Electronic music trailblazer Jean-Michel Jarre has revealed plans for a new vinyl edition of his iconic 1984 album Zoolook, celebrating the album’s 40th anniversary. This special reissue is set to hit the shelves on January 10, 2025, under the banner of Sony Music. Additionally, fans can look forward to the digital version of the album, which will be released earlier on November 8.
The soundscape of Zoolook draws significant inspiration from the musique concrète techniques pioneered by Jarre’s mentor, Pierre Schaeffer, a style that Jarre revisited in his 2022 album, Oxymore. For this project, Jarre captured samples of singing and speech in 25 different languages, processing them through a Fairlight synthesizer, which represents one of the early uses of sampling in music.
Additionally, the album showcases the talents of avant-garde vocalist Laurie Anderson, while other vocal contributions stem from Jarre’s collaboration with French ethnologist Xavier Bellanger, who amassed an extensive collection of recordings during his explorations.
Jarre reflects on the album, stating, “Zoolook was a journey into the realms of language, the essence of human voices, and the connections between culture and technology. My aim was to weave together the rich tapestry of human sounds to forge a universal musical language devoid of words. As we celebrate its 40th anniversary, I am thrilled to revisit this project, honoring its legacy and the dedicated listeners who have embraced the album throughout the years.”
Jean-Michel Jarre celebrates the anniversary of Zoolook with a special reissue, now available in digital format and as a limited edition 180-gram vinyl. This release features the bonus track Moon Machine.
Tracklist:
- Ethnic color
- Diva
- Zoolook
- Wooloomooloo
- Blah Blah Cafe
- Ethnicolour II
- Zoolookologie
- Moon Machine (bonus track)
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