Oxygène

Was just about okay as background music but there was little for me to enjoy. Seeing how it was made in the 70s I imagine it was well ahead of it's time.

Didn't think I was going to enjoy this judging by the album summary... In fact I didn't mind it at all. Quite mellow and atmospheric, good to have on in the background. Not sure it really warrants being on this list but yeah not bad.... Saying that I just noticed it was 1976, which tbf it does not sound like it's from so fair play Possibly the Frenchest name ever? 3

ehhhh....

definitely not for me

This was kinda cool, especially the Bolero re-imagining in the middle

Loved this

Lots of people think it's great or terrible or too weird. I just think it's super creepy.

A bit repetitive

Upbeat instumental music that's ok. Not very emotion provoking. Found it boring 2

Ambient music can be interesting. Especially when it portrays emotions and other abstract things, or when it brings you to a different place. But most of the time, ambient music takes its name too seriously. It takes a form of a monotonous background music that can barely take your attention. You gain nothing when you play it. It's just that: ambient. Air. Just a bunch of oxygen, I guess. It's vital, but come on, it's already all over the place.

Innovative synth music back in its day, still very much nice music to listen to today.

Loved this. Could hear how it influenced so many artists in subsequent decades

It is immensely difficult to drive these old synths, so, this is amazing. Very balanced, controlled and textured sounds. Fascinating from top to bottom. 9/10

it’s cool but don’t think I really wanna listen to it just makes me wanna listen to wish you were here

My dad bought me a synthesizer when I was 12. I think he wanted me to become JMJ. We watched one of his Live shows from Hollywood on the tele where he played lasers. Did he really play lasers? Did he fuck he just stick his hands under some lights. Anyway, I'm sure this blew the minds of the prog kids like my dad in '76, I was 1 I don't remember. This was a nostalgia trip, a bit dull in places. But I like the drum machine in part 6.

Un album de feu sérieusement. Ambiance électronique , synthé, il y a tout la dedans et ca frappe fort. 5

Jarre is the king of synthesizers. The entire album is an instrumental, electronic, ethereal experience and very reminiscent of 1970s documentaries such as the old Sagan's Cosmos. It is mandatory to use headphones when listening to this album, as Jarre makes significant use of moving sounds between the left and right speakers. There are neoclassical undertones to this work, with many parts sounding as if they could be an orchestral arrangement instead. This work might sound a little dated to the 21st century ear as electronic music as evolved considerably since 1976. Regardless, this is a classic work. As the song titles suggest, you should listen to the whole thing in one go. The songs don't necessarilly stand by themselves. I like spacey contemplative electronic music, and this work holds up to the best of them.

Felt groundbreaking in the 70s. Now? <gallic shrug>

This is the day that Shane MacGowan died, so i have to admit i only made it through 3 of these Oxygene tracks before needing to bail out and listen to the Pogues for the rest of the day at full volume.

Standout: Oxygene Part IV Oxygene Part IV really standouts out on this album, the rest of the album is boring, but nice to have on in the background... 3.5

This is new to me but somehow seems familiar. I really enjoyed it.

3.3/5 Best track: Oxygene, Pt. 5

interesting precursor electronic sound - reminds me of the 70's sound overall.

2/100 Based on the following scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 I'm trying to like electronic music. I really am. Today, styles descended from this are massively popular. Maybe it means that along the way, this stopped sucking. Either that, or it means that the masses like things that suck. But yeah, this is sort of like the soundtrack to being given an anal probe by aliens and it leaves one wondering which was more unpleasant; the probe, or the music. At least, the probe presumably served some sort of purpose.

It's barely music. Once again another album on list for the sake of one recognisable song.

A nice ambient album with some great synth, but I wonder if there are better ambient albums to be found to be included on this list...

Weird

Kinda stream of consciousness. Would listen to again in the right mood

Brilliant album

Historical EDM important, but not that good to listen to

synths will always be cool

This is the perfect album to realize my banal existence during my morning commute. Mainly because the music is so lackluster I was stuck with my thoughts. Another album that doesn’t deserve to be on this list. 1.4/10

Atmospheric/spacey electronic. Decent background, but not too interesting

It’s not like all the songs were bad on this album but I’m not sure I can put a single one on my playlist just because it’s a little funky. But he sounds pretty good enough for me not to give him a one

Before even listening, I gotta give credit to the album cover. I don't really like the Pt.1-Pt.6 idea for an album though, I think titles give songs flavor and identity throughout an album. That being said this is no regular album. This is the album I'd want playing if I got abducted by aliens. Maybe Jean-Michel Jarre watched E.T. on psychedelics and got a bit too invested, that has a high chance of being the origin of this album. Would give this an extra star if the name was changed to Space-Techno-Odyssey.

If Ross was a better musician

Fine for background noise I suppose

greetings traveller

Really liked this. Nice chill vibes

Ambient which was nice. Ultimately bloodless.

This was fire and you can hear the influences it has on future generations of electronic music. That being said, I could not imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with 3.5 MILLION people to see this live lol

# 106 : Electronic mumbo-jumbo, that just made me want to go to sleep. Listened : 09/11/2023

1/5 - The rejected (rightfully so) Star Wars album. I'm more impressed that people in 1976 had an idea what 80s lasers sounded like. Less impressed they used them 1000 times in each song. I don't even think this would be cool on acid.

idk

Favourite track was probably oxygene

I feel modern electronic has a couple motivations behind it outside of usually being dance music. One is that it wants to feel like the sound of the future, the other is that it wants to sound like the past usually trying to feed off the sound of old synthesizer music or 90s video game sounds. I don't know much about the history of electronic music but this is the oldest electronic album I have listened to. I feel that this record that came out in 1976 manages to create a sound of something in the 90s. A lot of the songs felt like something I'd hear in a playstation one video game or something like that, it feels so ahead of its time yet it feels so vintage for me since I'm listening to it in 2023.

Rating this based purely on how much I enjoyed listening to it, solid 5 for me. First one minute of this album and I already felt transported to a dreamy magical place. For me it felt mysterious and cool and beautiful and emotional … at times creepy? But I loved it. Can’t believe this is from the 70s, feels way ahead of its time. This really vibed with my soul. Also, would make great inspiration for a Sci-fi/new life emerging on another planet/futuristic novel of some kind.

Err...it's too slow. For so long, it drives along at such a slow tempo that when it speeds up to that 80s chase theme, it feels jarring and out of place which is a shame as I love how that piece evolves. I understand this guy makes soundtracks, but this is a soundtrack to nothing and it shows.

Enjoyed this on the whole; it manages to wring a few distinct moods out of a fairly limited musical palette. France definitely has a strong lineage of electronic music innovators. It’s more bad news for my opinion of early 90s dance acts, though. Seems to me that some of them built a whole career on sticking a breakbeat over the top of Oxygène, Pt. 1.

Very modern-sounding for 1976, which is a great sign of how innovative it was at the time. Its nice, chill, ambient electronic music, not particularly adventurous, but decent nonetheless.

stranger things ass music 7/10

Wonderful throwback to my disco days.

Not typically my thing and this is no exception. Nice ambience I suppose

Love this Album ;-)

This was so cool. God I love synth. Do I give this 5 stars? Maybe? Pt. V was my favourite

It's one of the best albums in the history of all music, not only electronic music. It defines the upcoming years or even decades. Fight me if you disagree. I only hope to get this kind of albums on this list.

Extremely listenable ambient electronica.

It's like if Daft Punk did the soundtrack for the original Tron. Usually not a huge fan of ambient music but it wasn't bad

Brilliant. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Really cool album. Whole things kinda of plays as one long idea but it doesn't get boring. Listened on a plane. Incredible soundtrack to have moving through the clouds.

Weird synth-y music - good for background. Spacy

3.5/5. I thought I was not going to like this, but it actually was decent. Lots of synths and very sci-fi feeling. This would be a cool album to own, as it provides some pretty good background music.

Actually what why did I like this

4.75, I really dug this one.

I followed this up with Equinoxe and enjoyed it just as much.

7/10, missing some more action. I got Aphex Twin feelings at the start but was wrong in an ok way :)

An early example of ambient music and the potential of stereo recording. It's also a great homage to the pioneering early French avant garde electronic musicians like Pierre Henry. Ultimately it's great backroom music, as any ambient album should be.

Although I quite enjoyed this the first time through, it was on my second listen that I really realized how incredible and beautiful this album is. Obviously (yes, obviously) Part IV has always been an absolute favorite, but the rest is quite wonderful when one is able to listen and appreciate all that is here.

I suppose that I have listened to this album in its entirety at least once in my lifetime previous to this, but I don't specifically recall. It is quite excellent.

Always happy to listen to this classic. We're having a very good week!

My high school French teacher introduced me to many, many French albums including Oxygene. I spent a lot of time listening to this and his other albums through high school and college. After college I’d find myself regularly hearing tracks from this when I had a job running the board for a New Age radio show in the early 90s. I was always excited when one of these tracks came up even though the album is best taken in its entirety. Oxygene is my gateway to a lifelong love of electronic music. This is one journey that I never tire of making.

With the exception of Pt. 4 (the hit single), it's just muzak.

Banger instrumental. Faut aimer les thérémines cependant.

Jamais écouté de Jean-Michel Jarre auparavant et j'en avais juste une vision assez cliché, gros synthés, concerts géants avec des lasers, etc Musicalement c'était vraiment comme je m'attendais, mais c'était aussi... Pas mal ? Découverte intéressante, et je réécouterai.

A great album. Very clever brain behind this project.

bonne musique d'ambiance. impressed pour les années 7/10

Une musique narrative, parfois épique

Not my bag

Probably the first time that Synths Just Happening happened in a manner like this, which is notable, but as someone familiar with the Synths Just Happening genre it didn’t *especially* stand out from the pack. Some cool use of stereo though

I really dug this. Going to check out more of their stuff.

4.5

Oxygenius

Jean Claude Van Jarre parts 1-6. Pew! Pew! Pew?

pew pew pew!

Ok, but I think I enjoy saying his name more than listening to his music.

Trés bien

Sounded like it could have been the sound track to Clockwork Orange. For electronic music made 50 years ago and still sound this good is amazing.

"Oxygène (Part IV)" !

This almost put me to sleep like 8 times - and I was driving while I was listening to it. Maybe that's on me, but this album could have gotten me killed.

Forgive me Father For I have synthed....

Haven’t heard this in years! Still great.

Very much a “variations on a theme” feel to this album. Some tracks sound like the soundtrack to a sci-fi B movie, and not in a bad way. Others sound like they could’ve been lifted from some motorik album by Neu! or Harmonia. And then there are the ones that could easily pass as new tracks by some synthwave outfit. Interesting enough, but I doubt I’ll come back to it.

Pimpel pompel. Ihan viihdyttävää, onnistuu luomaan tarinan. Mutta muistanko hetken päästä mitään? Vähän.

Taustamusiikkia - kuinka huomaavaista!

Although this is not something that I would regularly listen to, I enjoyed it for what it was. This was really well put together music that was easy to listen to.

This was pretty rad. Far out even.

Unfavorable comparisons to virtuously-organic forms of kosmische are sadly too appropriate, and happily balanced by the blistering attention paid to the production and presentation. So when you reach the end of Oxygène, hopefully with a kind of wash attitude, the composition of the thing can unfold as nothing less than uneasy. How to fairly analyze a piece of work which appears now as a bridge between two banks now well-baked? Not sure, but I harbor the doubts about Jarre's approach with regard to ambient music, I can look at this record as one not quite in any camp, but emerging from a single locale, growing.

Holy shit this is freaking gorgeous. The synths are so freaking lush. I needed this in my life.

If this was the score to a tv show or movie, I’d dig it. But as a MUSIC album…blech.

It's nice music for doing other stuff. I could definitely have this on in the background all day and get stuff done. It's a bit like Pink Floyd but without the substance. 3 stars.

Again. Not for me. Very clever, loved the stuff he did with Sparks. This is fine, just not for me.

Nice sounds, but but repetitive

Not as good as I thought it was. Memory playing tricks

Some nice atmospheric songs

I found this to be much more pleasant than expected, based on the descriptions in the Wikipedia article. Still, pleasant as it was, this could never be more than absolutely forgettable background music in my book.

Original at that time, in my opinion not enough to be in the list

I fucked with this. Never heard of em before, but it was dope. Just wish it was longer. But I’m gonna come back to this forsure.

Interesting early electronic music. I can hear some influences on later act like daft punk. It would probably be classified as ambient music now, kind of slow, not really danceable. Overall not bad to listen to

Interesting soundscapes. I actually enjoyed this

Spectacular. 10/10 will be replacement for Rimworld soundtrack.

Question: Will this mark the first 5 star review I've given to an artist I hadn't heard of before? I don't know the history of this album that came out in 1976 but I bet at the time it was groundbreaking. After the album was over, Spotify transitioned into other pieces from this genre and it was a seamless blend of old and new. This must mean that this record is a classic for being both of its time and timeless — in its own now but also from the future looking back at us and beckoning our ears forward. Answer: Nope, but so close! (4.5 stars, rounded down)

Big surprise this; could easily have been a ground breaking record in the 90's 2 decades after it was released. Not usually a big fan of long electronica however it sets it's stall - sci-fi inspired dance music long trips and does it so very well. Really enjoyed this. 5

Good focus

Not much extra to note. I just liked the music. Fit well in the background of a work day.

Interesting album to get lost in

This is an influential electronic album that influenced the likes of Moby and led to a more widespread use of the synthesizer in the 70s. The music features elements of ambient and electropop achieved through the use of of synths and drum machines. The closing track is grounded by a bossa nova beat. Overall I enjoyed the spaciousness of this album and it's strong sense of melody and repetition. It's definitely an album that benefits from multiple deep listens to catch everything.

Love this album, five stars all the way!

No.

Prog

I'm super impressed by this collection of songs. For 1976, this is really impressive. But this is not an "album". And probably should not be on this list. It's definitely an audio collection of note. But should not be here.

Masterpiece

Listened a lot to Jean-Michelle Jarre in the 80s and at the time thought Equinoxe to be his best album. But got back from this 10-15 years ago when I start buying his albums on cd, and it really should be Oxygene of course.

Classic electronic music album that still sounds magnificent today, 47 years on.

I don't get excited by this. It feels mechanic and outdated. The tune #4 is of course classic but that's not enough to save it.

Sounds like something you'd do when you get your hands on a fresh new audio sampler. 3/5

This is just as good as any electronic album I've got on the 1001 list, which means I dislike it as almost all other electronic albums. However, I must assume that it sounds kind of innovative to know that a so modern sound was released in 1976. It is worth something!

Ahhh memories.....remember my dad buying this in the 70's and playing it to death. I used to lie on the sofa with huge headphones listening to this on his cheap chunky Sanyo stereo. It brings back real memories and is good to listen to and relax at night with red lights and green lights flashing. It's just Perfect.

Spooky space music, A+

Blade Runner-esque beats lay throughout this piece.

Needs more Oxygen.

Repetitive / dull - sorry !

Not the motivational soundtrack I needed for this Monday morning - wish I’d listened on Saturday night when the heat was preventing satisfactory sleep and a chill out was much in need.

Not my kind of thing, but I can hear its influence in loads of stuff. Instrumentals with only electronic sounds get very repetitive very fast. 3 ⭐

Liked this a lot more than I expected, definitely will revisit

Really cool and my vibe

This is just a good album. Nice background music. I like that it doesn't have that overly atmospheric sound that you find in a lot of 70s albums. Just a nice piece of electronic music.

I thought I’d like this going in as I knew Part 4 from the GTA IV radio station The Journey, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Really good. I could definitely hear some elements that inspired the Stranger Things score.

After part one was finished, I felt it had been nice and relaxing. The album certainly seems influential, what with being mostly synthesisers. However, I prefer interesting instrumentals, pieces that convey moods, images, and intrigue the listener due to their complexities and technical difficulty (I find that these requirements usually only apply to classical music, and I am aware how snobby this makes me look). This was not that; thus, it sounded fairly similar throughout. Nevertheless, the album wasn't bad (if you like instrumental popular music, you'll love this) and the aforementioned influence is important, so I shall give Jarre 5/10.

1. Don’t be a dummy like me, listen to this record at night. This is night music. 2. The French are better at electronic music than just about anyone else on the planet (with the possible exception of the Germans in the 1970’s). 3. Why the fuck don’t I own this on vinyl? Discogs, here i come.

Highly significant. The drop in 'Oxygene, Pt. 2' at 1:41 is still one of my favorite muscial moments of all times. Pt. 3 uses a similar device of a drop/emergence. Pt. 4 is about freedom and lightness. Pt. 5, 5:23. Listen to how he pulls you out of the ship and takes you to the dizzying heights of earth consciousness and then leaves you on the shore with the waves slamming against the beach amongst the seagulls. Pt. 6 is my least favorite track, but it's still pretty damned good. This album, which came out the year I was born, was probably a no-brainer for my mother, a francophile, who had at one time in the 60's lived in Paris. I am certain it was played in the house in the early months of my life. I rediscovered it later, as a 12 or 13 year old, pawing through my mother's dusty cassettes. And I remember the moment then when I REMEMBERED having heard it as an infant and how moved I was-- moved to tears in fact. I listened to the album off and on probably until I was about 20. It is fun to drift those old constellations and dwarf stars in my mind today. Jarre has also been a near constant featured on the Hearts of Space radio program hosted by Stephen Hill weekly since 1973 (still broadcasting online) which was syndicated in about 30 cities, my hometown being one of them much to my good fortune. This is 'space music' at its finest. If you know, you know. It's going to be fun reading the reviews of folks who are hearing this for the first time.

"Ya see, they're MAC-Donalds, WE are McDowell's ... They have the Big Mac, we have the Big Mick" France has Jean-Michel Jarre, and we have ... McDonalds(?). This guy is like the Poor Man's Brian Eno ... and he's not even from the U.S. Why do American's not know Jean-Michel Jarre.? Spotify says that the top five consumers of this music are in Paris / London / Stantiago / Warsaw and Madrid... and he and records for the biggest concerts on earth.... 3.5 MILLION in Russia at one point. I really enjoyed this album, and was WAAAY better than the album art led me to believe it would be. Super chill and WAAY before it's time .. 1976!!. I would listen to this over and over.... Great find!

Thank goodness the lights were on, or this planetarium show soundtrack would have put me to sleep. It is appropriately space-y and dreamy and hypnotizing, but it doesn't feel timeless to me. It feels very 80s (so still ahead of its time?), and perhaps could have been the soundtrack to a cheesy 80s sci-fi movie that would look really dated today, about a mission to discover some aliens that turned out to use too much hairspray. I can see some distant inspiration here for something like the "TRON: Legacy" soundtrack, but if the two are the same genre then the symphonic and soaring "TRON" blows "Oxygène" away.

Way more space-y than Spacemen 3 (the album generated the day before this one) despite this album being released 13 years before the Spacemen 3 album.

I can’t believe this album is from 1977. The version I listened to says 2015, which I didn’t think twice about while listening the first time. 2015 is a re-release that sounded like a Daft Punk imitator. I hear the Tron: Legacy soundtrack in Oxygène. Reading the Wikipedia page made me realize that Tron: Legacy sounds like Oxygène not the other way round. Frankly I’m blown away how modern this sounds. It’s a timeless foundation of electronica. I completely hear the space ambiance for which Jean-Michel Jarre was going. I did not appreciate the intricacies the first time listening while driving. This is a masterpiece intended for focused, hi fidelity listening.

I do not care for this type of music at all. The only praise I can give this is that it at least it sounds ahead of its time. You'd be surprised to learn that it came out in 1976.

Vibes

A idade não representa a diminuição das capacidades, mas sim a ampliação de conhecimentos. Superei a arrogância juvenil carregada de preconceito, em que tinha certeza que jamais escutaria um "DJ Francês". Esta oportunidade se apresentou, que aproveitei do ambiente criado pelas camadas sonoras do disco do "DJ Francês".

Ok, so I have gone from taking the Mickey out of Jean-Michel Jarre to being enthralled. As someone who discovered spacey synth soundscapes late in the piece this album is a revelation. The overplayed pt 2 finds new context when listening to this album on as a whole

New Age before that was even a thing. Kudos to him for that. Trippy and pointless, but not bad to zone out to.

This guy sure knows how to name a song. Well it’s just an album of sci fi noises for half an hour, admittedly it does sound cool in areas but this music isn’t really for me. 2/5.

Cool

Atmospheric synth fest to a tee - a master work because if you ever played with a synth for long enough - you know it’s a dangerous maze and a downward spiral of hours of plinking and plonking on those keys to little effect… But levity aside - I put this record on while running in a quasi sand storm and it was aptly moody and great. And interesting record - as well as not overstaying it’s welcome and interestingly enough - with a hit or two to boot.

Definitely has the ambiance of space. Not a daily listener for me, but good for what it is. Feels like Disney world Space Mountain music or something.

Oxygène is the third album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre and it is considered his breakthrough album for being immensely popular worldwide. It is an electronic, ambient, synth-pop album that revolutionized the sounds of synthesizers throughout the end of the 70's and remains one of the best-selling French electronic & instrumental albums in history. Certified platinum in the UK & France, this album influenced forthcoming electronic artists like Moby. Incredibly, the entire album was recorded by Jarre in 4 months from within the makeshift studio in his apartment using synthesizers, drum machines, and a keyboard. Critical reviews at release were negative as people had grown accustomed to the popular punk rock music at the time and had no care for electronic music. However, this album has gone on to be an important piece in the foundation of electronic music and is praised in retrospective reviews. I liked this album and its sci-fi melodic themes that both soothe and move the listener. You can dance to these tracks or just relax and let your mind wander. This is a wonderful album that shouldn't fall to the wayside to other more popular albums. Give it a try!

There's no way I would have guessed this was from the 1970s; based on how MUCH electronic music was in every song, I expected at least the 1980s. Each song flowed into the next and I didn't realize I had started the next song until I was about a minute into it. Reminds me of the Stranger Things soundtrack and I really enjoyed it

From the opening track, "Oxygène Part I," to the final track, "Oxygène Part VI," the listener is taken on a sonic journey that mesmerizes and captivates but sometimes loses your full attention at dragged out parts of the record. Oxygène is creater in a way in which Jarre uses electronic sounds to create a sense of atmosphere and mood. Each track is carefully crafted to evoke a specific emotion, and the use of synths, sequencers, and other electronic instruments creates a sound that is both futuristic and otherworldly. The fact that this album was released in 1976 is actually pretty insane considering how modern it sounds. Oxygene is definitely a groundbreaking album with it’s electronic, ambient sound and whilst it drags on at times it’s still a record that i recommend for some relaxation.

Sounds like a half rate David Lynch soundtrack. Respect to how innovative this probably was at the time, but it doesn’t hold up as a worthwhile listen now. I’d put it on as background music, but that’s about it.

That was pretty much the same track on repeat yeah?

I don’t know. Nothing was that special except for Part 4 and 5. Was ahead of its time for ambient and electronic music but nothing amazing. 5/10

better than brian eno part 3, part 6

Enjoyed this. Not normally my sort of thing but there is something compelling about the sound.

Pretentious tosh really, with one banger. I'm sure it was revelatory, but now just sounds a bit silly. 2 stars

Gimsteinn.

Elcetrónica del ¡¡'76!! Muy bueno lo que se escucha. Por ahí tiene vaches grandes y se vuelve música de documental.

Needs a relisten

Bruh. When track 4 started my jaw dropped so far open you'd think I just found out my mom died. I recognized the song immediately and I started freaking out, it's the fucking claw machine song. If you've played a lot of them you probably know what I'm talking about. I can't believe it's actually from something and I found out what it is through this list. Well anyways, the album is pretty good. Ethereal early synth soundtrack-esque music. Feels like a predecessor to stuff like metroid and 80s film scores. Wasn't in love with the last 2 tracks however and they take up a lot of the runtime. A silly little mouse is running around on part 6 and no one is trying to catch him. You can picture a dude sitting in his room fucking around with the synthesizer as you listen, but not in a bad way. It's quite endearing. Score: 70. Album art: 90 - it kicks ass

Early synth with a lot of pew pew space lasers. A chill ambient soundtrack that's not really a soundtrack, but you can use your imagination and fit it into many things. It feels familiar and I enjoyed that it was one collective project split into 6 parts. It can be a little sleepy, but doesn't outstay it's welcome.

Was all over this album when it was first released. Classic of its kind, but I would put any contemporary Isao Tomita album above this. Still very good though

Jean-Michel Jarre s'aventure ici sur le terrain des Chemical Brothers et fait bien pâle figure quand on sait que les deux frères ont été générés la veille. En quarante minutes, Jarre sera incapable de nous donner la formule chimique de l'élément-titre de son album. Pitoyable.

Jean-Michel Jarre est venu distribuer des giffles à tous les petits ratés du mouvement ambient, Brian Eno en tête de liste qui en sortira complétement défiguré.

I know this isn't a movie soundtrack because wikipedia told me so. But you could have fooled me. If it looks like a duck, etc. That said, it was interesting background music for getting ready for work at least. Not interesting enough to be distracting but also not annoying at any point, it just flew under the radar from start to finish.

Pretty hit or miss for me. Maybe two or three pretty decent songs and then the others are just too atmospheric/ambient or don’t develop enough of an idea to make them interesting. 6/10

Obviously influential to electronic music, but feels outdated and empty compared to current EM. Some great parts to it, but also a bit dull at times. 3.5/5.

The Interstellar score that never was

Never heard this album but felt like i'd heard a lot of the music before. Obviously influenced all sorts of music / tv and film soundtracks. I enjoyed it, a solid 4.

For the time of release it must of sounded so interesting but for me, as nice sounding as some tracks were (Part 5 was lovely), there's nothing that really stuck with me. Whilst Part 4 was included in GTA4 that still isn't enough to get me going.

Scifi background music. Enjoyable enough.

I enjoyed the 70s future-nostalgia vibe of this. Didn't realise this was where Limmy took the Falconhoof backing music from (which made it a little hard to take that bit seriously)

Best: Oxygène, Pt. 4 Worst: Oxygène, Pt. 3 twas chill I was doing work to it

I dig that it was made in 76 and sounds so good but it’s fucking boring

Listening to this on my way to work, I was taken out of my car and shoved into a spaceship gone rogue, traveling distant planets and alien landscapes. Another common French electronic music W (perhaps the first, certainly one of the biggest).

Holy fuck, I was legit blown away by this album. Just a supremely strong atmosphere, and I felt like it was a perfect soundtrack type of record.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: I actually did, wasn’t expecting too as much because instrumentals haven’t been my particular taste for a while but this is quite good! Favourite song: Track 2 - Oxygene, Pt.2

I've heard this before, some good ambient electronic stuff. It has a real esoteric old school sci fi feel to it, really creates a "soundscape" that sucks me in. Can't say I could live on it, but it's a great little soundtrack to reading or working etc. 4/5.

Oxy Gene? That's the guy who's always rooting through my garbage and stealing the copper out of buildings. Seriously though, I'd prefer the sound of a junkie knocking over trash cans to this.

Some very friendly and catchy bloops and bleeps. The French Kraftwerk.

Though Tangerine Dream may have preceded this, and even pioneered instrumental electronic music as a viable commercial genre, their sound tends to wander more - perhaps because they are a band rather than a single person. "Oxygene" is largely a soundscape, but it is more focused, more carefully constructed, and more rhythmic. You as a listener might get lost in it, but you are being guided through a smoothly crafted sonic journey. Exquisite nighttime headphone music.

I've listened to this in the past before, I believe. Jean Michel Jarre is a classic electronica pioneer. For 1976 this probably blew a ton of people's minds. Still has a lot of nice ear candy moments of bubbly synths and interesting frequencies. There are some kind of dated feeling synthesizer sounds and not quite to my taste, but compositionally it's excellent.

I admit to not being familiar with the works of Jean-Michel Jarre, but this is groovy stuff! Early synths sound so good to me. The sound of waves on the final part of the album transported me to a beach while sitting at my office desk. I wish I had listened to this album while lying down in a dark room.

Wow, surprisingly fresh and lush for an older electronic recording. Lots of texture.

Interestesting 70's electronica. The album has a lot of atmosphere. Not certain if I'd listen again.

This immediately makes me think of the music Disney played in Epcot in the 80's. It has that quintessential 80's sci-fi sound, which was most likely inspired by it. I can respect how groundbreaking this album must have been. Peaceful, ambient electronic music. I feel like this is one of those albums I have to listen to high in order to fully appreciate.

Good electrónica that drags a bit as you go through the project. Better off saving your favorite songs and never listening to the rest again, but even then don’t think I’m going to listening to any of this project that much.

Happy it was a short album. But did not enjoy very much.

Pt 5 is my favourite, really relaxing.

jarre.. yksi projektin kohokohdista TÄSSÄ.....miksi vitussa on 3.08 mutta abbey road 4+.... part 1 ei sano paljoa...eikä tarvi...luo tunnelmaaa.. part 2 säväyttää.. ala arvioitu...melodinen miraakkeli... part 3, mitäänsanomaton..valmistaututtaa seuraavaan... part 4.... noh... mitäs siitä sanoisi... yksi parhaista biisinnypäköistä mitä on luotu..... part 5,porno. pornoa vaan... hävetti julkisella paikalla kävellä kun sellaista helisi korvissa... part 6 mid. part 4 tosiaan miellyttävin heh

One of my favorite albums of all time.

It was different at the time. Probably a bit dated now.

not my bag

Ambiént

Might have been good back then

there have been a handful of instrumental only albums so far. in a word, this is ethereal. it's an incredibly easy listen; its beauty forces you to slow down, relax. there are no rough or discordant sounds. everything stylized by jarre is done to bring peace to the listener. this album was incredibly ahead of its time with being released in december 1976. there's a timeless aspect about this album; it feels like it was simultaneously created in the seventies, eighties, nineties, and now. the synthesizer and electric sounds were delightfully eighties! the space sounds had a slight E.L.O. feel to them, but perhaps that's what makes the album as a whole sound so timeless.

What an intriguing, ambient listen! The synth work on this album is truly outstanding. Some bands were already playing with synth sounds by this time, but this album has such a prominence to it; there is no doubt in my mind that this fed into and influenced the heavy synth movements of the 1980s. Even by today's standards in a musical world that has renewed interest in synth pop, this stands out. As someone who enjoys the type of new age music that became popular in the 90s and 2000s, I also hear what I can only assume are early developments of that sound in this album. Again, no doubt that many new age artists took their cues from this! Last, there was a very obvious space age sound to this. This is maybe the most unsurprising thing about the album, as artists in the 70s seemed to treat synth and space as synonymous. Still, this feels ahead of its time in that category too -- think bordering on space age synth from movies like Tron. Part 4 was the obvious powerhouse of the album, both relaxing and incredibly engaging, but the entire album was captivating and entertaining.

Rating: 6/10

Sci-fi cheese, but it casts a long shadow.

Electronic music. Sounds like a film score. Not really music I would casually listen to in any setting or time.

jean michel snore.

This record sounded like that feeling you get when the doctor has just told you that you're cancer free for the first time in over two years, but then tries to grope you.

Not as good as The Specials

In a lot of ways reminds me of Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield, and Eno. We get six space rock songs glued together with their own themes and hooks. Accessible to all audiences, the synths fill up the room with vast imaginative landscapes of alien planets and space travel. These tracks are filled with curiosity and excitement, especially the fast-paced pop-like "Part 4." There are a few slow parts that don't make it fully suitable for active listening, but it's a cinematic experience with a satisfying start, middle, and end.

Enjoyed this way more than I expected.

On today’s edition of 1001 albums Ryan forced me to listen to while I slowly die inside

funny noises

Cool but kind of sounded the same the whole time 6/10

8/10. Cover art is pretty cool. Music was also a solid option for listening to while working.

I was into the spacey sounds at first but as it went on it got a lot more grating. 6/10

Space the final frontier

Really enjoyed Oxygene pt 1 and you can clearly hear this album's influence on electronic music today. This album sounds like a stepping stone to greater things for the genre but it is very interesting and well worth a listen. There are hints of "Switched on Bach" in there but also not yet invented genres such as electro and deep tech. 3.5/5

Dah dunnah dah

It is the distant future. The year TWO THOUSAND. Jean Michell Jarre has invited you to a strange alien landscape. He invites you to sit awhile, while strange noises and themes come at you. They come slowly, and deliberately, allowing you to explore them at your leisure. There's probably some weird alien fauna surrounding you. It's blue, and the sky is yellow, and there's a strange alien breeze whisping about your feet and running over your toes. Somewhere you hear a distant shore. You're calm and laid back, exploring this world in no real hurry. JMJ is taking his time. He's exploring the space himself, just like you. A look of serenity is on his face. He looks over at you and nods approvingly. Am I in a dream right now? Am I dead? Why am I surrounded by purple clouds? Have we transcended into another spiritual realm? No. It's all over now. That was interesting, and I've enjoyed this moment in time.

I actually have this record on vinyl but never listened to it. It was nice to throw on some good headphones and get lost in the music. This is some good early electronic music with some ambient tracks as well. Pretty trippy. Solid record overall, good but not amazing.

Psychedelic Synth

Nice ambient electronica. I wish it had a bit more bass/drum but overall decent, especially considering the time it was produced.

It’s been 30 years since I last listened to this and it still blows me away, what an album. It was years ahead of its time when released and no one really caught up until the late 80’s by which time Jarre had moved on to other things. 5/5

Prefs : Part II, Part IV, Part VI Moins pref: Part III

Oh great, another electronica album, this time from France. As suspected, Jean-Michel Jarre's music sounds like what aliens have sex to with its space age beeps and zaps. Set phasers to lame for this album. No one should be subjected to 40 minutes of shitty theremin music. The whole record is one long song really, which Jarre split into 6 parts, however since it all runs together so seamlessly, it's hard to tell which track you're listening to. Luckily, I hated the whole album equally. Apparently this dude has Guinness World Records for the highest attendance to some of his concerts, with the largest number of attendees being 3.5 million in Moscow. I don't understand how there are that many people who would willingly subject themselves to this music, but to each their own I suppose. The one impressive thing about this album is that it came out in 1976, way ahead of its time, so I will give Jean-Michel props for that, but my God I hate electronica. I try to keep an open mind to it, but it's just not my thing I guess. Oxygene Part 5 & 6 gave the impression that we were listening to a big ass robot moving around in the wilderness, surrounded by birds and shit, which was the only interesting part of the album, but did the robot have to shuffle around for 15 minutes? I think not. Also, why is Jarre so obsessed with wind noises? Not enough drugs for me to enjoy this. Favourite song: Oxygene, Part 4 I guess, because it is one of the shorter tracks on the album. Least favourite songs: The rest of the album. 1/5, thank God that's over

Asturias is a song that as soon as you listen to it, you understand it. The build up. The drama. The climax. I don't understand anything about this album.

Very cool atmospheric electronica... that does enough to drive itself forward and capture a groove and vibe and key times. It's remarkable this was recorded in 1976... it holds up well and was a nice surprise in the list.

Not as good as remember. For its time I suppose it was impressive but it hasn’t aged well.

I saw electronic album and figured I'd be in for a bad time, but the year did give me some hope, and hey, this was far better than I expected! It did something a lot of later electronic albums seem to forget as time goes on, which is to actually do something with your time. If you're going to take up ten minutes of my time, at least have it go somewhere, and this one did, at least moreso than expected. Was it a little goofy sounding at parts? Yes, but in a good way, really feeding into itself. My only wish is that some of the parts were split up a little more. Not removed, but split up, as I really enjoyed the first half of Part 5, but the second half wasn't quite my thing, and it also had a pretty big change, like it was supposed to be two parts but they kept it one to have less parts. Overall, surprisingly good, and if people are comparing this to Eno, then I have hopes when I get to his ambient stuff.

It is wild to think about just how far out into the future it would be before an album like this was taken for granted in the musical mainstream. Kudos to Jean-Michel for setting those wheels into motion!

Altijd leuk, instrumentale meuk uit de jaren '70. Was ooit nog de tune voor een Teleaccursus 'De Planeten' (ken je klassiekers) en is gebruikt voor nog 100 andere dingen. Nu nog Tubular Bells van Mike Oldfield en de soundtrack van Bassie en Adriaan is compleet :-)

Volgens mijn luistermaatje de achtergrondmuziek bij de Teleac-cursus Sterrenkunde. Een betere omschrijving kan ik niet geven. Om in zijn geest te blijven schrijven: goed om kennis van te nemen.

Half uur durende lsd trip van een fransoos met een synthesizer onder zijn vingers

Fun, unusual albub!

decent synth-heavy.

The future certainly doesn't sound like it used to sound. It's worked out to be more interesting than JMJ seemed to think it would be.

Hier begin ik niet aan.

Ongetwijfeld baanbrekend in het prachtige jaar dat deze plaat uitkwam, maar inmiddels hopeloos gedateerd en boring. 2 Sterren voor de invloed die JMJ had op alles dat na 'm kwam.

Dit is echt jeugdsentiment. Zo vet!

Orgel-Joke eat your heart out!

Wij hadden vroeger een keyboard thuis. Daar zaten deuntjes op waarmee je mee kon spelen. Dat was dit.

zzzzzzzzzz

I listened to this on my air pods at work. It was soothing and sounded good. Not very exciting but it was okay.

If you like purely instrumental noise you’re lying to yourself. If I get one more instrumental album then I will give up on this list

While I'm sure this album was really impactful to the electronic music genre it's just not for me.

Going against the grain for me, I really liked Oxygène. It's quirky, it's cool, it's relaxing, it's interesting, it's really well put together, it's not spectacular or a must-listen but easily worthy of a 4/5 because it's the sort of music you can lose yourself in.

This is really cool, I definitely prefer this older style of ambient to stuff like Aphex Twin (which I tend to find a bit more jarring), and also to Kraftwerk, which is just too robotic. This is way smoother (probably shouldn't go too heavy on the French vs German stereotypes, but fits well here!) Feels very 'old sci-fi' in its vibe, which isn't a bad thing, could quite easily get lost in this and would imagine it is excellent fun to listen to whilst tripping. 4/5.

experimental instrumental -- like swimming without needing air

yessir. i mean i just love this kinda stuff, very cohesive and very sexy. only comment is the melodies sometimes feel a little lackluster and since they’re so important it does bring down the experience a bit low 4.5

This is a fantastic, historical album.

Pleasant enough

I normally can't stand listening to straight up electronic music, but this album is genuine art. It is very well composed rather than feeling like it's testing out all the noise settings on a synthesizer. The album listens like a suite from start to finish, so picking a favorite track feels disingenuous. But I really enjoyed this

Interesting. Although I never heard it before, some musical patterns are very familiar. Especially PT4. I really like PT2 too. Although interesting for it's time, not that special to me.

Found this an interesting album different and impressive this came out in the 70’s clearly ahead of its time and influential on electronic music.

Música electrónica ambiental. Está bien para trabajar con ella. Un 4.

Tres atmosphérique. It 1976 it sounded like it was from the future, now it IS the future and it still sounds like it's from the future future.

This album is going to be next go to for either farming in a game or getting work done. Very chill, spacious, and otherwordly. Entirely ahead of its time as well, considering this is from the 70s. I can already hear parts of this album that other artists took inspiration from in their own songs. Bizarre and ethereal with driving beats. A new background favorite.

Fascinating, explorative, and transformative for the time! It didn't catch me, but it's lovely in the background.

Brilliant. Great lead up, great sound, great electronic vibes

About as chill as it gets. Great background music

cool ambient stuff

Best Song: Ethereal and bloopy, while still being short enough to be a traditional song. Worst Song: Can't say there is one... the label barely applies here. Overall: Nice easy listening. Very clearly "proto-" electronic, but it feels interesting listen to where the genre came from, in contrast to the places it's gone since.

Good history lesson but not good music

Brutal

This one feels like a clear, definite journey. Quite forward moving, at different rates of acceleration. The craft you’re in dives from the clear sky and plunges into the sea, where you turn on the floodlights and lay bare the mysteries of the deep. The ascent from the sea is not merely a return to the atmosphere but beyond into naked space.

Sometimes I've struggled to appreciate Electronica, often there aren't traditional "songs", more of a stream of background music. This sounds like this could be a soundtrack to a futuristic sci-fi film, that kind of goes on and on and ...For the most part, I enjoyed it, it's sort of cool in a weird way, but after a while I was waiting for it to end or at least for the imaginary movie in my mind to be over.

Iconic and mellow.

I'd never heard of this guy (and yet he has the largest ever attended concert in history!?) and I always am sceptical of electronic music on this list, but this was okay. Not amazing, but not the worst thing. It has good production made for something in the 70s though. 3.5/5

Like a John Carpenter soundtrack without a John Carpenter movie.

Ambient/New Age music A must that you listen with headphones - nothing else will do. I liked Pt. 5 enough to add it to my misc instrumental playlist. Overall it was okay, but it's not something I'd listen to very often

a really nice futuristic and synth-like album to listen to

Not bad... just not for me.

In The Meaning of Liff, a book by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, the authors take placenames from around the world and redefine them as words for things and events that don't have a word, but should. For instance, Shoeburyness, formerly an English village, gained the meaning "the vague uncomfortable feeling you get when sitting on a seat that is still warm from somebody else's bottom." Chicago now also refers to "the foul-smelling wind which precedes an underground railway train." The relevant one for today is Zeerust, a South African town and "the particular kind of datedness which afflicts things that were originally designed to look futuristic." Take the original Star Trek, where communicators only performed one task (unlike your phone), and a female uniform ended an inch below the knicker. Jean -Michel Jarre's Oxygène embodies the zeerust of 70s synth pioneer records, but this is not to its detriment. The public perception of Jean-Michel Jarre has always struck me as dissonant, but that could be the Anglo-American perception. Everyone aged 35 or over knows exactly who he is, but they would only be able to name one song (Oxygène Part 4, obviously). Owning this album would make you seem buffy, and any other album smacks of obsession. Yet he holds the world record for the most attended concert, a 1997 Moscow concert celebrating the 350th anniversary of the city, where over 3,500,000 attended: that's more than the populations of Estonia and Latvia combined. Three other concerts of his have previously held that record. So does Europe adore Jean-Michel Jarre? Dunno: I asked a Francophone friend, and he told me that whilst he has some kudos in France as a trailblazer, nobody would be able to tell you a track of his from the 80s or 90s. Anyway, back to the zeerust of Oxygène. The European synth pioneers who have attracted by far the most acclaim are the Germans: Kraftwerk, Neu!, Tangerine Dream, those chaps. The French, whilst not seen as inadequate in the field, have never attained anything like the veneration their synthy krautrock rivals command. But these synth pioneers, regardless of origin, all now sound affectionately quaint. By pursuing the future in their present, they would become anchored to their present, our past. Partly this is just the gamble you take on when you prognosticate so; much of New Romanticism's futurism hasn't bourne out in its favour. Partly this is a side-effect of influence: when others build on your innovations, they will inevitably progress beyond you. But whereas one might presume Oxygène has dated, I don't find that the case. Yes, it's evocative of a specific 70s era I never experienced, but that just adds to the charm. A 6-track, wholly electronic instrumental album by a French avant-garde composer becoming a worldwide smash? That sadly just doesn't happen anymore. Thanks, Adele! But is Oxygène actually good stripped of context? It wholly depends on how beautiful you find it. Eventually, I found it very beautiful indeed. Yes, it may take some time to appreciate this album fully, but by my third listen it had become a treat. I'm happy giving it 5 stars, but that just reflects my impression. If you consider it a bore and a chore, I won't argue to the contrary. See, we can all just get along!

Not something I realised I had listened to previously, but quite enjoyable.

Magical

Surprisingly good. Like any electronica there is a lot of repetition but Jarre manages to shift gears just enough so it’s never boring.

Ayo this is pretty fucking neat. Early electronic that feels like floating through space? yes please, it's solid as fuck.

Good background music, nothing more

Surprisingly dope. Feels like I'm shooting lasers in a cyberpunk disco 3

Electrónica

Maybe I do like electronica?

Nice ambient stuff, it makes for good listening and clearly impressive for its time but nothing too exciting going on

Disappointing, a boring listen except for the well known IV. It's like Jarre has no concept of time and left the same sounds playing for way too long. Kraftwerk didn't do such boring lazy recordings and neither did Oldfield or even Orbital. Even Side 2 of Low, which has vague similarities, is more interesting. Did I say I was disappointed?

Cool synth album, relaxing

Revolutionary but a bit boring. Futuristic but very dated.

Standout Tracks: Oxygène Parts 1 & 2

Nice for concentrating during work

Kind of Olfield, I liked electronic music at that time

Strange album of atmosphere and sounds I wouldn't have expected out of 1976.

4.75

This no doubt sounded hopelessly futuristic then, which perfectly balances its sounding hopelessly dated now. Eno’s ambient is an order of magnitude better (his stuff only occasionally sounds like A Planet of the Apes soundtrack) and Kraftwerk the poppier side of prog better. Sure, there are a few moments, but they pass too quickly – e.g., Pt 5 sounds briefly like a Bach fugue but then morphs into a TV soundtrack theme, with chimes sounding not ominous or profound, but more contrived and self-consciously weighted. Maybe this was precisely when 80s started; if so, let’s run back the clock shall we and see if we can choose a more propitious course or at least wait a bit til the synths outgrew this beeping-and-blooping thinness.

So this is where the Blade Runner soundtrack got most of its ideas.

p367. 1976. 3 stars Primeval trippy electro music from the 70s, and hence a high degree of musical wankage. Outstays its welcome on most of the tracks, and oh my, didn't someone have fun passing those synth sounds from speaker to speaker? Vangelis did this kind of thing much better IMHO. Perfectly acceptable of its kind, but it's all a bit pompous and sterile.

Cool. 6/10

Highlights: - Artwork: 5 / 10 Rating: 1,5 / 10

I feel like I'm playing Stellaris, and I mean that in the best way possible. This kind of music keeps my brain active but I also feel very at peace.

It's just not for me. I see the influence, especially in Pink Floyd, but I just...can't. Sorry.

1/5 not at all

Honestly, how much fucking French electronica does this list need to have?!?! I can’t stand it. It’s just so asinine. Point added for this album art though, because it is really cool. I just cannot stand this music and I’ve had my fill of this niche genre already, thanks.