Blah Blah Cafe, the Jean-Michel Jarre forum

[Jarrepeggiator]

After reading some of the comments on Jarre's music in the last decade and also, reactions to some of this recent AI related comments, here is a hypothetical dilemma for all Jarre fans that we could discuss:

Would you rather listen to a Jean-Michel Jarre album that he personally produced in his studio, that sounds nothing like his early works, an album that uses all kinds of modern styles, industrial noises, dance, even EDM beats, metal guitars, rapping, loud, dark and eerie sounds,

OR

an album that sounds similar to the stlye of Oxygene and Equinoxe, his classic albums, with warm analog space music, catchy melodies, the sounds of Eminent, VCS 3, Korg minipops, using all the sounds that makes Oxygene good, but it's actually an album entirely generated by an A.I. system that uses Oxygene as an example?

And please make a clear choice between these two possibilities.

[Dr_Jones]

A proper dilemma, this is!

If I didn't know the second one was made by an AI, I'd probably choose the second one, because I'm a sucker for melodic stuff. But I am sure AI can't do this, it won't be as creative as a human being.

And on the other hand: every JMJ album always has something JMJ-ish. Like he always says in interviews, quoting Fellini who said he was always making the same movie.

Hmm, on second thought, I think I rather go for option 1. Hearing JMJ dark metal, industrial... would be interesting to hear. Yes, option 1.

[Finaero]

Option 1, largely because Option 2 already is most of those JMJ tribute albums and the like - the ones with the cliché "Equinoxe 4"-a-likes and whatnot

As an example, while I really like this album - and this example is actually far less egregious than some - well, you know

[Richard-Eastham]

Can I have both?!

My immediate instinct is for Option 1 and in a sense, Oxymore was that. Fresh, mechanical in places, different, awkward even. But brilliant, nonetheless. And if I really had to choose one or the other option, then always Option 1.

But if JMJ wants to play around with AI – and he is constantly doing so these days – what if he uses it to give him space and time to do other things? He creates a long-haired JMJ AI avatar, that sits in an AI kitchen in an AI apartment on an AI Rue de la Trémoille, Paris surrounded by AI analogue synths. This version of JMJ is trapped in a loop, constantly generating Oxygene/Equinoxe sound-alikes. Maybe this is what EōN should always have been?

He then gets to play to two audiences, through a sort of split personality. His AI avatar is captured by a nostalgic futurism, only ever reinventing the sounds of the 1970s, a non-stop stream of bubbling, warm soothing melodies and mini-pops beats for those that want it. You can even watch the livestream 24/7 from the AI webcam in the corner of the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the human version of JMJ is liberated and free to explore new ideas using new non-AI tools and his own imagination.

Win-win!

[Jarrepeggiator]

But I am sure AI can't do this, it won't be as creative as a human being.

Oh, you can be sure that making an AI like that would not be such a hard task, we already have Bach music making AI for example that does write beautiful, Back-like melodies, and that's from the late 2010s. Though I'm not sure how that could work with Oxygene-like music.

what if he uses it to give him space and time to do other things? He creates a long-haired JMJ AI avatar, that sits in an AI kitchen in an AI apartment on an AI Rue de la Trémoille, Paris surrounded by AI analogue synths. This version of JMJ is trapped in a loop, constantly generating Oxygene/Equinoxe sound-alikes. Maybe this is what EōN should always have been?

That's a great, creative response, thank you!

My question is mostly targeting people who did criticise Jarre for abandoning his 1970s style and also his positive comments regarding AI, this is a dilemma that asks the question for them: which is more important, the result being what they want to hear or the way it's created. What is AI does something they like, something they want. And I agree, that could be an interesting and a bit funny idea to have an AI Jarre making the nostalgic music and the real Jarre experimenting with new things.

He then gets to play to two audiences, through a sort of split personality.

He already has Split Personality: