Jean-Michel Jarre-Magnetic Fields (1981)

In “Magnetic Fields”, Jean-Michel Jarre updated his sound to incorporate the latest synthesizers and new recording techniques, yet he adapted it to the overall compositional approach he had begun with “Oxygene” and “Equinoxe” (part 5 of the album, for example, is essentially a slightly more mainstream version of the “easy listening” track he added to the end of the previous album). As such, it forms the end of a trilogy of works (“Oxygene”, “Equinoxe”, and “Magnetic Fields”) that span the final days of the analog synthesizer era and the dawn of the digital synthesizer era; precisely for this reason, it is of interest to anyone with an appreciation for the history of electronic music, and it helps that it is a very enjoyable album to listen to in its own right. In some ways, this album also marks a slight shift in Jean-Michel Jarre’s sound, with music that is more compact, less ethereal and spatial, and more focused on sampling and rhythm. This was one of his first works to feature samples of human voices and "everyday" elements in the music, something Jarre would experiment with extensively on his follow-up album, "Zoolook", released a few years later. The brilliant, nearly 18-minute opening suite (comprising "Parts I and IV") is one of Jarre's signature pieces, constructed as a sequence of two successive main motifs, with a dreamy interlude that provides a kind of cosmic atmosphere. The first main motif is based on a dynamic series of synthesized chord progressions, with many soaring layers and additional harmonies that continue to unfold in a solid and elegant crescendo; The second track has a more orchestral feel, with a progressive architecture (the closest electronic pop can get to progressive), and "Part IV" is the album's most beautiful moment: evocative melodic lines and relaxing layers reminiscent of "Parts IV" and "VII" of "Equinoxe", but with a more serene atmosphere. "Part V", on the other hand, is simply a rumba: Jarre delves deeper into Latin music here, offering an interpretation of this prototype of Latin American Creole sensuality. In short, this third album by the French musician (although it was actually his fifth) proved to be an extraordinary work, as ambitious as its predecessors. While it didn't achieve the same massive sales figures, it did climb to the top of the charts in many countries around the world, with sales far exceeding 4 million copies.