OXYGÈNE 7-13

This album is really Jarre re-connecting with his first two commercial albums 'Oxygene' and 'Equinoxe'. He use a lot of the analogl gear used on those two albums and mix them with modern digital equipment and beats.

The album kicks off with Oxygene (part 7), a long piece divided in three parts. a simple melody backed up by the famous eminent/smallstone mix (Phaserstrings), a bouncy baseline and latinrythms is making up the first part. It's easy to hear the connection with 'Oxygene 76' and the sound is so clear and well-produced.

Next track is a pure pop-technotrack with a fine production and of course the first single of this album. Many of the sounds here are made by the Nordlead but Jarre has really made it sound warm wich makes it fit very good together with the Eminent and Mellotron.

Oxygene 9 is a re-visit to Oxygene part I and it's made up on a floating pad as a base. I don't find this track as good as the rest. But it fits in the concept.

Oxygene 10 is theremin and bubbling sequencers (Raven and ARP2600) all the way. A very smoothsounding track with a haunting beat. This was the second single from the album and it's easy to understand why when listening to it.

Next track is Oxygene 11 and this is a trancetune with a very impressive intro made on the Nordlead. There are a lot going on this track and many of the sequences are made on his rare additive synth, the RMI Harmonic Synthesizer. A great production.

Oxygene 12 is also a weak spot on Oxygene 7-13 in my opinion. But I do like the leadsound wich is played on the famous beast Yamaha CS80.

Then at last we have Oxygene 13. This is really a farwell-track with a lonely Eminent backed up by a beatbox (really a KORG i4S). A very beautiful and moving piece.

This is a great buy if you, like me, are having a hard time liking his latest albums from Metamorphoses and so on.