Jean-Michel Jarre has collaborated with Armin van Buuren on “EPICA MAXIMA,” a re-interpretation of “EPICA” from Jarre’s last album OXYMORE. It is the second time the two electronic music behemoths have worked together. Their previous collaboration, “Stardust,” was the most popular track from Jarre’s 2015 album Electronica having been streamed well over eight million times to date. The track is included on Jarre’s new project OXYMOREWORKS, also out today (November 3) on SONY Music.
Listen to OXYMOREWORKS here:
https://jmj.bio.to/OXYMOREWORKS
Tracklist
1. Brutalism Take 2 (ft. Martin L. Gore)
2. Epica Extension (ft. Brian Eno)
3. Brutalism Reprise (ft. Deathpact)
4. Epica Take 2 (ft. French 79)
5. Synthy Sisters Take 2 (ft. Adiescar Chase)
6. Epica Maxima (ft. Armin van Buuren)
7. Sex in the Machine Take 2 (ft. Nina Kraviz)
8. Zeitgeist Take 2 (ft. NSDOS)
9. Zeitgeist Botanica (ft. Irène Drésel)
“EPICA MAXIMA” transcends the boundaries of genres, fusing Jarre's expansive sonic landscapes with Armin's euphoric and uplifting trance vibes. It is not just a rework; it's a breathtaking transformation of Jarre's original track. The synergy of their unique yet complimentary styles creates a sonic, stadium-ready masterpiece. With a blend of grandeur and emotion, “EPICA MAXIMA” stands as a testament to the collaborative prowess of these two pioneers.
Speaking about the collaboration, Jean-Michel Jarre said: “Armin is one of the rare artists and producers of electronic music who carries his own instantly recognizable style and sound. On top of that, Armin is a wonderful human being and a great friend. I am thrilled to collaborate with him once again on this track.”
Armin van Buuren shares, “Jean-Michel Jarre is one of the most important people in the history of electronic music. He was one of the first to get a big audience to love electronic sounds and did some legendary concerts. All of his albums were a big part of my childhood and I remember my father listening to ‘Zoolook,’ ‘Oxygène,’ ‘The Concerts In China’ and many more. I’m honoured he invited me to collaborate with him again after our track ‘Stardust’. He asked me to join a project he composed around some of the late Pierre Henry’s stems, which resulted in a magical track. You can clearly hear both of our sounds in the track and I’m very proud of this piece of art!”
“EPICA MAXIMA” is taken from Jarre’s new project titled OXYMOREWORKS, a collection of collaborations with other artists, out today. The nine-track body of work comprises re-works of tracks from his 2022 album OXYMORE, some of which have been revealed over previous months. Each track has been meticulously composed and produced by Jarre in direct collaboration with each featured artist, resulting in a distinctive new version that showcases the collective artistry of both musicians. The album spans a broad spectrum of electronic genres and includes the hypnotic, expensive techno of “SEX IN THE MACHINE TAKE 2” with Nina Kraviz, the cinematic “SYNTHY SISTERS TAKE 2” with Adiescar Chase, the warm, uplifting progressive opus of “EPICA TAKE 2” with Marseille-based Electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist French 79; “EPICA EXTENSION” with Brian Eno; “BRUTALISM TAKE 2” with Martin Gore; and “BRUTALISM REPRISE” with Deathpact.
Speaking about the collection, Jean-Michel Jarre said: “OXYMORE holds a special place in my heart, as it embarks on a truly unique sonic journey. With the profound joy of collaborating with fellow artists, much like my previous venture, Electronica, I aim to foster a fresh perspective on my music. I reached out to musicians whose distinct talents I believe would bring a new dimension into each track. OXYMOREWORKS stands as a testament to the art of collaboration; a vibrant collection of musical dialogues."
OXYMORE, released in 2022, was crafted as a tribute to the French roots of electronic music which has had a major influence on the music production of the genre over the years. OXYMORE is also an homage to the late French composer Pierre Henry, an iconic figure in electronic and classical music, and one of Jarre’s influences at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) where he studied. OXYMORE was released in October 2022. Conceptually it is his most ambitious and groundbreaking album to date, and the first commercial release of this scale which fully utilizes multichannel and binaural sound (spatial 3D). Jarre produced, composed, recorded and mixed in 360-degree audio in the "Innovation" studios at Radio France.
Jean-Michel Jarre has also recently collaborated with Renault to develop unique new sounds for the car manufacturer's future electric vehicles. Some of the sounds Jarre developed were inspired by tracks from OXYMORE. Additionally, as part of the collaboration with Renault, a new version of the legendary track “Oxygène 4” was created, merged with the original “EPICA” from OXYMORE. The new version will be available commercially soon.
