Jean-Michel Jarre will play Sónar Festival in Barcelona for the first time this June. The French-born composer, performer and music producer has had a career spanning four decades and is a pioneer in the field of electronic music.
Jarre’s seminal albums include Oxygène (1976) and Équinoxe (1978), while his most recent double album Electronica Part One: The Time Machine (2015) was created in collaboration with 15 artists including John Carpenter, Air, Moby, Edgar Froese, Boys Noize and Gesaffelstein. The follow up Electronica Part Two – due to be released later this year – features Jeff Mills, Julia Holter and Gary Numan.
The Sónar website states that, ‘This all new show will feature greatest hits from his long career, as well as material from his two new records.’
Jarre has a proven track record of delivering to large audiences, entering the Guinness Book of World records for his 1997 Moscow performance in front of 3.5 million people. In 2010-11 he played more than 250 shows in 35 countries, while in 2004 he performed at Beijing’s Forbidden City and Tian’Anmen Square.
Jarre is among 37 new acts added to Sónar Festival’s lineup, including James Blake, Flume, Roots Manuva, Kelela and The Martinez Brothers. Sónar brings together electronic and new music artists, with the aim of inspiring new creative partnerships as well as entertaining audiences. It also curates events internationally, such as Sonar Reykjavík in February this year. Sónar Festival in Barcelona runs from 16-18 June.