Electronica 1: The Time Machine by Jean-Michel Jarre

Electronica 1: The Time Machine is Jean-Michel Jarre's 2015 album, the first half of a sweeping collaboration project. The French pioneer of electronic music invites a long list of artists to share each track, from old peers to younger names. The theme is time and machines, the long arc of electronic sound told through many hands, and that idea drew me in.

Why listen?

The sound shifts from track to track, each guest bringing a different mood while Jarre holds the thread. The production is bold and detailed, vast synth landscapes built with great care. The pieces range from driving and bright to dark and spacious. There is a strong sense of journey across the record, a tour through the many shapes electronic music can take. It is music for headphones and full attention.

Favourite song: Zero Gravity

A long, weightless piece with Tangerine Dream that drifts and glows. It is the record at its most spacious.

The way the synths float free of any pulse, rising and falling like slow breath, is what stays with me. It calls to mind standing on a high ridge at night with the lights of the valley far below, the world quiet and wide. The album holds that sense of travel, a long road across sound, and it rewards a patient ear.

Key takeaway

Electronica 1 is bold, varied, and richly made. A gentle recommendation for anyone who loves the breadth of electronic music.

Tracklist

• The Time Machine (with Boys Noize)
• Glory (with M83)
• Close Your Eyes (with Air)
• Automatic, Part 1 (with Vince Clarke)
• Automatic, Part 2 (with Vince Clarke)
• If..! (with Little Boots)
• Immortals (with Fuck Buttons)
• Suns Have Gone (with Moby)
• Conquistador (with Gesaffelstein)
• Travelator, Part 2 (with Pete Townshend)
• Zero Gravity (with Tangerine Dream)
• Rely on Me (with Laurie Anderson)
• Stardust (with Armin van Buuren)
• Watching You (with 3D of Massive Attack)
• A Question of Blood (with John Carpenter)
• The Train & The River (with Lang Lang)

Details

Listen on

• Apple Music
• Amazon
• Spotify

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