Equinoxe

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Editorial reviews

Album Review
As the follow up album to Oxygene, Equinoxe offers the same mesmerising affect, 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. Never repeating the same sounds twice, it is obvious that the science fiction hype of the late 70's played a large part in the making of this album. Computerised rhythms and keyboard-soaked transitions scurry by, replaced by even quicker, more illustrious ones soon after. There is always a pulsating beat or a fluttering tempo happening somewhere in each of the tracks, which are titled as a numbered sequence one to eight. Each track harbours its own energy and electronic fleetness, but none are identical in sound or pace. So much electronic colour 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. --Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-11-13 rating:
Stands up very well to the test of time
This album is Jarre at his best, Oxygene hinted at what was to come but still contained many of the "Krautrock" tangerine dream type pieces that to the modern ear are frankly boring and dated quickly. However this album is much closer to a true modern electro-pop album. For me good electronic music is typified not by the main melodic drive but by the rhythm and by the quality of the instrumentation, the effects, the sounds, the place where the hard work is put in. This is what exemplified Kraftwerk and years later the likes of Orbital and even Enigma. On this album he achieved this happy balance of good rhythmic drive and lots of interesting sounds underneath the melody. Unfortunatly his subsequent albums abandoned this and became simple cases of a Polysynth melody line writ large, and increasing focus on event-concerts.

Listening to this album does evoke comparisons with Orbital in their in-sides-middle of nowhere period, in fact you can hear many almost identical sounds on the Orbital albums.

Its an album that frustratingly falls short of 5 stars in that what would be considered the second and more rythmicly modern side, 4-8, tends to end with a wimper not a bang. This album certainly hints at where Orbital, Ryoksopp et all would go and even now stands up well to the test of time.

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review by: date: 2008-05-13 rating:
Equinox: Excellent
I haven't heard this album since I was at school some 30 years ago! I was absolutely blown away by this CD.

If you have some J-M J but not this album what on earth are you waiting for, don't leave it as long as I did!

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review by: damonfeurtado date: 2008-01-20 rating:
A Instrumental masterpiece!!!
I have lost count of how many times I have heard Jean-Michel Jarre's 1978 album, Equinoxe, on CD. Everytime I hear it, it evokes so much emotion to this very day. Even though it lasts 38mins. One of the greatest ever electronic concept albums to ever to have been made. I have just recently purchased the original version of Oxygene off this site, as opposed to the new version that contains new mixes, accompanying it. The originals are ALWAYS the best!!! If I now had 2 pick a Top 10 of my favourite albums of all time, Equinoxe would be straight in there with great pride.

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review by: illuminated geek date: 2007-04-03 rating:
Essential
This is probably one of the two or three albums by Jean-Michel Jarre that any serious music fan should have in the collection (the others being Oxygene and Zoolook).

Whereas Oxygene seemed to be about the wind and air, Equinoxe is very much an album about water and earth, from the softly bucolic sounds of part 3 with its strangely ethereal fairground nuances to the cataclysmic thunder, lightning and deluge of part 5.

Those who scoff at Jarre's current dalliances with dance music would do well to look at this album between parts 4 and 7, where he demonstrates that making music that moved the body as well as the spirit is not just a new pre-occupation.

As others have said, this album is probably one the great instrumental albums of all time, and certainly one the the very greatest works of electronic music, sounding surprisingly fresh even now, nearly thirty years after its release.


review by: date: 2006-08-01 rating:
Quite Wonderful

I loved this when it first appeared, my favourite of JMJ's early output, but was disappointed by the original "Polydor UK" Cd release, Somewhere, JMJ either used better masters for the Disques Dreyfus release, or did some very subtle remix work, as the result is so much more vivid and colourful (the same thing happened with "Zoolook").

There's something for everyone here, my favourites being pt's 5-7, which must be played on a pair of decent, BIG, speakers (or top notch headphones at a pinch) to really show the scale and movement of these pieces.

If you don't already have this, WHY NOT?

Enjoy...

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