Équinoxe
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Équinoxe'' (, ) is the fourth studio album by French electronic musician and composer
Jean-Michel Jarre Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the Electronic music, electronic, Ambient music, ambient and New-age music, new-age genres, and is known for organising out ...
, released in December 1978 on the Dreyfus record label, licensed to
Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
for its worldwide distribution in 1979. The album featured two singles: "Équinoxe Part 4" and "Équinoxe Part 5", the latter having more success reaching No. 45 on the UK Singles Chart. It reached number 11 on the
UK Album Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Offici ...
and number 126 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart.


Composition and recording

The album was recorded from January to August 1978 in the makeshift recording studio set up in his apartment in Paris. The making of the album was done with a 16-track MCI tape. Jarre stated that although his previous album ''
Oxygène ''Oxygène'' (, ) is the third studio album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre. It was first released in France in December 1976 by Disques Motors, and distributed internationally in 1977 by Polydor Records. Jarre recor ...
'' was created without a concept in mind, ''Équinoxe'' was intended to represent a day in the life of a person, from waking up in the morning to sleeping at night. The aquatic, rain, storm and thunder sounds that play on various tracks were designed by French sound engineer
Michel Geiss Michel Geiss is a French sound engineer, instrument designer and musician who was a long-time collaborator of Jean Michel Jarre. He has also collaborated with other famous French artists such as Marc Lavoine, Patrick Bruel or Laurent Voulzy. In ...
. Apart from using the
ARP 2600 The ARP 2600 is a subtractive synthesizer first produced by ARP Instruments in 1971. History Developed by a design team headed by ARP namesake Alan R. Pearlman and engineer Dennis Colin, the ARP 2600 was introduced in 1971 as the successor to ...
, Jarre also used liberal echo whips in the various sound effects generated by the
EMS VCS 3 The VCS 3 (or VCS3; an initialism for ''Voltage Controlled Studio, version #3'') is a portable analogue synthesizer with a flexible modular voice architecture introduced by Electronic Music Studios (EMS) in 1969. EMS released the product ...
synthesizer. Both the
Eminent 310 Unique The Eminent 310 Unique is a home electronic organ that was built and introduced in 1972 by the Dutch organ manufacturer Eminent, at the time based in Bodegraven, the Netherlands. It was the first organ to include a string section, making it the ...
organ and the VCS 3 went through an
Electro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of g ...
Small Stone guitar phasing pedal in order to provide the string pads used on the album. The main sound of "Équinoxe Part 1" was created using Eminent's SUST string configuration. The album also used the Korg Mini Pops drum machine. Jarre's musical ideas were initially recorded on a small cassette recorder, "as an audio scratch pad". Jarre considered discarding one of the recordings as he did not think that it was good enough, but Geiss convinced him to keep it, and the track later became "Équinoxe Part 7". Jarre also told Geiss that one of his wishes was to get a sequencer based on a matrix. Geiss designed the Matrisequencer 250, an 2x50 note instrument which "became one of the main instruments in ''Équinoxe''." The Rhythmicomputer designed by Geiss also was used. The album was mixed at Gang Studio by Jean-Pierre Janiaud with assistance from Patrick Foulon.


Artwork

As with ''Oxygène'', the cover art for ''Équinoxe'' used a painting by
Michel Granger Michel Granger (; born 13 October 1946) is a French painter, sculptor and visual artist. His childhood took place in Arsenal County, a period that will strongly mark his artistic work. But encounters and successive travels took him to new horiz ...
, in this case, ''Le trac'' (''Stage Fright''). Granger visited Jarre's private mansion in Croissy to present him with different paintings that would illustrate the album cover. Each of the canvases was projected by light cannons, and ''Le trac'' was immediately chosen by Jean-Michel.


Release and promotion

''Équinoxe'' was released in December 1978 by Disques Dreyfus and internationally by
Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
, The album was promoted in London, UK. Two singles were released from the album, "Équinoxe Part 4" and "Équinoxe Part 5", the latter having more success reaching No. 45 on the UK Singles Chart and was described as a "synth-pop primer." The release was followed by a laser show and fireworks directed by Disques Dreyfus outside the Palais des Festivals, Cannes where the album was broadcast at high volume on the public address system, and also by a February 1979 promotional tour in the United States. A concert on the
Place de la Concorde The Place de la Concorde (; ) is a public square in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. It was the s ...
, Paris was held on 14 July of that year. The concert attracted over a million people, at the time the largest crowd for an outdoor concert. Although it was not the first time he had performed in concert (Jarre had already played at the
Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...
), the 40 minute-long event, which used projections of light, images and fireworks, served as a blueprint for Jarre's future concerts. Its popularity helped create a surge in sales—a further 800,000 records were sold between 14 July and 31 August 1979—and the Frenchman
Francis Rimbert Francis Rimbert (born 3 October 1952 in Val d'Oise, France) is a French musician and composer. Biography Francis Rimbert started playing classical piano when he was 5 years old. At the conservatory, he studied harmony, counterpoint, the fug ...
featured at the event. Along with its 1976 predecessor, both sold more than 1.5 million copies in France and in 1981, it would be certified platinum, in November 1979, both sold 11 million worldwide.


Critical reception

Contemporary critical reception for the album in the UK was negative.
Davitt Sigerson Davitt Sigerson (born 1957) is an American retired songwriter, record producer, record executive, and journalist. Early life and education Davitt Sigerson was born in New York City and attended school at Oxford University in England. Career Si ...
of ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'' said "it is as slushily, pseudo-galactically crass and vapid as last year's ''Oxygène''. The melodies are trite, harmonies predictable, textures almost determinedly hackneyed (even down to artificial 'weather' effects to generate mood). There isn't even much that's danceable." In ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...
'', Steve Gett called the album "very artificial and as a result quite emotionless." He continued saying that, "As far as i was concerned the effect was one of sleep inducement, basically because it seems so lifeless and infinite, never reaching a specific goal but merely drifting on." In the US, '' Cashbox'' wrote that "the result is a complex, starkly-toned album which is surprisingly accessible and invigorating. Although even liberal AOR stations may hesitate to place this LP on steady rotating, Jarre's sizable following plus adventurous rock fans will find this LP fascinating." ''
The Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'', formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'', was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for over a century, from 1884 to 1992. At the height of its popul ...
'' described the album as "a moody, melodic, masterful synthesizer symphony" and "a dazzling musical poem, a pleasure to listen to, a delight to experience." In '' The Bulletin'', William D. Loffler commented that the "titles are meaningless because the music is something like a stretched-out electronic tone poem." Retrospective reviews of the album have been more favourable. Phil Alexander of ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...
'' listed it as one of Jarre's three key albums, noting the influence of abstract art and classical composers
Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 â€“ 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...
,
Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
and
Nino Rota Giovanni "Nino" Rota Rinaldi (; ; 3 December 1911 – 10 April 1979) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. He also composed ...
on ''Équinoxe'', and wrote that "Jarre attempted to trace the human experience from morning to night across eight tracks on an album that is sensual and, in places, deeply melancholic." Mike DeGagne of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
commented, "As the follow-up album to ''Oxygène'', ''Équinoxe'' offers the same mesmerizing effect, with rapid spinning sequencer washes and bubbling synthesizer portions all lilting back and forth to stardust scatterings of electronic pastiches. Using more than 13 different types of synthesizers, Jarre combines whirling soundscapes of multi-textured effects, passages, and sometimes suites to culminate interesting electronic atmospheres... So much electronic color is added to every track that it is impossible to concentrate on any particular segment, resulting in waves of synth drowning the ears at high tide."


Legacy

"Équinoxe Part 1", and "Équinoxe Part 2" were used in the Mexican telenovela " ''Los Ricos También Lloran''" starring
Verónica Castro Verónica Judith Sáinz Castro (; born 19 October 1952) is a Mexican actress, singer, producer, former model and presenter. She started her career as a television actress, where she met comedian Manuel Valdés, father of her son Cristian Cast ...
, and
Rogelio Guerra Hildegardo Francisco Guerra Martínez (8 October 1936 – 28 February 2018), known artistically as Rogelio Guerra, was a Mexican actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a pr ...
. A segment of "Équinoxe Part 1" was used in the final ident of
Programme One Programme One () known also as TS.T-1 () was a television channel produced and transmitted by Soviet Central Television, the television broadcasting organization of the USSR. It had a mixed schedule of news and entertainment, with the emphasis ...
. "Équinoxe Part 1", "Équinoxe Part 3" and "Équinoxe Part 4" were used in '' Cosmos: A Personal Voyage'' by
Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is his research on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, including e ...
, however they were not included on the series' soundtrack albums. In the 1984 computer game for
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...
, '' Loco'', a remake of "Équinoxe Part 5" and "Équinoxe Part 6" by Ben Daglish was used. In 2018, four decades after the album's release, Jarre produced a sequel, titled '' Equinoxe Infinity''.


Track listing

All tracks are composed by Jean-Michel Jarre. Side one # "Équinoxe Part 1" – 2:23 # "Équinoxe Part 2" – 5:01 # "Équinoxe Part 3" – 5:11 # "Équinoxe Part 4" – 6:52 Side two # "Équinoxe Part 5" – 3:54 # "Équinoxe Part 6" – 3:15 # "Équinoxe Part 7" – 7:24 # "Équinoxe Part 8" – 5:02


Personnel

Personnel listed in album liner notes: *
Jean-Michel Jarre Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the Electronic music, electronic, Ambient music, ambient and New-age music, new-age genres, and is known for organising out ...
– production *Jean-Pierre Janiaud – mixing engineer *Patrick Foulon – mixing assistant *
Michel Granger Michel Granger (; born 13 October 1946) is a French painter, sculptor and visual artist. His childhood took place in Arsenal County, a period that will strongly mark his artistic work. But encounters and successive travels took him to new horiz ...
– artwork *
Helmut Newton Helmut Newton (né Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''The New York Times, New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically ch ...
– back photography


Equipment

Adapted from the liner notes of the 2014 remastered version. *
ARP 2600 The ARP 2600 is a subtractive synthesizer first produced by ARP Instruments in 1971. History Developed by a design team headed by ARP namesake Alan R. Pearlman and engineer Dennis Colin, the ARP 2600 was introduced in 1971 as the successor to ...
*
EMS VCS 3 The VCS 3 (or VCS3; an initialism for ''Voltage Controlled Studio, version #3'') is a portable analogue synthesizer with a flexible modular voice architecture introduced by Electronic Music Studios (EMS) in 1969. EMS released the product ...
*
EMS Synthi AKS The EMS Synthi A and the EMS Synthi AKS are portable modular analog synthesisers made by EMS of England. The Synthi A model debuted in May 1971, and then Synthi AKS model appeared in March 1972 a with a built-in keyboard and sequencer. The EMS S ...
* Yamaha CS-60 *
Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer The Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer is a series of analog music synthesizers that was produced from 1975 to 1979 by Oberheim Electronics. Developed by Tom Oberheim, they were the first production synthesizers capable of playing chords. Back ...
* RMI Harmonic Synthesizer * ELKA 707 * Korg Polyphonic Ensemble *
Eminent 310 Unique The Eminent 310 Unique is a home electronic organ that was built and introduced in 1972 by the Dutch organ manufacturer Eminent, at the time based in Bodegraven, the Netherlands. It was the first organ to include a string section, making it the ...
*
Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls i ...
* ARP Sequencer * Oberheim Digital Sequencer *Geiss Matrisequencer 250 *Geiss Rhythmi-computer * Korg KR 55 *
EMS Ems or EMS may refer to: Places and rivers * Domat/Ems, a Swiss municipality in the canton of Grisons * Ems (river) (Eems), a river in northwestern Germany and northeastern Netherlands that discharges in the Dollart Bay * Ems (Eder), a river o ...
Vocoder 1000


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


References


Sources

* * *


External links


''Équinoxe''
at
Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Equinoxe 1978 albums Jean-Michel Jarre albums Dreyfus Records albums Polydor Records albums 1970s concept albums Electronic albums by French artists Ambient albums by French artists Space music albums by French artists New-age albums by French artists