JEAN MICHEL JARRE – Magnetic Fields [Remastered] (2014)

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“Magnetic Fields” is the third mainstream album by JEAN MICHEL JARRE (his fifth album in all), and when it came out produced some kind of revolution, as it features the ‘new baby’ at the time: the Fairlight synthesiser.
Now “Magnetic Fields / Le Chantes Magnetiques” has been freshly remastered from the original analog tapes by Dave Dadwater for Yakuda Audio, and sounds awesome.

This neo-pop electronic album influenced many artists and musicians about the future music and use of synths. Musically “Magnetic Fields” continues more or less in the same vein as Jarre’s previous works, except now more emphases is put on rhythm. And the use of this new technology, of course.

Jarre got himself some new digital equipment, in this case a Fairlight, which was the first digital synth / sampler. Made in Australia, and introduced in 1979, it was basically a keyboard with a computer-type monitor and a light pen.
The rest of the synthesizers on this album are actually analog (like then-state-of-the-art polyphonic, as well as his old stuff from the ’70s), as the first true digital synthesizer wouldn’t appear until 1983 with the infamous Yamaha DX-7 (which Jarre happily used starting on his album Zoolook).
Aside from the Fairlight and polyphonic synths, he was still using his ARP 2600 and EMS synths, although he seemed to cut back on his Eminent (an organ-like instrument with the sound of a string synth).

The album starts off with “Magnetic Fields Part 1”. This was the very first time he ever did a side-length cut, and this piece succeeds. It’s kinda strange that he’ll be doing that in an era where many other acts, both electronic, and the few prog rock bands that survived to the 1980s, had pretty much given up on side-length cuts (in favor of more pop-oriented material). The classic Jarre sound is still there, with catchy rhythms and changes.
“Part 2” is more ethereal and electronic, while “Part 3” features some strange percussion (presumably from the Fairlight itself) while at the same time harkening back to his previous LP Oxygene.

If you love synths of all types (Alan Parsons, Vangelis), you need to check “Magnetic Fields / Le Chantes Magnetiques”, and this remaster is a superb way to do it.

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www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HO0752U
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