INTRODUCTION: JEAN MICHEL JARRE AND ME; A HISTORY IN MUSIC

Oxygene is his best known piece of music. For each piece of music Jean Michel Jarre creates, it tends to consist of several parts. Oxygene consists of a whopping 13 parts, each between roughly 4 and 8 minutes long. "Oxygene 4" is the most popular offering of his, often found on many older chillout collections.
Oxygene (renowned for its electronic ambience) is not his only masterpiece however. Others include Equinoxe, Chronology and Rendevous. My first experience of Jean Michel Jarre was Oxygene 4 when I was young from a chillout compilation of my parents. Having taken a liking to his music, my dad bought me an Oxygene 10 single. After hearing the piece I wasn't really overwhelmed but the remixes on there were somewhat more to my taste and got me impressed.
My next flavour of this talented artist came from a compilation with all various parts from pieces of music of his but performed by another artist. Some of these really inspired me but many sounded quite tame really and it wasn't an album that blew me away.
Still hooked on Oxygene, I proceeded to purchase all 13 parts on two seperate CD's. Some parts were better then others but all were definitely impressive and particularly parts 8 - 13, had me thoroughly entertained.
Now we come to Aero. I saw this advertised on TV under the name Jean Michel Jarre and I instantly knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Little was I to know that this very album would singley move me from a mild fan to an avid follower!

The cover of Aero (as you can see above), despite having little depth, cannot fail to catch your eye. However, should you look closely, you will see that at the centre of each eye, there is a glowing white doorway with a black figure standing within it. On the inside of the sleeve, the general colour scheme tends to be a white background with blue whisps. The best way to think about it is to imagine in the middle of summer, a lovely blue sky and white whispy clouds. Now inverse the colours, so your sky is white and your clouds are blue. Welcome to Aero.
Within the cover, you will find the CD itself along with a DVD. This double offering all under the humble price of £10:99 (the cheapest price I have found online) represents truly fantastic value!

Aero is not a fully original album. On the CD, you are presented with four brand new offerings and the remaining 10 tracks are standing pieces of his but remastered to the exact same tune using completely different sounds and taking full advantage of Dolby Digital 5.1. So is there anything for old fans here or is it dressed up "old stock"? Well the answer to that (as an old fan myself) is simple - this is something for everyone. Despite the bulk of tracks being existing pieces of his, the completely new sounds used make them a sort of sequel! There is the old tune to attract old visitors but new styles to surprise and impress!
As for the new pieces on here, they are totally unique in their own right and make sure that noone is left with complete familiarity.

A 50 second affair of strange, whispy and electronic sounds which serves no other purpose then to lead you into Oxygene 2.

An existing track remastered for Aero. To be honest, out of all the exisiting pieces of music remastered for Areo, this has not had an awful lot done to it. That said, Oxygene 2 has always been a very enjoyable piece, although tends to lean towards the "blow you away first time and subsequently become pretty good" style.
There is a good build up on this track, using a "ra ta ta ta" sort of beat, with a whispy ambience trailing along with it. This is broken into with a very pleasing tune that follows along with the same piece and forms the main section of the piece.
The track develops in a "die down" sort of way and becomes less and less paced, with the ambience taking a sort of darker side to it and moving away from the main rhythm kept up throughout. Altogether, a nice piece but not a top favourite.

A brand new track, this and a great listen. The build up begins with a typical Jean Michel Jarre "windy whooshing" sound accompanied by a building tune and beat that launches into a relaxed but rapid paced light beat.
An electric piano sound is used here to build up a "prologue" tune - not the main tune, but a complimentary. Rather like the verse to the chorus of a song.
Talking of that chorus tune - a nice experience. The tune seems to burst more prominently and make "exclamations" which are replied to by a different sound that makes a responsive sound. A nice piece.

A well known one this and the new version is very similar. The trademark windy sound kicks in from the off, with a sort of church bell chiming at intervals.
A subtle but prominent beat squeezes in through a gap and so begins the track. Oxygene 4 has a wonderfully ambient and relaxing tune with a beat that is so unannounced that it merges in with the mild "windy" sound playing around behind the scenes. Definite "whooshes" interject here and there to help create the atmosphere. The image I create from this is a windy church yard, with electrical pulses skipping about in it.
The "chorus" of this track is a sort of interlude, where the tune builds higher and higher before breaking into a responsive tune to build a sense of heightening.
After a second helping of that original ambient joy of listening, the chorus section kicks in to take over the rest of the track after a brief section of random noises and sound effects. This time, it veers off at the end, going even higher still and at a faster pace before breaking into that aforementioned response but only this time, much higher pitched and more paced!
Now the wind gains volume and slowly absorbs the tune to finish off a wonderful track. This new version is a joy from start to finish.

A strange track this but nonetheless, a fine piece of music. The sound of snapshots being taken throughout as part of the beat makes this a rather different experience. The tune itself that kicks in after this is established is a good tune but has a very "saddening" feeling to it.
Taking into account the title, I would imagine this to be the comedown feeling of coming back from a holiday in China. The music itself flows slowly up and down to a rather downbeat tune with the beat itself just about making progress.
Overall, this is a nice listen and worth being on the album, even if a little "odd" in the former stages.
Later on, the tune breaks off into an interlude with some chiming sounds breaking in. The track then dies off with one last hit of sound.

Another new track and absoloutely wonderful! A faster and slightly more thumpy beat then the previous tracks presented kicks in early on, with a quirky tune running alongside.
But then the chorus kicks in. This is a wonderful chiming tune that is sourrounded by an ambient "descant" which creates an image of the creation of planet Earth in my mind. A wonderfully chilling and thought-provoking piece.
Electronic hums also come into play as the track progresses and the second chorus sees more sound effects join the mixture for a very pleasing experience.
As the chiming breaks off, the ambience carries the track on its own for a short time near the end and then the music breaks off into a sound of a ticking clock which chimes at the end to round things off.

A more paced and coordinated track then the last, with a sort of "bling" like tune that announces itself throughout in a very pleasant way throughout. A good tune and a good track, with a nice rhythm to go with it.

Wow! Wow, wow and wow again! You get the impression I like this track? Well when I first heard Zoolookology, it was on my old compilation and sounded like a painfully average track. The tune was ok but it was pronounced by a sort of "banjo" sound that really made it sound quite plinky and boring.
But wait. The new version has arrived and what a difference! The sound starts off pacey as if it is about to launch into something. It does. Very compuerised at the start, the real tune kicks in and is quite simply fantastic! But its not just the tune - the sound that creates it is a half human, half electronicy sound that sounds highly original and together with the pace of the beat creates a great sound.
A random blend of technological sound effects kick in at breaks in the tune itself to offer variety. This track sounds like it is actually being "sung" or "expressed" by an alien. At least, thats the impression you get from listening to it. The riff is instantly likable and the pace of it ensures that this is something you could play anywhere, anytime. I needn't go on any longer. I can't quite describe it properly but this one has to be heard - an unregrettable experience on all accounts!

A spacey, cosmic feel envelops this track. The tune has an X-files feel to it and the entire piece creates an image of being on a spacestation. The pace is there but is not consistent - it only creates itself a while into the track at a random part and almost sounds like a "drum and bass" symbol.
The sound effects are particularly liberal in this track which appeals to me but may put some people off. The tune doesn't really seem to go anywhere and simply allows other sounds to upstage it and take the limelight in various parts. An odd and disorientating sound overall. Quite pleasant but one to make the listener think "erm.......what was that?"

Another brilliant track to demonstrate the endless talent of the artist. A gentle clinking tune starts off, with an ambient beat and sound slowly building and taking over. As the tune slowly builds itself, vocal backing seems to come into play and build things higher. Just as it seems to reach a "mini" climax, the tune falls apart and reverts back to the original clinking tune before the entire piece instantly regains itself but this time with a wonderfully new and pacey sound racing up and down to accompany. Now a new tune overlaps all of the other sounds to take front stage and creates an overall sound and experience that leaves the listener totally captivated!
This new tune is later taken on by an "accordian" sound with all the other sounds remaining in place. A wonderfully crafted track with a total sense of direction and attention demanding from start to finish.

This track is another superb piece with an instantly likable tune. The build up on this is long and atmosphere building. The beat is then broken into by the tune proper - a real anthem with an "Olympic Theme" sound to it. You can't fail to find this track pleasing to listen to.

THE CONCLUSION