JEAN MICHEL JARRE TÉO & TÉA ALBUM WM FRANCE RELEASE: MARCH 28, 2007 REVIEW: APRIL 2, 2007

Jarre goes techno! Yup, it’s true. “Téo & Téa” brings good ole Jean-Michel firmly into the current century soundwise. But unfortunately he loses a bit of his soul at the same time. You can hardly make out Jarre in some of the tracks; if you listen closely you may recognize some of his touch. “Beautiful Agony” is actually a pretty typical Jarre track, especially regarding the synth melody, but a lot of the time you find yourself wondering if you accidentally put on a nameless techno album instead. He has dropped his trademark analogue sound and has gotten inspiration from today's dance scene. Fatter beats and a harder edge, but not as original.

It’s not a particularly bad album, it’s just that the Jarre magic is not very present here, it’s more a mix of techno, Air and Enigma, sort of. The best tracks are “Téo & Téa”, “Beautiful Agony” and “Vintage”, where the old and new melds together better.

I’d recommend a listen before you buy.

JOHAN CARLSSON