I consider music like a mirage in the desert. You're obsessed with the ideal piece of music, and the more you think you're getting closer, it's not there.
Jean Michel JarreRead
What is very interesting when talking about electronic music is that - I would say that rock and roll is called the ethnic music born in America that invaded the world. Electronic music is certainly kind of ethnic music born in countries like Germany and France that has invaded the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the global influence of different musical genres, particularly electronic music and rock and roll, which originated in specific countries.
Jean Michel Jarre's quote reflects on the cultural significance of music genres, comparing rock and roll to electronic music in terms of their origins and global reach. He suggests that just as rock, which originated in America, has become a dominant form of music around the world, electronic music, originating in countries like Germany and France, has similarly transcended its roots to become a global phenomenon. This demonstrates the power of music to cross borders and influence diverse cultures, emphasizing its role as a universal language.
Themes
MusicElectronicRockCultureGlobalization
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the evolution of music genres, this quote can illustrate the interconnectedness of different musical styles.
More from Jean Michel Jarre
All quotes →With electronic music, you are not confined to the acoustics of a concert-hall, and that inspired me to bring my performances outdoors.
Jean Michel JarreRead
For me, electronic music is like cooking: it's a sensual organic activity where you can mix ingredients.
Jean Michel JarreRead
I thought we had opposite visions of electronic music. Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk had a very robotic, mechanical approach. I had a more impressionist vision - a Ravel/Debussy approach.
Jean Michel JarreRead
Saying that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about freedom of speech because you have nothing to say.
Jean Michel JarreRead
The major rock instruments and classical instruments were designed for performance, for sharing the music with an audience, and then later people put microphones on them and recorded them. But for electronic music, the opposite was true - they're designed in laboratories, and later, we tried to put them on stage.
Jean Michel JarreRead
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