Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygène (Music CD)

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Released in 1976, Oxygene proved to be a massive hit for French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre. The son of film composer Maurice Jarre, the synthesizer player sought to create warmer sonic textures through the technology of the time, and the result was this pioneering six-part album. Oxygene's bizarrely creepy cover, featuring a skull underneath the peeled-away surface of the globe, belies the music's lush beauty, though it does point to haunting moments such as "Oxygene III." The record's most recognizable track is the majestic "Oxygene IV," which features percolating synth lines and spare, nearly imperceptible beats. While the album would lead Jarre to international fame, especially in his native France and the rest of Europe, it also proved to be a recording that he struggled to top, even going so far as to release a sequel, Oxygene 7-13, more than 20 years later. For aficionados of late-'70s electronic acts such as Tangerine Dream and Vangelis, this bold outing is essential. ~ Eric Schneider