Wulfie’s Wax Museum: “Magnetic Fields” – Jean-Michel Jarre

Join host Michael Wulfsohn on Monday, February 25 at 8 pm for “Wulfie’s Wax Museum,” on the Monday Night Beat, as we become immersed in Jean-Michel Jarre’s “Magnetic Fields,” released in 1981 on the French Disques-Dreyfus label. This album shows the keyboard dexterity, recording & sampling skills, mixing abilities, and the creative imagination of Jean-Michel’s synthesized crossover music.

This LP is his 3rd on Disques Dreyfus, and his 5th release as a solo artist, following his 2 enormously successful previous albums, Oxygène, and Éqinoxe. Although the first Moog synthesizer made its debut in 1969, even by 1981, synthesizers and digital keyboards were still in their relative infancy, as can be heard on this album. This original vinyl pressing contains a record sleeve with his own artwork for each individual piece.

This album is definitely “head music,” and is most intriguing and gripping when listened through headphones, earbuds, or stereo speakers that are spaced far apart. Tune in Monday at 8 pm for “Wulfie’s Wax Museum” on the next Monday Night Beat, on KUVOJazz.