ never outstays its welcome and for fans of the Berlin School of sequencing, is bound to be an undeniable highlight here. ‘Flare’ comes across in part as a drum-less electronic re-imagining of a ‘Disintegration’-era track by THE CURE; its huge string synth melody sounding absolutely epic and adding in a welcome musical change to the piece. Album closer ‘Prism’ has the kind of chord progression that makes the hairs stand up on the back of the neck and ends ‘Synthwaves’ on a real high.

What’s interesting about this collaboration (and potentially exciting for the fans of the upcoming TANGERINE DREAM album) is that it must have been hugely tempting for Quaeschning and Schnauss to use the tracks here for TD. The very fact that they haven’t means that the upcoming TD release ‘Quantum Gate’ could be something very special indeed and a major justification of the continuation of the band following the passing of leader Edgar Froese.

If you are a long term fan of melodic instrumental synthesizer music and maybe haven’t been inclined to investigate what is current within this sub-genre, this album would be a fantastic place to start. It avoids a lot of the clichés of some Berlin School material and at no point does it become overly self-indulgent.

Immerse yourself in the ‘Synthwaves’ and you may never wish to surface again…

‘Synthwaves’ uses the following instrumentation and equipment:

Thorsten Quaeschning – Steinberg Cubase, Manikin Schrittmacher sequencer, Manikin Memotron, Roland Jupiter 8, Roland JD800, Dave Smith Prophet 8, ARP Solina MK2, Korg Wavestation EX, Waldorf Microwave, Moog Voyager, Eurorack Modular, Roland V Synth, Korg Z1, Korg Prophecy, Korg M1 synthesiser, Clavia Nordwave, Yamaha TG77, Roland System 1, Roland JU06, Korg MS20, Roland JP08, Roland TR-8 Rhythm Performer, Oberheim DMX, Roland Promars, Fender Starcaster, Fender Telecaster, Fender Stratocaster, Spectrasonics Omnisphere, Spectrasonics Keyscape, Screwdriver on wood and contact microphones, several boxes with contact microphones, bees in garden

Ulrich Schnauss – Steinberg Cubase and Logic Pro, Manikin Schrittmacher sequencer, Roland JD XA, Roland Jupiter 8, Roland JD-800, Oberheim OB-8, Roland System 1, Roland MKS-70, Rhodes Chroma, Waldorf Q, Microwave XT, Sonic Core SCOPE system, Ensoniq DP4

‘Synthwaves’ is released in CD, vinyl LP and download formats by Azure Vista Records, available from
https://quaeschningschnauss.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thorsten.quaeschning

https://twitter.com/PicturePalaceQ

https://www.facebook.com/ulrichschnauss/

https://twitter.com/ulrichschnauss

Text by Paul Boddy
9th July 2017

TANGERINE DREAM Particles

28 June 2017 / electricityclub

‘Particles’ is the latest double album release by TANGERINE DREAM and contains a diverse mixture of new material, reinterpretations of older tracks from their extensive back catalogue and a version of the ‘Stranger Things’ TV theme which fairly recently caught the Zeitgeist for many synth fans.

The album which originally came out at the end of last year has been re-issued by the Invisible Hands label and is available on vinyl, CD and download. A minority of long-term fans questioned the legitimacy of the band continuing after the passing of Edgar Froese in 2015, but it was the original leader’s request that remaining members Thorsten Quaeschning, Ulrich Schnauss and Hoshiko Yamane continue his vision for the group even in his absence. Although only containing seven tracks, the first ‘4.00pm Session’ sees a welcome return of a 30 minute epic improvised piece which in places harks back to the glory days of the classic Froese / Franke / Baumann era.

Interestingly, the band recorded this track in the Dierks-Studios in Pulheim where some 45 years previously they had conceived the album ‘Alpha Centauri’. After a short atmospheric introduction, a hypnotic sequencer part with Memotron flutes enters before the track lifts in dynamic with individual synth parts being filtered and poking through the mix. Around the 12 minute mark the track breaks down with growling Moog bass and Yamane’s haunting violin gliding over the top. The only criticism of ‘4.00pm Session’ is that some of the sequencer parts are a little on the thin side and lack the analogue depth of the ‘classic’ era TD ones; this aside, the track more than makes up for the ill-advised integration of almost muzak-style elements into the band a few years ago.

This return to a more improvisational and electronic approach was something that Froese wanted with the Quantum Era for the band and it’s clear that things are in safe hands with the current trio of Quaeschning, Schnauss and Yamane.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last couple of years, you would have been well aware of the massive impact of S.U.R.V.I.V.E.’s electronic soundtrack to the Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’. Taking inspiration from the original film soundtracks of pioneers such as JOHN CARPENTER, the huge exposure of the program has done TANGERINE DREAM no harm at all in re-awakening the popularity of analogue-style electronica, and in homage, the band has re-created their own interpretation here. Where it mainly differs to the original is in featuring a much more multi-layered sequencer approach and also a tempo change midway through.

Fans of the Froese / Franke / Schmoelling era of TD will absolutely LOVE this; and by resisting the temptation to go too self-indulgent on the piece, has meant that you will surely want to hit the “repeat” button once you’ve heard the track through for the first time. ‘Rubycon’ will need no introduction to many, the track featured on the 2nd album TANGERINE DREAM released for the Virgin label back in 1975 and along with ‘Phaedra’ and ‘Ricochet’, became a defining moment for instrumental electronic music. The version featured here was recorded in Windeck and has polarised some fans; the original version had a deeply unsettling and otherworldly start to it, whereas here, some of the intro sounds here are less organic and maybe a little too PINK FLOYD-ish, especially the lead brass synth sound.

However, when the sequencer and Memotron lead combo hits at seven minutes the track takes off and does sound absolutely superb; the echoed bass part underpins the piece beautifully and the slightly overdriven electric piano floats over the top with added analogue strings. There are subtle additions to the piece with extra background sequencing, but aside from some misgivings about the intro, overall this is a highlight here.

The second disc (if you have the CD) features live recordings of 4 tracks; ‘Mothers of Rain’ dates back to the Paul Haslinger / Edgar Froese era and ‘Power of the Rainbow Serpent’ is a Quaeschning composition from the album ‘Mala Kunia’. ‘White Eagle’ has always been a TD fan favourite and the version here retains most elements from the original, although the bell-like lead melody has been replaced with a violin one from Yamane that takes a little adjusting to, but does work in the overall context of the track.

‘Dolphin Dance’ from the ‘Underwater Sunlight’ album is the most uptempo and percussive-driven piece here, still retaining its cyclical bass part, it’s a welcome gear shift in energy level. ‘Shadow and Sun’ was composed by Ulrich Schnauss with Froese, and again originally featured on the ‘Maia Kunia’ album. Prompting a few “woops!” and some clapping from the audience, the track returns ‘Particles’ back to a more reflective ending. Halfway through the piece, it goes on an arpeggiator-driven detour with more (slightly out of time) clapping, before an epic pad-heavy climax brings ‘Shadow and Sun’ to its conclusion.

For many TANGERINE DREAM fans, this album will act as a brilliant ‘holding’ piece until their new album ‘Quantum Gate’ is released in September. The updates of older material in ‘Particles’ have in the main been approached respectfully / sensitively and the mix of old and new is surprisingly cohesive.

With respected synthesist Ulrich Schnauss now fully integrated into the band, there is now some genuine excitement at the prospect of more new material from TANGERINE DREAM, and despite misgivings as to how the band would continue without their legendary leader, ‘Particles’ ably demonstrates that this hugely important act shows every sign of continuing to flourish. Highly recommended.

‘Particles’ is released as a double vinyl LP by Invisible Hands Music available from https://shop-invisiblehands.co.uk/collections/tangerine-dream and still available as a double CD via Eastgate

http://www.tangerinedream.org/

https://www.facebook.com/TANGERINEDREAM.OFFICIAL

http://www.invisiblehands.co.uk/

Text by Paul Boddy
28th June 2017

ULRICH SCHNAUSS No Further Ahead Than Today

7 November 2016 / electricityclub

The new ULRICH SCHNAUSS album marks a departure for the established German synthesist in that it is the first that he has created primarily “in the box”, ie it was produced mainly using software synths rather than the enviable collection of hardware equipment which resides in his London studio.

In spite of a different work ethic, all of the Schnauss trademarks are present and correct here; from the skippy / swung drum programming through to the euphoric/uplifting synth parts and the wall of sound Shoegaze elements.

First track ‘Melts Into Air’ doesn’t mess around and soon hits the ground running in optimistic “up” mode; full of major chords and detuned / wavering synths. At two minutes in, the track takes an unexpected diversion into slightly darker territory and continues in full-pelt wall of sound mode before reaching a more chilled out conclusion. ‘The Magic in You’ betrays a little of Schnauss’ Drum ‘n’ Bass roots, with its raised tempo and offbeat drum pattern. Also featuring a male vocal buried deep in the mix, the track recalls an electronic MY BLOODY VALENTINE.

35mm-ulrich-schnauss-photoshoot-12_bw ‘Thoughtless Motion’ has an instrumental DEPECHE MODE vibe to it with some ‘Violator’-esque synth bass, analogue percussion sounds and a short burst of squelchy Roland TB303. The title track initially hinges around a selection of motorik analogue drum machine samples before lifting into an “up” bridge chord sequence. The track finally bursts joyfully into beautiful synthetic waves of sound after being joined by another distant male vocal low in the background.

With their fast interlocking synth parts and 32nd beat Christopher Franke-inspired sequencer work, the consecutive trio of ‘Wait for Me’, ‘New Day Starts at Dawn’ and ‘Negative Sunrise’ are the most TANGERINE DREAM-influenced tracks here; all give ample evidence as to why EDGAR FROESE introduced Schnauss into the band shortly before his passing in 2013. Musically, the former track’s main riff distantly recalls BRONSKI BEAT’s ‘Smalltown Boy’ whilst ‘New Day Starts at Dawn’ shifts between bell-like synthesis and ambient pad washes.

35mm-ulrich-schnauss-photoshoot-38_bw ‘Negative Sunrise’ is not dissimilar to TANGERINE DREAM’s ‘Love On A Real Train’ with melodic musical shifts cycling around a central unchanging sequencer part; three minutes in and an uplifting synth part joins the mix. Closing track ‘Illusory Sun’ has pseudo military-style drum rolls to accompany its shifting synth pads; the last three minutes of the track are super hypnotic with melody parts swamped in reverb to produce another “epic” piece.

At approximately 50 minutes in overall length, ‘No Further Ahead Than Today’ doesn’t outstay its welcome, each of the tracks are pretty direct in nature and avoid the temptation with some ambient electronica to drift aimlessly, taking ages to actually progress anywhere.

As with much of Schnauss’ work, the emphasis here is on textural synthesis rather than the more direct melodic nature of (say) JEAN-MICHEL JARRE. If there is a criticism, some of the tracks sound a little ‘samey’ in places, but repeated listens are needed to reveal the contrasting elements between the pieces.

With ULRICH SCHNAUSS’ position in TANGERINE DREAM now secured, it will be interesting to see how a) he will influence them and b) how being part of this legendary band will impact upon his own music. Whatever happens, there is no denying that ‘No Further Ahead Than Today’ is the work of a musician who is at the top of his game and will provide nearly an hour’s worth of quality listening for fans of primarily instrumental electronica.

With thanks to Sarah Puttock at Waveform Press

‘No Further Ahead Than Today’ is released through Scripted Realities

ULRICH SCHNAUSS has an in-store performance at London’s Rough Trade East on Tuesday 8th November at 1:00pm, entry is free

http://www.ulrich-schnauss.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ulrichschnauss/

https://soundcloud.com/ulrich-schnauss

Text by Paul Boddy
7th November 2016

ULRICH SCHNAUSS Interview

22 October 2016 / electricityclub

Ulrich Schnauss has over several years gained the utmost respect in the circles of quality electronic music.

After starting out within the drum ‘n’ bass genre, his work evolved into that of instrumental electronica, remixing major artists including PET SHOP BOYS and DEPECHE MODE along the way.

The consistent quality of Schnauss’ output culminated in what could be seen as one of THE ultimate accolades in electronica with him being asked to join the legendary TANGERINE DREAM.

Ulrich kindly took time out from his busy schedule to speak openly to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about his musical history, involvement with TANGERINE DREAM and his forthcoming album ‘No Further Ahead Than Today’.

Your Allmusic Biog states that Ulrich Schnauss is, and I quote, a “Slightly mysterious Berlin producer who merges the textural layering of shoegaze with rhythm-savvy UK techno beat mining”, do you feel this is an accurate character summation?

I’m never too keen on associating myself with particular genres – like most musicians I guess! However, undeniably the early 90s Shoegazing sound had a big influence on my music – and the same applies to UK techno and electronica. If someone would ask me, I’d just say that while I’m using electronic instrumentation, I’m trying to make music that tries to avoid fetishizing technology and communicates emotion instead.

You grew up in a small town called Kiel which is on the Baltic Sea, how much of an influence did this have on your music?

ulrich-schnauss_dsf1641 I’m sure it had some kind of impact – I remember talking to Andy Sherriff from CHAPTERHOUSE and he said that they tried to create beautiful music as a counterpoint to the ugliness of the place they grew up in (Reading in Berkshire).

It’s an approach I can relate to very much. if I’d grown up in a nice environment, I probably would’ve started a death metal band!

What prompted your move away from early dabblings with drum ‘n’ bass and your eventual transition into electronica?

As much as I loved D ‘n’ B throughout the 90s – towards the end of the decade, I had the feeling less and less forms of musical expression were tolerated. It was increasingly just about delivering fodder for the DJs so that they could fill the dancefloor. I’ve got no issues with dance music per se – on the contrary, however as a musician, it’s not particularly fulfilling if you’re being forced to work in a very restrictive framework.

Were you surprised by the amount of attention that your debut album ‘Far Away Trains Passing By’ gained?

Oh, yes – very much so; in fact even today I’m still surprised that many people seem to like my music.

Particularly as I perceive it as quite out of sync with any sound that could be considered hip or trendy at the moment – and deliberately so!

What were the factors that made you relocate your studio set-up to London?

I just always wanted to live in one of those cities that give you the feeling of being in a place where the whole world is gathering in one spot – and that is certainly something that applies to London.

Where many producers of instrumental electronic music are happy to go the software route, your studio is jam-packed with a jaw-droppingly enviable collection of analogue synths – does this speed up or slow down the process of writing?

This has changed quite a bit in the last three years actually – for a very long time I insisted on sticking to hardware as I didn’t have the impression that software was able to match the depth and warmth hardware could provide. However, things have changed a lot recently – my new album is almost exclusively done using software which gave me the freedom to take my set up to a friend’s place in the countryside – which is where I recorded most of the album.

THE PRODIGY’s Liam Howlett was once quoted as saying that he became intimidated by having a big studio with tons of gear in it and the associated pressure to write successful songs using it, is that something that you’ve ever experienced?

To a degree – yes.

For instance, I had an Oberheim 8 voice system – wonderful instrument, but it was a bit of pain always having to wait until it had warmed up and then tuning all 16 oscillators individually.

However, in those days when software simply didn’t match the sonic quality of hardware, I was always happy to pay that price… quite literally!

Is there a still a synth that is on your wish list that you feel would make your musical life complete?

There are interesting new instruments coming out on a monthly basis these days – I can’t say I’m missing anything particular. It’s actually more about finding the time to investigate the existing possibilities – currently learning to program Tone2’s new Icarus Wavetable synth for instance.

The influence of Shoegaze artists such as MY BLOODY VALENTINE and SLOWDIVE on your music is an interesting one as none of the original bands from this era were especially known for their use of synthesizers, what made you integrate elements of their sound into your work?

I’ve always had a particular interest in music that uses instruments in a way that disguises their heritage. One could say that shoegazing was about making guitars sound like synths – this approach (almost accidentally) created a new sound. It just seemed logical to see what happens if one would apply this the other way round – making synths sound like guitars.

Your solo live set-up seems very minimal in comparison to your mainly analogue studio one, are you reticent to take your synths out on the road?

It just wouldn’t make sense as well – my live sets are about re-arranging and re-mixing existing songs – I wouldn’t gain much from playing one line on a synth but being tied to a fixed structure from a backing track otherwise.

Over the last few years, electronic-based solo artists such as JON HOPKINS and NILS FRAHM have had good success with their music, how do you rate their work?

They are both people who totally deserve the status they’ve achieved and I’m generally very happy that the cultural climate is changing again in a direction that allows electronic music to be perceived in a way that’s exceeding the limitations of ‘DJ culture’.

How important is it for producers of instrumental synthesizer music to get their work marketed / featured in alternative ways eg sync / TV / advertising work?

It’s imperative I’d say. I couldn’t make a living just based on record sales and gigs – without syncs, it’d be over immediately.

You have remixed several high profile artists from COLDPLAY through to PET SHOP BOYS and DEPECHE MODE, do you have a favourite remix and why?

It’s always changing – at the moment I’d say my favourite would be a remix of a traditional Italian song ‘La Pagliarella’. I had nothing to work with besides an acappella – but somehow this provided an inspiration for a piece I’m still very happy with.

The world and its wife is going crazy for the ‘Stranger Things’ Netflix TV series and its soundtrack by S.U.R.V.I.V.E. – why do you think the sound and influence of acts such as TANGERINE DREAM and JOHN CARPENTER in the series has suddenly hit the mainstream public’s interest now?

I think the ‘Stranger Things’ soundtrack was very well done – secondly, it’s always good to see stuff you enjoy personally getting a wider exposure.

You have always cited TANGERINE DREAM as an influence, how did it feel to be asked to join the band in 2014?

Oh, that was probably the happiest moment in my musical life – and a complete surprise. Edgar invited me to Austria – I thought it would just be a friendly visit. But then he asked me to sit down at the piano and improvise – suddenly it dawned on me that this may be a little more serious than I had anticipated! Luckily he liked what I was playing and said “welcome to the club” once I had finished.

With the passing of Edgar Froese, were there any doubts as to whether it was the right thing to do in carrying on the band’s name without him?

ulrich-schnauss-in-tangerine-dream02 Definitely – and from my perspective those doubts still do exist.

However, I believe it’d be a crying shame if the music Edgar, Thorsten and I had started working on for a new album would just disappear – and secondly, Edgar had expressed towards his wife Bianca that he’d appreciate if his vision for the ‘Quantum Years’ would be fulfilled.

How does the band go about choosing which songs to play from TANGERINE DREAM’s back catalogue?

I’d say it primarily requires an emotional connection between a song and the person who’s doing the major work on the respective backing track. To give you an example: I’m not sure if I’d be capable of coming up with a good enough version of ‘Streethawk’, but I recently worked on ‘Dolphin Dance’ and had a most wonderful time doing so.

The ‘Live at the Philharmony Szczecin – Poland 2016’ album has some superb re-interpretations of several TD classics. Between yourself, Thorsten and Hoshiko, how did you go about this process and how did you decided who played what parts?

It’s not that difficult to decide really – Thorsten is the better player so he’ll of course do the solos. I’m much more comfortable with pads and chords. Hoshiko’s contributions again are simply determined by her instrument, it’s range and colour.

How much of the rehearsal / preparation process is done in a room all together?

All of it – we usually meet in Thorsten’s rehearsal space in East Berlin and play there.

Are there plans for many more TANGERINE DREAM live dates?

Yes, quite a few things being worked on at the moment actually, nothing that I can announce at the moment though!

With your current musical workload, what percentage is TD and how much is dedicated to your own solo work?

At the moment it may be something like 55/45 in favour of my solo stuff – that’s a good balance. Who knows – if some TD related projects appear that require enhanced attention (soundtracks etc) I’d obviously adjust accordingly.

With the release of the upcoming album ‘No Further Ahead Than Today’, what can we expect from the album and will there be live dates to support it?

There’s a couple of London shows in November – more being worked on at the moment. As for the album – in part it’s a return to my core sound from about 15 years ago, but with the big difference that I used completely different instruments (‘in the box’ rather than hardware). I hope for the listener the result provides an interesting mixture of new and old – new methods of synthesis and a familiar sense of escapist euphoria!

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its grateful thanks to Ulrich Schnauss

Special thanks to Sarah Puttock at Waveform Press

‘No Further Ahead Than Today’ will be released on 4th November 2016 through Scripted Realities

ULRICH SCHNAUSS has an in-store performance at London’s Rough Trade East on Tuesday 8th November at 1:00pm, entry is free

http://www.ulrich-schnauss.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ulrichschnauss/

https://soundcloud.com/ulrich-schnauss

Text and Interview by Paul Boddy
22nd October 2016

JEAN-MICHEL JARRE Electronica Live at O2 Arena

9 October 2016 / electricityclub

“Electronic music has a family, a legacy and a future…” said JEAN-MICHEL JARRE in the sleeve notes for the first instalment of his ambitious ‘Electronica’ project.

The French Maestro “had this idea of merging DNA with musicians and artists of different generations, linked, directly or indirectly, to electronic music in a kind of sharing process in a world where we’re more isolated than ever by our smartphones and the Internet”.

So many of the artists he approached to work with said “yes” that a second volume of ‘Electronica’ came out earlier this year. But with so many collaborators involved in the ‘Electronica’ project ranging from YELLO, LAURIE ANDERSON, PET SHOP BOYS and PEACHES to GARY NUMAN, JOHN CARPENTER, MOBY and THE ORB, how was Jarre going to present this all within a concert setting?

Jarre solved this conundrum by effectively making the show an ‘Electronica’ remix project of its own and carefully chose tracks that would work best as a solo driven experience. Coupled to a high octane visual spectacular conceived by Jvan Morandi and a superb sound system that was not only loud but clear, it would be the largely mature audience’s first experience of something not far from a full-on rave!

Using a new Roland System 8 with a System 500 attached and a Grp A4, Jarre also had his Moog Sub37, AKS, Buchla and ARP2600 at his disposal. Assisted by Claude Samard and Stephane Gervais, both on drums and electronics, ‘The Heart of Noise’ gave the evening a synthesized Spaghetti Western styled introduction with the impressionistic aesthetic of ENNIO MORRICONE. It segued into the uptempo section of ‘Automatic’, the VINCE CLARKE contribution to ‘Electronica 1: The Time Machine’, accompanied by a speedy backdrop of geometric shapes in yellow.

‘Oxygène 2’ was the first of only five classic oldies to be played during the evening, but 40 years on, it was still as enticing and hypnotic as it was back on record then; the noise sweep into its second section still brought with it that spine tingling sensation.

GARY NUMAN said JEAN-MICHEL JARRE was “one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my entire life” and the Frenchman certainly exuded charm as he addressed the O2 audience… this is a man who can count Charlotte Rampling, Anne Parillaud and Isabelle Adjani as previous wives / girlfriends don’t forget. He even took time to joke about Brexit and comment on his love of cricket!

The dance pop of ‘Circus’ and its robotic voices kept the pacey momentum going and there was the surprise inclusion of a new composition ‘Web Spinner’, proving that unlike KRAFTWERK, JEAN-MICHEL JARRE is as interested in moving forward as he is in celebrating past glories. The frantic stop / start of ‘Exit’ with an on-screen monologue from National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden gave proceedings a political slant, highlighting Jarre’s continuing concerns about the effects of technology on personal liberty.

Despite a new heavier beat for 2016, the dreamy ‘Équinoxe 7’ was another glorious reminder that it was actually JEAN-MICHEL JARRE rather than KRAFTWERK who took electronic music to the masses; indeed his romantic melodic approach appealed to female music fans and this was highlighted tonight by the gender balance within the O2 complex.

On ‘Conquistador’, Jarre even strapped on a guitar for its ending while there was the treat of a toughened up rework of ‘Oxygène 8’ based on the Sunday Club mix.

In a tribute to the late Edgar Froese of TANGERINE DREAM, there was a performance of ‘Zero Gravity’, albeit in ABOVE & BEYOND remix form.

As cones of lasers brilliantly shot into the sky, it was as if Jarre was saying “hi” to the German electronic pioneer.

With PET SHOP BOYS not actually on stage for ‘Brick England’, Jarre got round this by substituting an absent Neil Tenant with a vocoder. A superb song that could have fitted onto the ‘Super’ or ‘Electric’ albums, Tennant and Lowe were represented visually as digital line drawings while layers of bending lead synths provided an anthemic celebratory feel.

The melancholic ‘Souvenir Of China’ provided a welcome comedown before more techno oriented offerings came via ‘Immortals’ and ‘The Architect’. An updated ‘Oxygène 4’ inevitably drew the biggest cheer of the evening while a percussive take on ‘Équinoxe 4’ emerged as Michel Granger’s iconic artwork spun into the projections.

Within the latter, an added tribal chant was worked in from ‘Glory’, Jarre’s co-write with fellow Gallic musician M83. While it had been a disappointing trailer to the ‘Electronica’ project back in 2015, ‘Glory’ was transformed live with Anthony Gonzalez’s vocal now removed and the end result sounded more like a Jarre original thanks to a 6/8 schaffel.

The main part of the show had a fitting climax with ‘The Time Machine’; out popped Jarre’s Laser Harp and as the tension rose , the track got faster and the light storms grew more in intensity.

If this mind blowing segment was to have a “contains flashing images” warning, it was already too late!

At the age of 68, Jarre showed he was certainly not resting on his laurels.

For the encore, he premiered ‘Oxygène 17’ from the third volume of his legendary opus, out later in December to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the original Disques Dreyfus release.

Ending with the tuneful trance of ‘Stardust’, it affirmed what many had suspected earlier… Jarre had in fact beamed his audience into the infamous Gatecrasher club. With it being the evening’s final number, some of the audience even got up to dance in the blue sea of effects.

If KRAFTWERK are the Godfathers of Techno, then JEAN-MICHEL JARRE must be the Godfather of Trance. Yet, Jarre is not given that same kudos by the dance obsessed electronic music press, despite the Ralf Hütter-led brand doing very little as far as new material is concerned. Yes, it’s cooler to name drop KRAFTWERK in order to intellectually justify the more retarded elements of EDM.

But to the general public, JEAN-MICHEL JARRE means much more. And while Kraftheads around the UK were busy fighting over themselves online for a chance to see a KRAFTWERK show that has basically stayed the same since 2009, they were missing out on a live presentation that really pushed itself artistically including 3D effects without the need for 3D glasses!

It’s a funny old world! More lasers please 😉

‘Electronica 1: The Time Machine’ and ‘Electronica 2: The Heart Of Noise’ are released by Columbia / Sony Music.

The third installment of the ‘Oxygène’ trilogy is released on 2nd December 2016

http://jeanmicheljarre.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jeanmicheljarre

http://aerojarre.blogspot.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/jeanmicheljarre

Text and photos by Chi Ming Lai
9th October 2016

Tag: Tangerine Dream (Page 4 of 5)

QUAESCHNING & SCHNAUSS Synthwaves

TANGERINE DREAM Particles

ULRICH SCHNAUSS No Further Ahead Than Today

ULRICH SCHNAUSS Interview

JEAN-MICHEL JARRE Electronica Live at O2 Arena

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ULRICH SCHNAUSS No Further Ahead Than Today

ULRICH SCHNAUSS Interview

JEAN-MICHEL JARRE Electronica Live at O2 Arena

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