Jean-Michel Jarre's 40th Anniversary Remastered Edition of 'The Concerts in China' Out Now
The concert was the first time a Western music artist had performed in the country following the Cultural Revolution.
By: Michael Major Nov. 28, 2022
The 40th anniversary remastered version of Jean-Michel Jarre's historic live album The Concerts In China is out now. Originally released in 1982, the album served as a document of an historic concert tour Jarre undertook in 1981 - consisting of five spectacular concerts in the People's Stadium of Shanghai and Beijing. It was the first time a Western music artist had performed in the country following the Cultural Revolution.
"To this day The Concerts in China experience remains to be probably the most surreal and poetic of all my experiences. It was an honor to be the first Western musician to play live in the country at that time and it was like visiting another planet for me; and also for the Chinese audience too it seemed to be the same curious awe," shares Jean-Michel Jarre.
"I have revisited China very often out of passion for their culture and have performed there since, at The Forbidden City and on Tiananmen Square. I am delighted that 'The Concerts in China' album has been remastered, as it's something I'm incredibly proud of and remains a testimony of my ongoing attachment to China."
The remaster arrives soon after Jarre's latest studio album OXYMORE, which was released on October 21 to critical acclaim. The album includes the beautiful original composition "Souvenir of China" which was recently taken by Big Sean on his track "100 (feat. Royce Da 5'9" and Kendrick Lamar)" released in September.
The 40th Anniversary remastered edition of The Concerts In China is available as 180g 2LP version with gatefold sleeve, including a collector's poster featuring unpublished images, and as 2CD version including collector's booklet, as well as digitally. The track list mirrors the original version of the album.
One new composition included on the album was "Fishing Junks at Sunset," a new arrangement of a traditional Chinese song known as the "Fisherman's Chant at Dusk," which was performed and recorded with The Peking Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra.
The concert tour was the first time Jarre performed his music with other musicians on stage and featured the first use of a laser harp.
Jean-Michel Jarre has always been a futurist in his field. Throughout his illustrious career, the composer, performer, producer and cultural ambassador has continued to break new ground with his music and his mastery of creative innovation.
From his early pioneering role in electronic music, his use of multi-channel audio technology and production, to his recent explorations into the realms of VR performance and the metaverse, technology is at the forefront of everything he does. He is quoted as claiming that "today is the most exciting time to create, to make music, and to share across so many mediums".
Jarre is UNESCO ambassador for education, science and culture, an unconditional defender of the planet and the environment and Laureate of the Stephen Hawking Medal for scientific communication.
Jarre's current catalog, which now includes 22 studio albums, has generated sales of more than 85 million worldwide to date, and earned him countless awards and nominations. Throughout his career, Jarre has taken as canvas, some of the most iconic landmarks and UNESCO World Heritage sites around the globe for his creative, cultural and environmental message.
He has also set new Guinness World Records for live audience attendance at concerts in several emblematic locations. He was the first western musician to be invited to perform in China, and has also created and performed concert-events at the Great Pyramids in Egypt, the Sahara Desert, the Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square, the Eiffel Tower, the Dead Sea, Al Ula...
He has consistently sold-out arena and stadium tours across the continents, as well as performing at major festivals including Coachella. In 2021, he rang in the new year with Welcome To The Other Side, a groundbreaking livestream broadcast worldwide from a virtual Notre Dame in Paris. U.S. touring & live entertainment trade publication US Pollstar states that the livestream attracted record breaking audiences of over 75 million viewers worldwide across various platforms, television and VR.
His brand new OXYMORE immersive project is released worldwide now.
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