Electronica: The Heart of Noise, Vol. 2

by Jean-Michel Jarre

Overview

Jean-Michel Jarre's two-part Electronica series finds the French synthesizer guru in full-on Santana circa Supernatural mode, collaborating with a vast array of guest musicians ranging from veterans to younger artists. The second volume, released seven months after 2015's inaugural The Time Machine, is titled The Heart of Noise in reference to Italian futurist Luigi Russolo's 1913 manifesto The Art of Noises. Jarre has a keen ear for collaborators, ranging from his '80s synth pop peers to 21st century techno artists whose work carries on the legacy of his past innovations. "Here for You" sounds exactly like what a Jarre/Gary Numan team-up should sound like, with a cruising midtempo synth pop rhythm and an unmistakably Numan-esque melody. "Brick England" is a typically anthemic Pet Shop Boys song, and Cyndi Lauper's Tinder-inspired "Swipe to the Right" is perky, neon dance-pop. The album reflects Jarre's visionary spirit, as well as that of his cohorts. The Orb (who previously remixed Jarre's iconic "Oxygene" into their 1997 single "Toxygene") mixes spoken samples from synthesizer inventors Leon Theremin and Bob Moog, as well as Theremin virtuoso Clara Rockmore, into a dense yet fluid collage, which is topped by the eerie sounds of the Theremin itself. Julia Holter makes a surprise appearance, adding her ethereal vocals to the shimmering synths of "These Creatures." Of the album's dancefloor-friendly tracks, the highlight is "Circus" (with Siriusmo), a playful, romantic take on choppy French house. The album also features "Exit," which begins as an aggressive psy-trance track before slowing down to present a chopped-up monologue from exiled whistleblower Edward Snowden that pertains to privacy and freedom of speech. "The Heart of Noise" bookends the album, with its first part (a cinematic version featuring Rone) and more dissonant second part kicking it off, and the original demo concluding the release. As with the first volume of Electronica, the second is commendable for its scope and its attempt to bridge several generations of electronic music. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	05/06/2016
Label:	Columbia / Rca
UPC:	0888751966727

Tracks

1. The Heart of Noise, Pt. 1
2. The Heart of Noise, Pt. 2
3. Brick England
4. These Creatures
5. As One
6. Here for You
7. Electrees
8. Exit
9. What You Want
10. Gisele
11. Switch on Leon
12. Circus
13. Why This, Why That and Why?
14. The Architect
15. Swipe to the Right
16. Walking the Mile
17. Falling Down
18. The Heart of Noise (The Origin)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jean-Michel Jarre   Primary Artist
Christophe   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
E.S.   Primary Artist
Hans Zimmer   Primary Artist
Julia Holter   Primary Artist
The Orb   Primary Artist
Cyndi Lauper   Primary Artist
Gary Numan   Primary Artist
Jeff Mills   Primary Artist
Pet Shop Boys   Primary Artist
Primal Scream   Primary Artist
Siriusmo   Primary Artist
Rone   Primary Artist
Yello   Primary Artist
Peaches   Primary Artist
Sebastien Tellier   Primary Artist
Edward Snowden   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Zoe Zimmerman   Photography
Claude Samard   Production Crew
Dave Dadwater   Mastering
Carmen Cacciatore   Composer
Jean Francois Cecillon   Consultant
Merrill Nisker   Composer
Stephane Manel   Photography
Eric Cornic   Graphic Design
Angel Ceballos   Photography
Daria Marchik   Photography
Jan Riephoff   Photography
Moritz Friedrich   Composer,Photography
Erwan Castex   Composer
Nadine Raihani   Engineer
Flavien Prioreau   Photography
Jacob Khrist   Photography
Lucie Bevilacqua   Photography
Marco Grenier   Production Crew
Stephane Gervais   Production Crew
Andrew Innes   Composer
Bobby Gillespie   Composer
Boris Blank   Composer
Cyndi Lauper   Composer
Gary Numan   Composer
Jeff Mills   Composer
Jean-Michel Jarre   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Pet Shop Boys   Engineer
Dieter Meier   Composer
Chris Lowe   Composer
Thomas Fehlmann   Composer
Joachim Garraud   Mixing,Production Crew
Dr. Alex Paterson   Composer
Robert Young   Composer
Sebastien Tellier   Composer
Neil Tennant   Composer
Christophe   Composer
Hector Acosta   Engineer
Hans Zimmer   Composer