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Oxygne (Part IV)
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Wikipedia article
"'Oxygne (Part IV)'" (released in some countries under the title "'Oxygne IV'") is a 1977 single composed by the French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre, from his third studio album 'Oxygne' (1976). It is Jarre's most successful single, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart and peaking in the top ten in the charts of several European countries.
Composition and recording
In the early 1970s, Jarre had composed numerous advertising songs for brands such as Nestle and Pepsi-Cola. During the creation of his third studio album 'Oxygne', a friend asked him for a track to advertise the extension of the French A4 motorway, also known as the 'autoroute del'Est'. Like the rest of the 'Oxygne' album, "Oxygene (Part IV)" was recorded in the makeshift studio in Jarre's kitchen in his Paris apartment, using several instruments such as the RMI Harmonic Synthesizer, the Eminent 310 organ, and the ARP 2600.
"Oxygene (Part IV)" begins with a sound that evokes the wind, a flat noise generated by an English synthesizer called EMS VCS 3, the first synthesizer that Jarre had. On top of this white noise, Jarre superimposes different musical sequences, particularly a rhythmic cell played on a Mini Pops drum machine. Jarre also used as inspiration his version of Gershon Kingsley's "Popcorn" under the pseudonyms "Pop Corn Orchestra" and "Jammie Jeferson".
Release and critical reception
On its release as a single, "Oxygene (Part IV)" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten in several other countries across Europe and in New Zealand. The song was chosen as fifth greatest synth sound of all time by 'MusicRadar' website. The British newspaper 'The Guardian' called it Jarre's best oeuvre and described as "an instantly recognisable hook that rides on a bossa nova beat to explore the galaxies". Writing for 'Classic Rock History', Eric Kamau listed it as Jarre's best song. Treble included it as one of the most essential synth pop songs in history.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
In popular culture
The song is used in the 2008 video game 'Grand Theft Auto IV', and in the BBC drama 'Micro Men'.
References
Instrumentals
Category:1976 songs
Category:1977 singles
Category:Electronic songs
Category:French electronic songs
Category:Instrumentals
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