JeanMichel Jarre's Odd Techno Shocker And Alice Coltrane Disciple Surya Botofasina's Meditations
Jean-Michel Jarre, Brutalism (Sony Germany)
French composer and synthesizer Jean-Michel Jarre's best-known and best-selling compositions, such as 1976's Oxygène and 1978's Équinoxe, feature soaring melodies, quadruple tones and snappy rhythms. is in space. Although purely instrumental, these albums sold millions of copies during the '70s, perhaps due to the radio success of Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" and the explosive popularity of the disc, which led to widespread acceptance of synth music.
Thoughtful and well made, like Jarre's best work, there was always something sweet and light about many of them. "Oxygen (Part V)" is an exception. This track really has a roaring rocket engine, especially in the second half. 1988's Revolutions LP contains some odd moments, but overall rekindles Jarre's love of all-too-familiar big-budget exploits. Most recently, Amazônia 2021 ventures into an ethnodelic soundscape by using jungle sounds to complement big-screen surround sound compositions.
For most electronic music legends of recent years, such as Vangelis (RIP) and Giorgio Moroder, we expect a decline in creative powers. To be honest, this applies to musicians of all genres. So it comes as a shock that Jara's 22nd album Oxymore (out October 21) is heavier and weirder than expected. Press releases reveal that it was "designed as a handcrafted work in multi-channel 3D longitudinal montage," which may partly explain the stunning 360-degree nature of the music.
The title track features sharp guitar hits, eerie abstract electronics, and some of the coolest beats JMJ has ever done. It sounds like a deeper ballad than anything Jarre has done in his 50-year recording career. The electrifying psychedelic techno of "Neon Lips" is far stranger than you'd imagine from the 74-year-old multi-millionaire songwriter. And the same goes for much of Oxymore, including lead track Brutalism.
It's funny that Sony Music thought a track as uncompromising as "Brutalism" would make a strong debut single, but the decision probably speaks to the influence of someone as legendary as Jarr. In it, borborygmus' droning synth paints a tense techno scene reminiscent of Swiss electro eccentric Yello, who caught the rave bug and rocked acid before entering the studio. Kudos to the label and the artist for supporting such a bold and exciting track from a platinum certificate that has played millions of concerts around the world. Old Jean-Michel doesn't play it safe.
Surya Botofasina, "Surya Meditation (feat. Swamini Satsang)" (Spiritmuse Records)
A gentle soul with deep meditative powers, New York-based keyboardist/composer Suriya Batafasina grew up at the Sai Anantam ashram of late jazz/new age legend Alice Coltrane, and it shows. His new album Everyone's Children, produced by Carlos Nino (out November 4), sits luxuriously at the intersection of smooth, penetrating jazz and the quietest new age.
Nine tracks spanning 100 minutes offer plenty of blissful beauty. Piano, synth strings, vibrations, chimes, chants and devotional voices and chants (from Mia Doi Tod, Radha Botophasina and Swamini Satsang) dominate the soundscape where every detail is lovingly arranged for optimal relaxation.
As someone who has been actively involved in chillout music in its various forms for several years, I find Everybody's Children a particularly soothing example. Such voices are still needed to achieve any semblance of sanity, but in 2022 the need is more urgent than ever. The peace of the album is now exactly what the guru ordered. Everybody's Kids contrasts the dominant culture of instant gratification, short attention spans and mindless endless scrolling that plagues modern life. Also featured in Boardwalk Empire and on vinyl, Battafacchino invites you to close your eyes, get into a comfortable position, and open your ears and heart as wide as possible to let his crystalline poetry amplify your fear. .
This 10-minute excerpt from Surya Meditation (another version on the album is almost three times as long) opens with Swamini announcing Satsang with gracious confidence: let your chakras hum in perfect harmony, for example. At some point Satsang calls. "The world will be blessed. and while it would be nice to think so, a cursory analysis of Google News contradicts this optimism. However, the Surya creates a convincing illusion that all is well, at least while its music flows through your sensor.