Oxygene 7-13

Jean Michel Jarre | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 1997)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002BVW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,967 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Oxygene 7

2. Oxygene 8

3. Oxygene 9

4. Oxygene 10

5. Oxygene 11

6. Oxygene 12

7. Oxygene 13

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jean-Michel's return to the roots., September 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Oxygene 7-13 (Audio CD)

Once again Jean-Michel Jarre took his time to prepare a new album and once again he brought a surprise to his fans. Claiming that the new instruments out of which you can dig any sound did not inspire him enough, he returned to the ones he created Oxygen (1-6) with. Jean-Michel Jarre is often called a synthesizer genius and this time he proved he also is a genius of synthesizing. He organically managed to continue the Oxygen saga, driving it track by track from 70's to 90's. It's as much a sequel as a parallel - some of the sound lines will remind you of Oxygen and Equinoxe, as if to say 'How would I do it today'. Just take a look at Oxy 3 and 9, 6 and 13, 4 and 7. The mood is the same, only 20 years later, and the catching melody of Oxy 8 is here to get mass audience. Jarre takes big care of his sound expression, of being up to date, which is also indicated by new arrangements of his greatest hits in live concerts (Magnetic Fields 2, Orient Express) - you listen and hear late 90's. And so it is with Oxygen 7-13. The circle is finished. Let's wonder where a new one will start.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Back to analog., February 11, 2005

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Oxygene 7-13 (Audio CD)

Revisiting his best known album some twenty years later, Jean Michel Jarre takes the original's best qualities and updates them to a genre he helped define. While "Oxygene 7-13" is not as instantly mind blowing as the original album, it certainly is equally entertaining.

Long before the term "new age" got slapped on everything that was vaguely atmospheric and meditative, the original "Oxygene" was earthy music. Organic and enveloping as the album title suggested, each segment could hold its own as an original song, yet the pieces worked together as a whole. Once again, "Oxygene 7-13" strives for that sort of coherency and for the most part succeeds. Where this installment betters its forbear is in the fact that synthesizers and recording methodology simply improved. The sound is richer, more full, even though Jarre chose to use many of the same styles of analog machines that the original "Oxygene" was recorded with.

He also chose to make the album more rhythmic, an obvious nod to the ambient clubs sounds popular at the time. (Many of these bands were greatly influenced by the original "Oxygene" or such later albums as "Zoolook" or "Equinoxe.") That kind of thinking helped propel "Part 8" into international club hit status.

Just like its predecessor, "Oxygene 7-13" works as both background and foreground music. The dancibilty of "Part 8" will no doubt also find fans with admirers of Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream (or anyone who uses the phrase "headphone music" when they describe listening favorites). Both dreamy and propulsive, "Oxygene 7-13" completely lives up to its namesake.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Music in (Wonderful) Old Clothes-Jarre does it Again!, October 1, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Nashville) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oxygene 7-13 (Audio CD)

Jarre revisits his roots. To only add what has already been written before, analog synths have that 'imperfect warmth', which is why Jean-Michel returns in Oxygene 7-13 with the behemoth ARP 2600, the Theremin, and some new digital samplings to give a fresh look at what made him so successful early in his career. Jarre for the end of the 20th Century is what Marcel Dupre was for the first half, and Alexandre Guilmant, Charles-Marie Widor and Camille Saint-Saens were for the 19th Century: all excellent French composers and musicians in their own genre of music.

Just as in Equinoxe and Oxygene, Jarre introduces a simple melodic line, and moves around and through it, creating a unique aural 'landscape'. This album, however, stands alone from the above works- it is a driving, serious work. 7-13 show a remarkable cohesiveness to each 'movement', which is reminiscent of 'cyclic' style found in other French composers such as Franck and Saint-Saens. However, Oxygene 7-13 has a certain 'coolness', which I can only assume is what Jarre intended. Much the same way, the original Oxygene was very cold, Oxygene part I being almost forbiddingly so, with the Theremin in a solo voice. The Theremin returns, along with its sonority as a moon-like siren. 7-13 do not allow the listener to 'escape' as freely as Equinoxe or Oxygene, each having plenty of spatial depth and lots of legato. To his credit, Jarre creates new music, which is suited more for 'club mixes', an apparent adaptation for commercial appeal. Three distracting points he should reconsider in his next work: not to use the digital studio reverb effects- which prevent sounds from blending together, much unlike Oxygene and Equinoxe- a real distraction on this album; two- pay closer attention to detail in his editing- seques and blendings aren't as smooth as they could have been; and three, don't ever EVER use that cheap rhythm machine as used on '13'-- what a bad way to end an otherwise awesome work.

This may have been critical to some, so let's look at 7-13 another way.... Some of these pieces are set to beats for modern dance clubs, and as far as that goes, Jarre did an excellent job. In another reflection, 10&11 together stand as an awesome set, probably the centerpiece of the entire album. One can finally 'escape' into the music. Once again, Jarre leaves us with a nice Latin piece in '13', still in keeping with the cycle. Although I am critical of the 'cheapness' of the drum machine's samples, (is it a Casio home product or what?!), it leaves you with a sense that Jarre is a romantic.

I highly recommend this album as part of a Jarre collection.