Electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Oxygene, the landmark electronic album he composed and recorded in his Paris home studio in 1976 that went on to be the best-selling instrumental electronic music album of all time.
The anniversary edition returns to the original tapes for a new stereo remaster intended to preserve the character of the original recording, while also presenting the album in Dolby Atmos for the first time.
Originally released in France at the end of 1976, before reaching international audiences in 1977, Oxygene helped establish Jarre as a major figure in electronic music.
“When I created OXYGENE, I was working directly with analogue instruments and tape, and the sound had a particular depth, movement and life of its own. For this anniversary edition, we returned to the original tapes with the aim of preserving that character rather than changing it.
“Of all the masters of OXYGENE that have been produced over the years, I believe this new remaster is the most true to what I originally created in 1976.”
Availability:
The Oxygene 50th Anniversary Edition is scheduled for release on November 20, 2026. It’s available to pre-order via Amazon, and limited-edition versions are available via Jarre’s site.
Thank God not another techno disco version like what he did during the last decade….
No Geiss, no deal.
For the DIY Jarre: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-KVS36uVcCM
Ughhh.. this album has not aged well. It was kinda corny then. Now it sounds silly.
Crap. Effing brilliant then, effing brilliant now.
Wrong.
hot take of the week
Oxygene is the biggest-selling electronic music album of all time – which means that it’s objectively important, regardless of your personal subjective taste.