Oxygene 30th Anniversary

[thedonal]

Has anyone else bought this?

If you like Jarre, I genuinely recommend that you do- not only a remastered version of the original, from a 24bit 96K master, but a new live performance of it in a studio ("Live In Your Living Room")- performed by J-MJ and 3 other musicians with an array of gorgeous classic synths- I got hte boxed edtition- the performance was also filmed in 3D, so you get those classic red and blue 3D glasses- though not tried it yet. The performance is really good- the odd bum note (especially on the theremin!) helps emphasize the liveness of the playing, though (as ever on music video) the film is clearly out of sync with the fingers playing the notes (sadly, this does nothing for the argument that electronic musicians are 'probably miming')

There's also a walk around the 'stage' from J-M focussing on the synths and how they're set up and why they're so cool and a making of with interviews- there are a few slightly newer synths used- but only Roland Jupiters and a Moog Voyager (the new Minimoog)- nothing that's really out of the era.

So- now I've learned how to sound like Jarre- an old drum machine on Bossa Nova, a few organ/string sounds, some lead/bass synth sounds and phasers and echo on EVERYTHING! JMJ pastiches here I come! ;D

It's greaet. Now- I just hope he does the same for Equinoxe- it's my favourite...

[Scifishocks]

I LOVE Oxygene!
This is a work I got to like early.
Famously (in my family, at least) my Grandad (long since deceased) heard the album once and decided that he'd heard better noises 'on the toilet'.
There's no accounting for taste, it would seem.

[thedonal]

I thought I'd dig this old thread up instead of a new one-

Last night, I went to see the Gallic Knob Twiddler (oo-err) live at the Albert Hall.

Asides from being in the Gods (well- the gallery- 2 peeps deep at every point between pillars) and therefore not having the best view/greatest immersion ever, I thought it was an amazing gig.

As all the synths are well old, they had to 'tune up' before starting, which was interesting, then the show started. The entire, original classic Oxygene with some extra 'variations' placed in there after certain parts of the work. These were heavily sequenced with improvisation on top and sounded great. The show ended with a more lively version of Oxygen 7 and a solo performace of Oxygene 13.

Once again, a few bum notes showed the liveness (this is not a criticism- but appreciation of a live show being played by passionate and fallible musicians) and it was entertaining to see Jarre rush between instruments like a mad professor, in order to play each melody. The other musicians looked a little more calm about things! (again he had 3 other players, notably Dominic Perrier and Francis Rimbert, who have played with Jarre for years, if not his whole career- all as per the DVD). I though the sound blended well in the hall and sounded, in a way, better than on the Anniversary DVD.

The visuals were very understated for Jarre- a big mirror arrived which showed the musicians from a different angle (from above- oo-err again!) and a projection of the famous world/skull, as a 3D computer model rotated. Aside from that, each synth had it's own individual light (quite a few then!) and when they all flashed a colour at once, I nearly lapsed into a synaesthetic trance!!

So- overall, a great show- very entertaining and also inspiring.

Anyone else make the tour?

[poyks]

Nice one! I like the thought of tuning up the keyboards! Proper synthesizers rule!

[David Faltskog]

Oxygene (Part 4) is part of the playlist of the radio station "The Journey" in GTA 4.

Nowt better than riding around the mean streets of Liberty City with this classic pounding out

I,ll get me uzi...

[thedonal]

Um- hmmm. Love Jarre and all that funk.

But surely it ain't quite the aural backdrop for Gangsta Shit?