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Équinoxe
Studio album by Jean-Michel Jarre
Released	December 1978
Recorded	January–August 1978
Studio	Jean-Michel Jarre's home studio, Paris
Genre	Electronic ambient space music new-age
Length	39:02
Label	Disques Dreyfus
Producer	Jean Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel Jarre chronology
Oxygène (1976) Équinoxe (1978) Les Chants Magnétiques (1981)
Singles from Équinoxe
"Équinoxe Part 5" Released: 29 December 1978 "Équinoxe Part 4" Released: June 1979

Équinoxe (French pronunciation: [ekinɔks], English: Equinox) is the fourth studio album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre, released in December 1978 on the Dreyfus record label, licensed to Polydor Records for its worldwide distribution in 1979. The album featured two singles: "Équinoxe Part 4" and "Équinoxe Part 5", the latter having more success reaching No. 45 on the UK Singles Chart. It reached number 11 on the UK Album Chart and number 126 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Composition and recording

The album was recorded from January to August 1978 in the makeshift recording studio set up in his apartment in Paris. The making of the album was done with a 16-track MCI tape. Jarre stated that although his previous album Oxygène was created without a concept in mind, Équinoxe was intended to represent a day in the life of a person, from waking up in the morning to sleeping at night.

The aquatic, rain, storm and thunder sounds that play on various tracks were designed by French sound engineer Michel Geiss. Apart from using the ARP 2600, Jarre also used liberal echo whips in the various sound effects generated by the EMS VCS 3 synthesizer. Both the Eminent 310 Unique organ and the VCS 3 went through an Electro Harmonix Small Stone guitar phasing pedal in order to provide the string pads used on the album. The main sound of "Équinoxe Part 1" was created using Eminent's SUST string configuration. The album also used the Korg KR 55 drum machine.

Jarre's musical ideas were initially recorded on a small cassette recorder, "as an audio scratch pad". Jarre considered discarding one of the recordings as he did not think that it was good enough, but Geiss convinced him to keep it, and the track later became "Équinoxe Part 7". Jarre also told Geiss that one of his wishes was to get a sequencer based on a matrix. Geiss designed the Matrisequencer 250, an 2x50 note instrument which "became one of the main instruments in Équinoxe." The Rhythmicomputer designed by Geiss also was used. The album was mixed at Gang Studio by Jean-Pierre Janiaud with assistance from Patrick Foulon.

Artwork

As with Oxygène, the cover art for Équinoxe used a painting by Michel Granger, in this case, Le trac (Stage Fright). Granger visited Jarre's private mansion in Croissy to present him with different paintings that would illustrate the album cover. Each of the canvases was projected by light cannons, and Le trac was immediately chosen by Jean-Michel.

Release and promotion

Équinoxe was released in December 1978 by Disques Dreyfus and internationally by Polydor Records, The album was promoted in London, UK. Two singles were released from the album, "Équinoxe Part 4" and "Équinoxe Part 5", the latter having more success reaching No. 45 on the UK Singles Chart and was described as a "synth-pop primer." The release was followed by a laser show and fireworks directed by Disques Dreyfus outside the Palais des Festivals, Cannes where the album was broadcast at high volume on the public address system, and also by a February 1979 promotional tour in the United States.

A concert on the Place de la Concorde, Paris was held on 14 July of that year. The concert attracted over a million people, at the time the largest crowd for an outdoor concert. Although it was not the first time he had performed in concert (Jarre had already played at the Paris Opera Ballet), the 40 minute-long event, which used projections of light, images and fireworks, served as a blueprint for Jarre's future concerts. Its popularity helped create a surge in sales—a further 800,000 records were sold between 14 July and 31 August 1979—and the Frenchman Francis Rimbert featured at the event. Along with its 1976 predecessor, both sold more than 1.5 million copies in France and in 1981, it would be certified platinum, in November 1979, both sold 11 million worldwide.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Mojo
Record Mirror

Contemporary critical reception for the album in the UK was negative. Davitt Sigerson of Melody Maker said "it is as slushily, pseudo-galactically crass and vapid as last year's Oxygène. The melodies are trite, harmonies predictable, textures almost determinedly hackneyed (even down to artificial 'weather' effects to generate mood). There isn't even much that's danceable." In Record Mirror, Steve Gett called the album "very artificial and as a result quite emotionless." He continued saying that, "As far as i was concerned the effect was one of sleep inducement, basically because it seems so lifeless and infinite, never reaching a specific goal but merely drifting on."

In the US, Cashbox wrote that "the result is a complex, starkly-toned album which is surprisingly accessible and invigorating. Although even liberal AOR stations may hesitate to place this LP on steady rotating, Jarre's sizable following plus adventurous rock fans will find this LP fascinating." The Pittsburgh Press described the album as "a moody, melodic, masterful synthesizer symphony" and "a dazzling musical poem, a pleasure to listen to, a delight to experience." In The Bulletin, William D. Loffler commented that the "titles are meaningless because the music is something like a stretched-out electronic tone poem." Retrospective reviews of the album have been more favourable. Phil Alexander of Mojo listed it as one of Jarre's three key albums, noting the influence of abstract art and classical composers Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Nino Rota on Équinoxe, and wrote that "Jarre attempted to trace the human experience from morning to night across eight tracks on an album that is sensual and, in places, deeply melancholic."

Mike DeGagne of AllMusic commented, "As the follow-up album to Oxygène, Équinoxe offers the same mesmerizing effect, with rapid spinning sequencer washes and bubbling synthesizer portions all lilting back and forth to stardust scatterings of electronic pastiches. Using more than 13 different types of synthesizers, Jarre combines whirling soundscapes of multi-textured effects, passages, and sometimes suites to culminate interesting electronic atmospheres... So much electronic color is added to every track that it is impossible to concentrate on any particular segment, resulting in waves of synth drowning the ears at high tide."

Legacy

"Équinoxe Part 1", and "Équinoxe Part 2" were used in the Mexican telenovela "Los Ricos También Lloran" starring Verónica Castro, and Rogelio Guerra.

"Équinoxe Part 1", "Équinoxe Part 3" and "Équinoxe Part 4" were used in Cosmos: A Personal Voyage by Carl Sagan, however they were not included on the series' soundtrack albums. In the 1984 computer game for Commodore 64, Loco, a remake of "Équinoxe Part 5" and "Équinoxe Part 6" by Ben Daglish was used. In 2018, four decades after the album's release, Jarre produced a sequel, titled Equinoxe Infinity.

Track listing

All tracks are composed by Jean-Michel Jarre.

Side one

1. "Équinoxe Part 1" – 2:23
2. "Équinoxe Part 2" – 5:01
3. "Équinoxe Part 3" – 5:11
4. "Équinoxe Part 4" – 6:52

Side two

1. "Équinoxe Part 5" – 3:54
2. "Équinoxe Part 6" – 3:15
3. "Équinoxe Part 7" – 7:24
4. "Équinoxe Part 8" – 5:02

Personnel

Personnel listed in album liner notes:

• Jean-Michel Jarre – production
• Jean-Pierre Janiaud – mixing engineer
• Patrick Foulon – mixing assistant
• Michel Granger – artwork
• Helmut Newton – back photography

Equipment

Adapted from the liner notes of the 2014 remastered version.

• ARP 2600
• EMS VCS 3
• EMS Synthi AKS
• Yamaha CS-60
• Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer
• RMI Harmonic Synthesizer
• ELKA 707
• Korg Polyphonic
• Eminent 310 Unique
• Mellotron
• ARP Sequencer
• Oberheim Digital Sequencer
• Matrisequencer 250
• Rythmicomputer
• Korg KR 55
• EMS Vocoder 1000

Charts

Certifications and sales

References

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4. "French charts".
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6. ^ Duguay 2018, p. 45-47.
7. Thévenin, Patrick (3 May 2012), Jean-Michel Jarre's Favorite Synths
8. Music, Future (22 June 2015). "9 essential tips for using stompboxes in your studio". MusicRadar. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
9. ^ Équinoxe (booklet). Disques Dreyfus/BMG/Sony/Warner. 2014. 88843089322.
10. "Interview with Michel Geiss (I)". Fairlight Jarre. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
11. "Michel Geiss Rythmicomputer at SynthFest 2022". SynthFest France (in French). 23 March 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
12. "Le trac - Sérigraphie épreuve pigmentaire". Michel Granger (in French). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
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14. "UA extends Shirley B campaign" (PDF). Record Business. 4 December 1978. p. 4 – via WorldRadioHistory.
15. "From The Music Capitals Of The World" (PDF). Billboard. 9 December 1978. p. 126. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
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29. ^ Gett, Steve (8 December 1978). "JEAN MICHEL JARRE: 'Equinoxe'" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 18 – via WorldRadioHistory.
30. Sigerson, Davitt (2 December 1978). "Review: Jean Michel Jarre – Équinoxe". Melody Maker. p. 49.
31. "Album Reviews". Cashbox. 9 December 1978. p. 19.
32. "Disc Roundup". The Pittsburgh Press. The Pittsburgh Press. 24 January 1979. p. 61. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
33. Jarre uses electronics for his caus. The Bulletin. 15 February 1979. p. 85. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
34. "The Complete Music of Cosmos". cosmic_voyager.tripod.com. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
35. Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers". Retrieved 18 February 2021.
36. "Loco". Retro Gamer. No. 70. Imagine Publishing. pp. 84–89.
37. "The Making Of: Loco". Retro Gamer. No. 196. Imagine Publishing. p. 44.
38. Hernandez, Christina (7 November 2018). "Jean-Michel Jarre previews upcoming album 'Equinoxe Infinity' with new single, 'Robots Don't Cry'". Dancing Astronaut. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
39. Lesprit, Bruno (22 November 2018). ""Equinoxe Infinity" : retour au rétro-futurisme pour Jean-Michel Jarre". Le Monde.fr (in French). Retrieved 16 September 2022.
40. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 153. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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43. "Dutchcharts.nl – Jean Michel Jarre – Equinoxe" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
44. "Offiziellecharts.de – Jean Michel Jarre – Equinoxe" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
45. "Charts.nz – Jean Michel Jarre – Equinoxe". Hung Medien.
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54. "Dutch album certifications – Jean-Michel Jarre – Equinoxe" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Equinoxe in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1979 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
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56. Murrells, Joseph (1985). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 459. ISBN 0668064595. Over 100,000 copies of "Equinoxe" were sold in Britain, the remainder of the huge sales spread around other countries, possibly three to four million

Sources

• Duguay, Michael (2018), Jean Michel Jarre, Books on Demand, ISBN 978-284-993-324-4
• Hughes, Alex; Reader, Keith (2003), Encyclopedia of contemporary French culture, CRC Press, ISBN 0-203-00330-6
• Remilleux, Jean-Louis (1988), Jean-Michel Jarre (English ed.), Futura Publications Ltd., ISBN 0-7088-4263-1

External links

• Équinoxe at Discogs

• 1978 albums
• Jean-Michel Jarre albums
• Dreyfus Records albums
• Polydor Records albums
• 1970s concept albums
• Electronic albums by French artists
• Ambient albums by French artists
• Space music albums by French artists
• New-age albums by French artists