Many of the musicians of our Forum are featured in the February number of Future Music magazine, in its spanish edition.  The magazine contains a CD with 16 compositions of our musicians, with additional infos as gear used on every track. The musicians featured in the CD are:

- A.J ESPINAL

- ALIDAN

- COSMIC SOUND

- CYBORGDRIVE

- DIE STADT

- DIVIDED BY

- DREAMING

- ECLIPSIS

- G.R.O.K.

- JOSEDIGIT

- JUANMA71

- MR. ROBOTO

- NELMAN MUSIC SYSTEM

- RAÚL GONZALO

- SEQUENTIAL POINT

- XETHIS

From Fairlight Jarre we would like to thank to all these musicians for their hard work and great creativity, and a big thanks to Juanma71 (impulsor of the project) and the Future Music magazine team.

1. Please, tell us who is Cliff Hewitt…

Cliff Hewitt is first and foremost, a fan of all things electronica but I am also quite a private person. I have been fascinated by the way electronic drum sounds  and rhythms have influenced a wide genre of music over a long period of 40 years or so. I like to think of myself as a pioneering soud designer on E-drums and in some circles I’m known as the Grandfather of E-drums

2. When you started to play drums?

I started playing drums aged 15 and turned proffesional at 16 when I joined my first band who got signed to the legendary DinDisc label in the UK.

3. We mainly know about you when you were drumming with Apollo 440 but in which bands did you played before?

My first band was called Modern Eon from Liverpool. We released an LP and some singles to critical acclaim in the UK. I then formed my second band Virgin Dance with some minor success in the early 80′s  which morfed into Picnic at the Whitehouse and this exploded across Europe. But it was when I hooked up with Tackhead , Adrian Sherwood and the singer from my first band that I knew where my musical direction was going to take me for the next few years. Kieth LeBlanc became my drum hero and set the me on the road to all things E-drums . I worked with many artists over the next 10 years, From Michael Rose to Ronny Wood, all within the studio enviroment.

4. We are a web dedicated to Jean Michel Jarre, so let’s talk about JMJ: did you know his music before your collaboration together?

Of course, bieng an electronic music geak, I was a huge fan of the great French man

5. When was your first meeting with Jarre? What was your first impression about him?

After the 440 remix of Oxygen 10 and Rendez Vous, JMJ made a little appearence at a small show 440 did in Portobello Road in London and he seemed quite shy at the time but it was when we performed at the world Footballer of the year in1998 I really got to know the man. And at Rehearsals for Nuit Electronique we had such a laugh together as we are both genuinely funny men. some great moments indeed and what a guy !! He is actually very funny and very approachable.

6. Apollo 440 made the remix of Oxygene 10 and after, in the Getting High in Your Own Supplly album, the rythm of this remix was used in the song For Forty Days. Did you made this rythm for the remix?

The three main guys from 440 are actually very good drum programmers so it was, and still is, a combination of 4 drum heads with all the drum tracks over the years

7. Later you played Rendez Vous in Eurodisney, en January 1998, with Apollo 440 and JMJ. This is one of the few performances of JMJ that we can find any footage about it. Please, tell us about this performance.

Bieng complete football fanatics (440 are all Liverpool fans and we still make their football tunes when asked) this has to be one of the highlites in my career. To stand next to Pele, Charlton and so many footballing legends was quite simply overwhelming. Hehe.

8. The single Rendez Vous 98 was a huge success. Did you played with Apollo 440 and JMJ in the studio?.

Yes, and I sneeked a little bit of acoustic drum in somewhere, I thinnk.

9. In July 14th 1998, you performed with JMJ in Paris, under the Eiffel Tower, on the Electronic Night concert. How were your feelings to play in front of 800.000 strong audience and in that landmark??

At the start of rehearsals JMJ gave me the Musical Directors hat and believe me, we had to kick ass as we knew it was going to be the biggest show on the planet that year. Playing in front of the Eifel Tower on Bastille Day and after france had won the World Cup and infront of all those people  and with a hangover from hell ( I’d been celebrating too) was just the best feeling ever. It doesn’t get any better!!!!

10. How were the rehearsals for this concert? Please, tell us your memories about this concert and all surrounding this…

There were two rehearsal stages. The first set of rehearsals took place at JMJ’s studio in his home and this involved me inviting the various artists in so we could meet and do some programming for the songs being performed. As JMJ was with his lighting diriector most of the time, this allowed me to form how the live show was going to be applied. We then moved on to the Stade De France for production rehearsals for a week to make sure what I did in the studio worked to the smallest detail.

11. On september 1998 yo played again with JMJ in Paris in the iMac Night. How and when JMJ contacted with you for this project?

JMJ gave me a call some time before and asked could I come along and MD the show. This again was an amazing show as it was in 3D and the whole audience was wearing 3D glasses which looked pretty surreal from my my point of view. But a great night indeed.

12. Please, tell us about your memories about this concerts, rehearsals, etc…

My main memories were not much sleep, not much sleep and not much sleep!! But the overwhelming feeling was that I was performing with one of my all time heros. Something as a young e-drummer, I could only imagine. Getting on stage at Nuit Electronique and knowing that there was over a Billion people watching world wide was just mind blowing.

13. In the iMac Night concert, you played some of the classics of JMJ such Oxygene 2, Equinoxe 4, Chronologie 6, Revolution, Revolutions… it was hard to you to play this tunes?

No, not at all. When you’re a fan of someones music, it just form naturally in your head and I had the tools of my trade to help me and some fantastic musicians on stage, like Christoph Papindyick and Paul Kodish.

14. How was for you to work with JMJ??

It was a huge honour to work with the most influencial electronic artist in history.

15. Have you got any favorite song of JMJ?? And any particular JMJ album you like?

for me, I ever get tired of playing every track from the first JMJ LP. when you are young, you get inluenced a lot more and this record has so many great memories for me and fills me with emotions I don’t have with other records.

16. Why didn’t you collaborate again with JMJ after iMac Night concert? would you like to collaborate again with him in a future?

I don’t have his mobile number and he probably doesn’t have mine. If you can get us back together again  for a collaboration, I’ll buy you a drink or two

17. Are you still working with Apollo 440?

Yes, the 440 famaily are all  still busy working together and the new LP, The Future’s What Used To Be, should be out in a few days (January, 31). Looking forward to that and to the shows next year.

18. Now you are with Schiller. Please tell us a little about this new project.

I was invited to join Schiller live in 2006 and it has been an amazing journey ever since. Christopher Von Deylen is a true visionary and a great person. We are just on the last leg of his hugely successful “Klangwelten” tour in surround sound. And I am honoured to perform with some of the world’s finest electronic musicians. It’s a pure instrumental show and you have to see it to experience this world of sound and light. really amazing!!

19. And, please, tell us about your future musical projects.

I have my fingers in many a pie for next year. I want to release my solo project called Sly Diva, I have the next big Schiller tour, Apollo 440 release their new LP and will tour, Tangerine dream have invited me to perform with them and I need a bloody holiday !!

20. Have you ever played in Spain??

Yes, I’ve played in Spain quite a few times with 440. It rocks every time !! Looking forward to the next visit.

Here we can find an unique video of Samuel Hobo singing the early Jarre tune “Zig Zag Dance”,  surrounded by  a bunch of girls dancing along the track.

And here, and thanks to Radio Equinoxe, we can find some very early and rare Jarre tracks like “Setyricon” (an early version of “Equinoxe 5″) and a fragment of the music composed by Jarre for the ballet “Dorian”.

The french label Rhino, from Warner Music, has released a compilation of film music in a 4 CD box titled “Soundtrack Maniac”. Here, among other artists as Mike Oldfield, John Barry, Ennio Morricone, etc, we can find Jean Michel Jarre with his track “Les Granges Brulees (Generique”). Here is the complete tracklist.

This box is only on sale in France and you can purchase it from amazon.fr.

Disques Dreyfus through digital download web Qobuz, released last October 21 new editions of Studio Masters (sound files taken directly from the mixing console, high quality, sampled at 24 bit/96 kHz. ) of the albums “Oxygene”, “Equinoxe” and “Magnetic Fields”.

This release (which was announced months ago in Fairlight Jarre) follows the path opened by the Studio Master edition of the album “Rarities”. The price of these digital downloads ranging from 11 to 14 euros.
More info here on the website of Qobuz.

We all remember the Irish group The Corrs. Sharon Corr was one of the members of The Corrs, who did a collaboration with Jean Michel Jarre in the track “Rendez-Vous à Paris”, part of the album “Metamorphoses”. Sharon now has a succesfull  solo career with his latest album “Dream of You”. She has been kind enough to give this interview to Fairlight Jarre; we hope you enjoy it.

- How were your first steps in music?

Music was part of my life before I became aware of it, my Mum and Dad had a band together – so music was always being learned and performed in my house growing up! I taught myself how to play piano from a young age, my brother- Jim was fantastic on it so I just copied him and loved it! I started Violin lessons at 6 years old – didn’t enjoy them as much as piano because it was so difficult and disciplined but I am so glad I stuck with it because it has defined me and given me so much to be grateful for in my life!

- Tell us about your memories of your successful experience with The Corrs.

I have wonderful memories of The Corrs, To tour the world- to be loved by audiences all over the world was incredible. Meeting Nelson Mandel was a beautiful experience, what a wonderful man! Meeting The Stones and questing on their shows was sooo much fun! We also played for The Queen in Buckingham palace and President Clinton in The White House! These are such truly unique experiences ad we were very lucky to have them. Playing music is a joy. I have great memories of Spanish audiences – always so warm and great fun!

- How and when contacted Jean Michel Jarre with you?

It was in 1999 the year that Jean Michel Jarre asked me to collaborate with him. I was a big fan of Jean Michel and I was so proud and extremely shocked by the proposal to collaborate with him. He sent me the track of “Rendez Vous à Paris” and I was immediately excited with it.

- Do you have a favorite Jarre album?

As I said, I was a big fan of Jean Michel Jarre albums throughout my growth. I listened to “Oxygene” tirelessly! So is this, “Oxygene”, my album of Jean Michel Jarre preferred.

- How was the recording of “Rendez Vous à Paris” in the studio?

The truth is that we didn’t recorded the song together, we recorded separately. The two got together to play the track in 2000, during the concert at the Man Ray club in Paris.

- About your violin solo on Rendez-Vous à Paris, it was your own composition or the solo was composed by JMJ himself?

When Jean Michel sent me the track, I understood that part of the violin that I thought really worked in the song, so the solo violin was written by me.

- You recorded some other songs with Jarre apart of “Rendez-Vous à Paris”?

No, we didn’t record any other song.

- How was  for you to work with Jarre?

Wonderful, a dream come true. When I met him I found a very funny. What a charming and adorable man! And with that look so amazing … ageless!

- You were not at the concert in Egypt, where he premiered many of the tracks of “Metamorphoses”, why?

I’m pretty sure it was because at that time was on tour with The Corrs. I would love to play in Egypt with Jean Michel.

- You played with Jarre in the Man Ray Club in Paris in January 2000. How was the experience?

It was great fun and very exciting for me to perform with someone I admired sooo much! And always great to be in Paris!

- You and your brothers worked together with Jarre at the IFPI in defense of your rights as artists. What do you remember about that period?

I am very passionate about music and what it gives to people and how much it enriches peoples lives! It is important for me to support always the rights of composers and artists all over the world to own and exploit their own work, so they will always have reason to create such beauty. Jean Michel is also very passionate about this.

-  Do you keep the contact with Jean Michel Jarre actually?

We did for a while. I imagine there will always be a connection because we made music together.

- Would you like to collaborate again with Jarre in the future?

Yes, absolutely!

- Tell us about your future projects.

I just released my solo album “Dream of You”. I’ve been immersed in a tour of the UK and give a bunch of concerts in Europe this fall and winter.

- Are you going to perform in Spain soon?

Try playing in Spain later this year or early next. You will have more information at: www.sharoncorr.com

In late 2008 we talked about the release of a new biography of Jean-Michel Jarre, published in France: “Jean Michel Jarre, Le Magicien du son et de la lumère”, by Cöetquen Editions. Well, next  October 28th will be launched in France the second edition of this book, updated through 2011 and the concert in Monaco.
“Before the Oxygene album come out, only some people were interested on synthesizers, and in what was called electro-acoustic music. With Oxygene, Jean Michel Jarre disturbed the waves and popularized a new genre of music, electronic music.
Followed by Michel Geiss, and the Jarre Tribe (Dominique Perrier, Francis Rimbert, Sylvain Durand, Frederic Rousseau, GuyDelacroix, Jo Hammer …), Jean Michel creates in his studio in Croissy  sounds and album appealing millions of people around the world (more than 80 million albums sold to date).
On July 14, 79, Jean Michel Jarre and his producer Francis Dreyfus proposed an experimental concert in the Place de la Concorde of Paris with a mix of music, light and fireworks. The show was overcrowded,  everyone was surprised, and it was something never seen before, a million spectators gathered to the concert. The concept of cities in concert just born in that very moment.
From Houston to Monaco, from Moscow to London Docklands, millions of people attended the concert of Jean MichelJarre. ”
This biography deals from Jarre’s childhood to the present day.
It contains a booklet of photos, where two members of the Forum of Fairlight Jarre, Ecocharlie (Juan Mora) and Sergio Keys have collaborated with some photographs and testimonies about the concerts of Santiago 2010 and Monaco 2011.
If you are interested in purchasing:
Coëtquen Editions
95,008 BP
Janzé 35150
France
http://www.coetquen.com/

You can pay via paypal or check-order.
Price 19 € in the editorial and in Amazon.fr, where you can preorder the book.

Natacha Atlas, the woman who bring “C’est la Vie” to life on the Jarre‘s “Metamorphoses” album, has kindly gave to Fairlight Jarre this brief interview. We hope you enjoy it.

- For those who doesn´t know you, who is Natacha Atlas?

I am a world music singer with Anglo-Middle Eastern and Belgian heritage.

- How were your first steps in music?

With UK band Transglobal Underground and Jah Wobble in the early 90′s

- When and how did Jean Michel Jarre contacted with you to collaborate with him in the album Metamorphoses?

He came to my show when he was writing ‘Metamorphoses’ and asked me to come by the studio to try some things.

- How were the first meeting with him?

He was an incredibly charming guy. Very polite

- Have you ever heard about JMJ before your collaboration? Have you got any favourite album or song of Jean Michel Jarre?

Yes I had heard of him before – and actually I like some songs on ‘Metamorphoses” the best.

- What was your first impression when you heard C’est la Vie for the first time?

I thought it was very interesting and a different approach to my music so we keen to try and do a great job on it.

- Please, tell us about your memories recording C’est la Vie in the Studio with Jarre…

Jean Michel was easy to get along with, very attentive to my needs in the studio. He is completely natural and totally unassuming person. He took very good care of me during the recording and also on tour when we did some shows together. Lovely lovely guy.

- Did you recorded with Jarre any other song apart of C’est la Vie?

No that was the only track we did together.

- How is to work with Jarre? Is he a good “boss”?

He always was extremely gracious. It didn’t feel like he was ‘the boss’. He treated me very well.

- You performed in the great concert of Egypt during the Millennium Eve, and we think that it was a great experience for you. Please, tell us about your memories about this concert, the rehearsals, the concert itself, the mood of the evening, and so on…

Wow – It was an amazing evening! ! There was an atmosphere of such exhilaration. It was something weird and wonderful – a huge event and I am very proud to have been a part of it.

- We heard that, regarding the concert on Egypt, Jarre and his team received some serious threats from the radicals… did this threats put pressure on you?

I was not aware of any of this. I certainly did not have any pressure put on me.

- One month after the Millennium concert, you performed with Jarre in Man Ray Club, in Paris, please, tell us about this concert…

That was a completely different evening. It was more for the press and media so very different that the show in Egypt. It was fine – the Man Ray Club was very exclusive and it was decorated fantastically – I remember that ! We had another great show.

- You made a brief promotion tour with Jarre in some european countries for TV programs, and Jarre talked at that time about the possibiltiy of making a tour in concert halls promoting the album Metamorphoses… Did you made any rehearsal or specific plans together about this tour?

We did some rehearsals together but I don’t recall there be any plans discussed. I really left all of those arrangements to Jean Michel and his management. Of course I was there when he requested rehearsals and we had fun preparing for it but I wasn’t involved in any specific plans.

- C’est la Vie were also performed by the greek singer Mando and the morocan singer Saida Charaf, did you heard their versions?

Ah, no! However I would like to hear these versions – I wasn’t aware of them but how wonderful anyway!

- Do you keep contact with Jean Michel Jarre actually? Would you like to collaborate with him again?

Actually I haven’t seen Jean Michel for years – we both live busy lives! I hope he is doing very well.

- Please, tell us about your next musical projects.

I am working on some composing for film and other projects including my new album which will be released in 2012.

With thanks to Liza Richards, from RedOz Music.

http://www.myspace.com/natachaatlasofficial

The “Rarities” album, by Jean Michel Jarre, is going to be released on vinyl in a few days, according to Francis Dreyfus Music. This release will contain a 180 gr vinyl and a gatefold sleeve.

As Fairlight Jarre previously reported, Francis Dreyfus Music will release “Oxygene“, “Equinoxe” and “Magnetic Fields” in vinyl aswell.

You can already reserve this album on Fnac France and Amazon France.