Jean Michel Jarre/The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra: The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre

Jean Michel Jarre is well known as an early proponent of 'pop' electronica and has featured several times on The Sonic Music Review, which has featured his debut 'Oxygene', the followup 'Equinoxe', the 90's sequel to Oxygene 'Oxygene 7-13' and the ambient influenced 'Geometry Of Love' albums. This release is a rather interesting curio which sets to orchestral music, brilliantly performed by the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, various works by the French artist which by association makes a comparison with Jarre's father Maurice Jarre, a film composer of many exclusive credits to his name, audible.

Jean Michel Jarre/The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra: The Symphonic Jean Michel Jarre

This release opens with the first three parts of Jean Michel Jarre's 1993 release 'Chronologie' and later introduces acoustic reinterpretations of tracks from a total of nine major releases from Jarre's back catalogue. Interestingly, the album even includes a rendition 'Gloria, Lonely Boy' from the 2000 dance-influenced album 'Metamorphoses.' Where deemed necessary, the orchestrators have included some sparse electronic textures, such as a sequenced synthesiser pattern near the end of 'Chronologie Part 1.'

Having listened to all the material on offer, it becomes obvious how well the work of Jean Michel Jarre lends itself to an orchestral performance. 'Equinoxe Part 4' and many other upbeat tracks work particularly well in this setting, breathing new life into the music which this reviewer has loved for many years. The three excerpts from 'Industrial Revolution' unsurprisingly work well in this context, if not better by virtue of having authentic human performers (the excerpts in question make extensive use of imitative orchestral synthesis on the original release). The orchestra throughout the album illustrate an incredible variety of tone and timbre which add complexity in some cases beyond previous renderings of Jarre's work.

Considering the track listing, which contains over twenty items running a total of over an hour-and-a-half, 'Oxygene Part 2' and 'Equinoxe Part 5' are conspicuous by their absence, given the great scope for an orchestral performance within those particular tracks. While considering the shortcomings, which by no means detract from the album greatly, the rendition of 'Oxygene Part 4' proves unconvincing, largely because the material is not as well suited to an orchestral performance as some, however being Jarre's first hit track, its absence would be inappropriate for many fans.

All things considered, this release is a highly interesting take on the varied and accomplished work by Jean Michel Jarre which thrives in this setting, performed brilliantly by the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.  

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Soulwax: Part Of The Weekend Never Dies

In 2006, Soulwax, the electronic music duo from Belgium, released a rockumentary and accompanying live album of their 2006 'Part Of The Weekend Never Dies' tour. The live CD comprises of material from various previous releases in their own unique dance-punk style.

Soulwax: Part Of The Weekend Never Dies

The album begins with 'Teachers,' an uptempo homage to the duo's spiritual fathers, quoting names such as Van Halen among their other influences. The track begins with a gradual accelerando, once the tempo is reached however, the pace remains throughout the entire album. This track is followed by 'Move My Body,' which also begins with a brief excerpt of 'Theme From Discotheque' which was released under the alias of Soulwax, Samantha Fu. Throughout the album, the pair sample numerous works produced both by Soulwax and other aliases, as well as other established acts.

Later in the album come 'E-Talking' and 'Another Excuse,' both of which fans will know from earlier Soulwax releases. This live performance of both tracks injects even more energy into the the tracks than was seen in the original releases, likening them even more stylistically to the French duo Justice.

It is this reviewer's belief that anyone who has seen the duo perform live, either as Soulwax or their 2ManyDJs counterpart, will testify that their live performances remain largely unparalleled in terms of energy. This release presents a highly exciting series of performances which show off the duo's material at its finest. While the CD/DVD set is no replacement for being at a live gig, the music on this release serves as a great example of the duo's exuberance during a live set.

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