Jean-Michel Zharr: "Russia is a crazy country"

The ambitious two-part album “Electronica” of the 67-year-old French synthesizer guru is a revenge of the composer-record holder, who once spoke in front of millionth audiences, in the new millennium in which he was forgotten. Jean-Michel Zharr decided to record his Magnum Opus, where he sets out his eyes on the history of electronic music and tries to predict its future. Jean-Michel Zharr attracted electronic musicians of different generations and different worlds to work on Electronica-from the masters to promising beginners, from the New York intellectual Lori Anderson to the stadium star of Armin Van Buren. Each track from the album is the collaboration of Jean-Michel Jarra with another musician with instantly recognizable handwriting, the combination of parallel electronic universes, diverging both in style and in historical time, which makes this plate interesting.

Before the release of the second part of the album-alman, Electronica Jean-Michel Zharr came to Moscow to meet with fans, and told Colta.ru about what his name is to move to Russia after the department.

- You studied with the famous composer Pierre Sheffer, the inventor of “specific music” . Why did you decide to do her?

-I have a classic musical education, but from my very young age I played in rock groups. I was always delighted with the idea of ​​sound processing - soundproken. At 13-14, I recorded Solo on an electric guitar on a cassette tape recorder and tried to do something with it-for example, I launched the other way around. When I found out that Pierre Sheffer is recruiting students in his group of researchers of particular music, I suddenly realized that music that can be done not only by notes and solfeggio, but also in everyday sounds, is mine. You take a microphone, write down the sound of rain, the noise of the car or barking your dog - and make a composition out of this. At the audition, Schaeffer said that the music that we will deal with is against the establishment. I really liked this thought. Indeed, concrete music and in general electronic music was then anti -zero: anti -Classic, anti -Room, etc.

Another important point: electronics are in no way connected with America and American musical tradition-pop music, jazz or blues. She was born in Europe - in France, Germany and Russia. The first electronic tools were made with you - the lion thermal , who strongly influenced Robert Muga. Rock-n Roll is ethnic American music that conquered the world, and electronics are music from continental Europe (I also relate Russia here), which conquered the world.

Jean-Michel Jarre-"Eros Machine" (1969)

One of the early works of Jean-Michel Zharra, issuing a student Pierre Sheffer in it

-For the master and many other composers who were engaged in electronic music in the 1950-1960s, it was the territory of scientific research. At some point, you approached her in American-as to pop music-and left the laboratory to a large audience, squares and stadiums. When did you change your attitude to electronics?

- Thank you very much for the interesting question. Yes, of course, I could stay in the laboratory - I would continue to engage in serious and experimental electronics, supposedly avant -garde. But do not forget that I had a rock and roll experience behind me. I lived on the Parisian outskirts - I grew up on the street, played on the street and kept contact with the street. I wanted to transfer the bridge between the elite, experimental electronics and pop music that the street loved. I have been doing this from the very beginning of my career - all my albums are recorded with this desire, but best I succeeded in the album “Oxygene” , which became a great success and changed a lot for me.

Jean-Michel Jarre-"Oxygene 4" (1976)

One of the most famous compositions by Jean-Michel Zharra

- You simultaneously produced the notes of popular French singers.

- Yes - this is precisely because I always wanted to push the boundaries of the influence of electronic music. I produced the albums of Patrick Juve, Francoise Ardi, Christophe ... By the way, Christophe is an incredibly gifted singer, a slightly crazy, with his sense of sound. We will have a joint track on the second part of the album Electronica , which, as you may know, will be released in the spring of 2016. So, returning to the topic: I never considered electronic music a certain genre like rock or hip-hop. Why is the electronics still remains relevant modernity? Because this is a new approach to essay, recording and even the spread of music.

Christophe - "Les Mots Bleus" (1974)

The title track from Christophe’s album “Les Mots Bleus”, which is considered one of the tops of French pop music. Jean-Michel Zharr wrote the text of this song and received a compliment from Sergey Gensbur for it

- You have chosen for the first part of Electronica the subtitle “Time Machine”. What did you mean?

- The time machine can transfer a person not only to the past, but also to the future, right? On my album, I wanted not only to imagine electronic music as a respectable lady with history, but also to emphasize that she has a future. In my opinion, the musicians who met on this record are Matrov John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream and Laurie Anderson, Air stars, Massive Attack and Mob , talented Fuck Buttons and Gesaffelstein beginners - There is a common musical DNA that will be reproduced.

Jean-Michel Jarre + Fuck Buttons-"Immortals"

The joint track of Jean-Michel Zharra and the British duo Fuck Buttons from the album " Electronica "

- How did you do this album - were the musicians to their studio or exchanged files on the Internet?

- I don't like making music on the Internet. To send each other files, never having met without talking, not looking into each other's eyes, this is a marketing trick. It was very interesting for me to go on a trip, meet and talk with everyone. Previously, I made sketches of tracks, holding the image of every musician in my head - this is my album!

- Have you met with them for the first time in your life or invited your old friends to cooperate?

- There are acquaintances, but not old - they are just from the category of talented young people. It is funny that I have not met with those people who personify the legacy of electronic music, but I know many newcomers well. It just occurred to me (laughs) ! By the way, when I began to make the first joint notes for this plate, I imagined that young musicians would be more technically subsided, better aware of new products, and would be real geeks. But in fact, no - the old people will give the head start to the young!

- It seems that Lan Lan is knocked out of your beautiful list of collaborators - he is a classic pianist.

- Yes, he is a magnificent pianist, but he still has a special passion for sound, like the rest of the project participants. In addition, for the first time in his life he played an electronic piano. We had a wonderful session with Lan Lan Lan, despite the fact that we recorded in my Parisian apartment. There were a long weekend, and the studio where I usually work - in one of the Parisian suburbs - was closed. Therefore, we did everything at home. And to Edgar Freze from Tangerine Dream I went to the village near Vienna, where his studio was. A few months later, Freze, alas, was gone. Our composition was the last that he recorded. In general, each of the tracks from the new album is a small story.

Jean-Michel Jarre + Tangerine Dream-"Zero Gravity"

Joint track Jean-Michel Zharra and Edgar Freze with the album " Electronica "

- What subtitle will be the second part of the album Electronica and who will participate in it except Christophe?

- I can’t announce the subtitle yet, and the names of collaborators too. But I can reveal a few surprises. On the second part of Electronica will appear Gary Newman, David Lynch, Hans Zimmer, Jeff Mills and you will be surprised! - Cindy Lope. There will be young musicians - for example, a very interesting French electrician Rone ; I'm not sure what you heard about him.

- Many of our readers at that moment would like to ask: where is Daft Punk ?

- The answer is very simple. When I started this project, DAFT Punk released a new album with a statement that they want to return from electronics to the disco music of the 1970s. My concept is exactly the opposite. I have great respect for DAFT PUNK , and maybe we will someday cooperate. Another time. Well, if we talk about DAFT Punk generation groups, then, for my taste, Air fit better into the project. They themselves once admitted that Air has a share of “Oxygene” , so we were obliged to make a joint track.

Jean-Michel Jarre + Air-"Close Your Eyes"

The joint track of Jean-Michel Zharra and the French duet Air from the new album "Electronica"

-When I told my friends that Jean-Michel Zharr came to Moscow and gives an interview, their first reaction was: "He will perform?" Muscovites are waiting for the second laser show on the Sparrow Mountains, as in 1997.

- You should ask this question to the mayor of Moscow. In 1997, I did not organize my speech myself: I received an invitation from the mayor of Luzhkov. I have a long -standing dream - to arrange a show on Baikonur, because I love space and everything that is connected with it. But this is impossible without participating in this project of the city or region. Throw them an idea?

The next spring, my tour will begin - first I will perform at festivals, and in the fall I will go to a world tour. I hope I will speak in Russia-somewhere in October.

Jean Michelle Jarr. Concert in Moscow (1997)

- During the show on the Sparrow Hills, you had an unusual outfit - a leopard coat and takes it like Che Guevara, and an October star with Lenin was pinned to it.

- Do you know why? It happened by chance. Before the concert, a little Russian girl came up to me, gave this asterisk and asked me to put on her. Of course, I could not refuse. And it was a great idea! For my part, it was a gesture of great love for your country and your culture. I do not want to talk about politics - neither in the days of the Soviet Union, nor about the current one, but I am delighted with the great history of your country and the Russian soul, full of contradictions, paradoxes and strength. In Russia, there are a lot of excellent art, architecture, dreams, romance and madness. Yes, Russia is a crazy country, and this is what I, as an artist, like it!

Yesterday I had an autograph session in Moscow. During the session, several people were asked if I wanted to move to Russia, like Gerard Depardieu. This is very funny. Because they did not know that when Depardieu moved to Russia, people from your government sent me requests - if I wanted to do the same, because Russia greets creative people. I am ready to come here as often as possible! Everyone needs to go to Russia as often as possible. Because people from the West, especially arrogant Anglo-Saxons, forget about how much Russia gave the world: without Rodchenko there would not be Chanel, Dior and many American photographers, without Russian futurism and constructivism there would be no New York. And abstract painting? And electronic music? The world does not remember this, because many Russians themselves forgot about it.

Buy "Electronica 1: The Time Machine" on iTunes