Oxygène (Part IV) explained

Oxygène (Part IV)
Cover:OxygeneIV.jpg
Caption:German cover, 1977
Type:single
Artist:Jean-Michel Jarre
Album:Oxygène
B-Side:Oxygène (Part VI)
Recorded:1976
Studio:Jean-Michel Jarre's home studio, Paris
Length:
    • (Album)
Label:Disques Motors/Polydor
Producer:Jean-Michel Jarre
Next Title:Oxygène (Part II)
Next Year:1977

"Oxygène (Part IV)" (released in some countries under the title "Oxygène IV") is a 1977 single composed by the French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre, from his third studio album Oxygène (1976). It is Jarre's most successful single, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart and peaking in the top ten in the charts of several European countries. It also was used in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV,[1] and in the BBC drama Micro Men.[2]

Background

In 1974 Jarre composed the opening jingle for the A4 autoroute—also known as autoroute de l'Est—in Paris. Some media such as The Telegraph pointed out the rumors of the possible original incarnation of "Oxygène (Part IV)" in the jingle.

Composition and recording

Like the rest of the Oxygène album, "Oxygène (Part IV)" was recorded in the makeshift studio in Jarre's kitchen in his Paris apartment, using several instruments such as the RMI Harmonic Synthesizer.[3] "Oxygene (Part IV)" begins with a sound that evokes the wind, a flat noise generated by an English synthesizer called EMS VCS 3, the first synthesizer that Jarre had.[4]

In the middle of this white noise, Jarre superimposes different musical sequences, among them are two presets "rock" and "slow rock" played simultaneously by using sellotape to hold down multiple selections on a Korg Mini-Pops 7 drum machine.[5] [6] He also added filtering effects to the drum sounds "in a very subtle way to give life inside the patterns."[7] The "ethereal string sounds" were created by running the VCS 3 and Eminent 310 Unique through an Electro Harmonix Small Stone phase pedal for guitars.[8] [9] French sound engineer, Michel Geiss programmed in the ARP 2600 the main sound of "Oxygène (Part IV)".[10] Jarre also used a Revox tape to create delay on some sounds.

Release and critical reception

On its release as a single, "Oxygene (Part IV)" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten in several other countries across Europe and in New Zealand. It began to play on the most important radio stations in his native country and Great Britain.[11] Europe 1 used it as the theme of two of his regular programs, Hit Parade directed by Jean-Loup Lafont and basketball show Basket sur Europe 1 in the credit titles. BBC Radio 1 also played the entire album, including it.[12] In 1989, it was remixed and re-released,[13] with a music video which features a penguin march on Antarctica.[14]

The song was chosen as fifth greatest synth sound of all time by English magazine Computer Music in MusicRadar website. The British newspaper The Guardian called it the best of his oeuvre and described as "an instantly recognisable hook that rides on a bossa nova beat to explore the galaxies".[15] Treble considered it as one of the most essential synth pop songs in history. Phil Alexander wrote in Mojo which "the composer's pop sensibilites evident on Oxygene Part IV – an unlikely UK Top 5 hit from what remains an elegant cornerstone of electronic music."[16]

Charts

Weekly charts

scope=col Chart (1977–1978)scope=col Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] 26
Spain (AFE)[18] 1
Holland Singles Chart[19] 4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 10
scope=col Chart (1989)scope=col Peak
position

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)Rank
Dutch Charts (MegaCharts)[21] align=center 71
UK Singles Chart (BMRB)[22] align=center 38

Notes and References

  1. News: Crime pays for music biz with new Grand Theft Auto . 5 April 2022 . Reuters . 28 April 2008 .
  2. Web site: Smith . Tony . Micro Men: The story of the syntax era . . 5 April 2022 .
  3. Web site: Music . Computer . The 40 greatest synth sounds of all time, No 5: Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene, Pt 4 . MusicRadar . 26 September 2022 . en . 25 May 2021.
  4. News: Crawley . Peter . A breath of fresh air after 30 years . 2 March 2022 . . 9 April 2008 .
  5. Web site: Oxygène: Le poème électronique de Jean-Michel Jarre . France Musique . 21 January 2022 . 25 January 2022 . fr.
  6. News: Simpson . Dave . Jean-Michel Jarre: how we made Oxygène . . 16 October 2018 . 25 September 2021.
  7. Book: Hartenberger . Russell . The Cambridge Companion to Percussion . 10 March 2016 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-316-54621-5 . 168 . 22 September 2022 . en.
  8. Web site: Jarre gives another Oxygene dose . The Sydney Morning Herald . 26 September 2022 . en . 3 April 2008.
  9. Web site: Music . Future . 9 essential tips for using stompboxes in your studio . MusicRadar . 26 September 2022 . en . 22 June 2015.
  10. Web site: Interview with Michel Geiss (I) . Fairlight Jarre . 24 August 2022 . 25 March 2014.
  11. News: Green . Thomas H. . Oxygene: ba-boo-boo beew . . London, England . 27 March 2008 . 14 March 2009.
  12. Web site: Oxygène ou l'histoire de l'ovni électronique vendu à plus de 18 millions d'exemplaires . Greenroom . 18 September 2022 . fr-FR . 29 December 2016.
  13. Web site: Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene, Pt. 4 . TV80s . 8 October 2022 . 19 June 2019.
  14. Web site: Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene :: Le Pietre Miliari di OndaRock . OndaRock . 21 August 2022 . it . 16 May 2010.
  15. News: Allen . Jeremy . Jean-Michel Jarre – 10 of the best . 27 August 2021 . . 5 October 2016 .
  16. Alexander . Phil . Electric Dreams . . November 2015 . 45 . 25 August 2022 .
  17. Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian)

    . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . Australian Chart Book . St Ives, New South Wales, Australia . 153 . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6.

  18. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. 1st. September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 84-8048-639-2.
  19. Hits Of The World . Billboard . 9 July 1977 . 89 . 30 October 2022.
  20. Hits Of The World . Billboard . 17 December 1977 . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. . 70 . 8 October 2022 . en.
  21. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1977 . GfK Dutch Charts . 1 February 2019.
  22. Book: Nigel . Hunter . Peter . Scaping . BPI Year Book 1978 . Top 100 Singles in 1977 . . 216–217 . 3rd . 1978 . 0-906154-01-4.