Jean-Michel Jarre Announces Special Edition Vinyl EPs
By: Caryn Robbins May. 12, 2015
Visionary composer and producer Jean-Michel Jarre has announced the June 19 release of three special edition vinyl EPs containing collaborations with 3D (Massive Attack), Tangerine Dream & Gesaffelstein. With music taken from his forthcoming studio album, all three EPs will be limited to 1000 copies and available to buy exclusively via The Vinyl Factory.
Tangerine Dream came together with Jarre late last year to put the finishing touches to their work on 'Zero Gravity', just before founding member, genius and the only continuous member of the group, Edgar Froese passed away in January 2015. Jarre therefore has decided to dedicate the release of 'Zero Gravity' to Froese's memory, and has included a memento on the vinyl sleeve to pay homage to all of the astounding work that the German pioneer did over the years. Tangerine Dream have released more than one hundred albums worldwide since their inception and have been labelled true innovators by many for their role in the creation of genres such as 'krautrock' and 'new-age music'. Whether it is the music of fellow Germans, Kraftwerk, the psychedelic sounds of Porcupine Tree or the alternative rock of Kasabian, all acts throughout the scene have been influenced by the impact of Tangerine Dream. Also celebrated by a new generation for their scores for Risky Business, Thief and most recently Grand Theft Auto V, an alliance between two of the most forward-thinking acts of the last century works flawlessly as 'Zero Gravity' takes us on a journey across a host of ambient, electronic and synth-heavy sounds. The B-Side to 'Watching You' will include a remix from none other than Above & Beyond who, similarly to Jarre, have played some of the most extraordinary gigs around the world over the last 20 years and prove their mettle with an epic and trance driven edit of the original.
With its dark and gritty bassline complemented by haunting synths throughout, Jarre's first single, 'Conquistador', made in collaboration with Gesaffelstein delivered on every level imaginable. Critically acclaimed by some of the biggest tastemakers out there in the form Fact Magazine, Tsugi, Mixmag and many more, it was the perfect prelude for what is set to come from the French maestro over the coming months. Never one to rest on his laurels, the B-Side to 'Conquistador' has Jarre further tweaking his music as he provides exceptional edits to his original work in the form of a rock-infused JMJ Remix and an extended version of remix.
From June 19 and limited to only 1000 copies, the special edition vinyl EPs will be available exclusively via The Vinyl Factory website at the cost of £10 each. Upon release, fans will also have the opportunity to pre-order Jarre's first album in over eight years, with the A-Sides to all three songs becoming instant grats upon ordering.
Jean-Michel Jarre Special Edition Vinyl EPs
Watching You - Jean-Michel Jarre x 3D (Massive Attack)
A-Side:
Watching You (Original Version)
B-Side:
Watching You (Jarre Reworked Version)
Watching You (Extended 3D Mix)
Zero Gravity - Jean-Michel Jarre x Tangerine Dream
A-Side:
Zero Gravity (Album Version)
B-Side:
Zero Gravity (Above & Beyond Remix)
Conquistador - Jean-Michel Jarre x Gesaffelstein
A-Side:
Conquistador (Album Version)
B-Side:
Conquistador (JMJ RMX)
Conquistador (JMJ RMX Extended)Follow Jean-Michel Jarre:
About Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel Jarre first came to international fame with his number one hit album,
"OXYGENE", which went on to sell over 18 million copies worldwide.
A pioneer in his field, Jarre has largely contributed to the fastest growing musical revolution of all times, Electronic Music: conceiving music in terms of sounds rather than only in terms of notes, and thus allowing the composer to become his own craftsman.
Having followed formal studies of harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatoire de Paris, he then entered the GRM in 1969 (Groupe de Recherches Musicales) in Paris under the direction of Pierre Schaeffer where he was inspired to reinvent music at its core, with his own singular vision, deploying the technology and tools at hand.
This pioneering approach gave birth to worldwide hit albums such as "OXYGENE", "EQUINOXE", MAGNETIC FIELDS", "ZOOLOOK", "RENDEZVOUS", "WAITING FOR COUSTEAU", "CHRONOLOGIE", "AERO"...over 80 million albums sold to date.
Following through with his revolution in music, he also conceived a brand-new genre and format of concert production and performance; breaking away from the traditional theatre and arena context, Jarre brought his music and vision outdoors to the masses. Often free and open-to-all, these state-of-the-art concert-spectaculars showcase the natural or urban environment in which they are performed - truly singular, sonic and visual "land-art" events, conceived and performed on a unique scale for a one-off experience.
Jarre's legendary concerts have attracted Guinness Record-breaking audiences across the planet. They take place in exceptional settings, marking extra-ordinary contexts: first western musician invited to perform in post-Mao Red China, Millennium at the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Houston City concert in collaboration with NASA in memory of the Challenger space crew, Concert for His Holiness Pope John Paul II, France's Eiffel Tower in celebration of World Cup football victory, Gdansk's shipyard at the initiative of Nobel Peace Laureate Lech Walesa, London's Docklands, Beijing's Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, the Sahara Desert...to the absolute record live audience of 3.5 million in Moscow.
Between 2008 & 2011, Jean-Michel Jarre embarked on his first ever world tour, which has taken him to over 35 countries with over 220 performances. In July 2011, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco called upon Jean-Michel Jarre to celebrate his Royal Wedding by creating and performing a concert-event in the Principality, which was largely broadcast on television & Internet worldwide.
The French musician has a dedicated ongoing engagement since 1993 to the United Nations via UNESCO, as Ambassador and spokesperson for Environment and Education and most recently Jean-Michel Jarre was elected President of CISAC in Washington June 6th 2013, succeeding the late Robin Gibb.
2015, Jean-Michel Jarre is currently working on his new music project.
About The Vinyl Factory
Established in 2001, The Vinyl Factory Group encompasses a record label, vinyl pressing plant, the record shop Phonica and music magazine FACT, in addition to all of its visual arts activities. These include new arts commissions, exhibitions and collaborations between musicians and contemporary artists. The Vinyl Factory record label releases limited editions made in collaboration with musicians and artists, accompanied by events and performances.
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