"Equinoxe Infinity" is the twentieth studio album by French musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre, released on 16 November 2018 by Columbia Records. It is the sequel to his fourth studio release, Équinoxe (1978), released forty years prior.[1]

Equinoxe Infinity
Studio album by
Released16 November 2018 (2018-11-16)
Recorded2018
StudioJMJ Studio, Paris
GenreElectronic
Length39:55
ProducerJean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel Jarre chronology
Planet Jarre: 50 Years of Music
(2018)
Equinoxe Infinity
(2018)
Snapshots from EōN
(2019)
Alternative cover

Recording

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Jarre used both analog and digital instruments for this album. At first he was going to use the analog instruments that he used in Équinoxe, but then he changed his mind "because if I was once again the young guy I was when I began that LP 40 years ago, I would use the instruments available today." Among the instruments he used was the prototype of a small synthesizer that Jarre discovered on Kickstarter called the granular GR-1 made by the company Tasty Chips Electronics.[2] This instrument was used to process a child's voice giving him a surreal and technological look on the track "If the Wind Could Speak (movement 5)". Jarre explained that he intentionally shortened it to make a link to "Band In The Rain" (from Équinoxe Part 8) from the 1978 album.[3]

Artwork

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Jean-Michel asked an artist from Prague named Filip Hodas to make two covers based on Michel Granger's design, Le trac for the original álbum, one in green and blue to symbolize a peaceful and harmonious future, and another that reflects a more apocalyptic and dystopian world. "The album is the soundtrack to both these futures, with some parts sounding more uplifting and poppy and others more dark."[2][4]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
MusicOMH      [5]
The Spill Magazine     [6]

Aaron Badgley of The Spill Magazine wrote that "What Jarre does on this album, which makes it so great, is to develop a somewhat retro sound. This is electronic music from the ‘70s, with a little technology from today, and it adds to the overall album."[6]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Jean-Michel Jarre

No.TitleLength
1."The Watchers (Movement 1)"2:58
2."Flying Totems (Movement 2)"3:54
3."Robots Don't Cry (Movement 3)"5:44
4."All That You Leave Behind (Movement 4)"4:01
5."If the Wind Could Speak (Movement 5)"1:32
6."Infinity (Movement 6)"4:14
7."Machines are Learning (Movement 7)"2:07
8."The Opening (Movement 8)"4:16
9."Don't Look Back (Movement 9)"3:36
10."Equinoxe Infinity (Movement 10)"7:33

Personnel

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Personnel specified in the album notes:[7]

  • Jean-Michel Jarre – publication, composition, production and mixing
  • Stephane Gervais – production assistance
  • Patrick Pelamourgues – technical assistance
  • David Perreau – mastering
  • Filip Hodas – artwork (based in original by Michel Granger)
  • Peter Lindbergh – portrait
  • Eric BDFCK Cornic – graphic design

Equipment

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Adapted from liner notes:[7]

Charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[8] 31
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[9] 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[10] 17
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[11] 49
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12] 26
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 17
French Albums (SNEP)[14] 20
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 11
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[16] 25
Italian Albums (FIMI)[17] 84
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[18] 14
Scottish Albums (OCC)[19] 28
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[20] 13
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 15
UK Albums (OCC)[22] 33

References

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  1. ^ "Jean-Michael Jarre: Equinoxe Infinity - album review". Louder Than War. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Jean-Michel Jarre". Hi-Fi News. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Jean-Michel Jarre Looks Toward Bright and Dark Futures on "Equinoxe Infinity"". FLOOD. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  4. ^ Munro, Scott (14 September 2018). "Jean-Michel Jarre reveals new album Equinoxe Infinity". Loudersound. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  5. ^ Devlin, Ben (13 November 2018). "Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe Infinity". MusicOMH. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  6. ^ a b Badgley, Aaron (16 November 2018). "SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JEAN-MICHEL JARRE - EQUINOXE INFINITY". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b Equinoxe Infinity (booklet). 2018. 19075876451.
  8. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe Infinity" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe Infinity" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe Infinity" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 47.Týden 2018 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  12. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe Infinity" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  13. ^ "Jean-Michel Jarre: Equinoxe Infinity" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 47, 2018)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  15. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe Infinity" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  16. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2018. 47. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 47 (dal 2018-11-16 al 2018-11-22)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  18. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 47: del 16.11.2018 al 22.11.2018" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  21. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe Infinity". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.