Oxygène is the third studio album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre and his first album not intended for use as a soundtrack. Oxygène consists of six tracks, numbered simply "Oxygène Part I" to "Part VI".
It was first released in France in December 1976, on the Disques Dreyfus record label licensed to Polydor, with an international release following in the middle of 1977. The album reached number one on the French charts, number two on the UK charts and number 78 in the US charts.
Instruments:
ARP 2600
EMS Synthi AKS
EMS VCS3
RMI Harmonic Synthesizer
Farfisa Professional Organ
Eminent 310U
Mellotron
Minipops-7
Effects:
Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phase Shifter
Jean Michel Jarre, son of film composer Maurice Jarre, is one of the true pioneers of electronic music. Oxygène is one of the original electronic-music albums. It has withstood the test of time and the evolution of digital electronica.
Jarre's compositional style and his rhythmic instincts were his strong points in 1976. While his popularity has escalated exponentially over the years, he never quite achieved the quality of this amazing recording.
The innocence and freshness provide most of its charm. Jarre's techniques and ability provide the rest. This epic work will appeal to fans of Tonto's Expanding HeadBand, Tangerine Dream, Synergy, Kraftwerk, and Klaus Schulze.
Jarre recorded the album in a makeshift home recording studio using a variety of analogue synthesizers, one digital synthesizer, as well as other electronic instruments and effects.
Oxygene became a bestseller and was Jarre's first album to achieve mainstream success.
It was highly influential in the development of electronic music and has been described as the album that "led the synthesizer revolution of the Seventies".
Source: AllMusic Review by Jim Brenholts