Jean-Michel Jarre
Virtual concerts are an "additional dimension"
Jean-Michel Jarre has been a pioneer in electronic music since the 1970s.
© M. Kuenster / monsterpics
Musician Jean-Michel Jarre gives a New Year's Eve concert in a virtual environment. In an interview, he tells us whether such concerts are the future.
Jean-Michel Jarre (72, "Oxygene") gives a special concert on New Year's Eve. The event, entitled "Welcome to the Other Side", is a free and freely accessible experience from Paris. Concerts in virtual reality are still new – but Jean-Michel Jarre goes a step further by performing live. Because previous concerts in a virtual environment were pre-produced and then only played. While Jarre is performing in a studio, his avatar will now appear simultaneously in the virtual environment of the Notre-Dame Church on New Year's Eve.
The spectacle begins on December 31st at 11:25 p.m. and is an immersive VR concert on the social VR platform VRchat, but also as a 2D live stream on Jarre's social media channels or as a live broadcast on the French news channel BFM To experience Paris. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, Jarre explains what the challenge is for him at the event, whether concerts in a virtual environment are the future and how he looks back on 2020.
What challenges do you face at your concert?
Jean-Michel Jarre: The challenge is that I really perform live and that it is live streaming in real time. Not only is it happening in immersive virtual reality, but also in 2D online and on TV around the world. The new year begins on December 31st at midnight – everything has to be synchronized like clockwork, because this moment is crucial, it must not be missed. It's a big responsibility.
How did you come to choose Notre-Dame for your virtual performance?
Jarre: Notre-Dame in Paris is a fascinating monument that is so much part of our world heritage. I see the church every day because I live nearby. When the fire nearly destroyed her last year, I was inspired to rebuild her in virtual reality and give her life while the real restoration will take a few more years.
Do you think virtual concerts are the future?
Jarre: Virtual concerts are another way to share a concert experience. But it doesn't replace anything: it's just an extra dimension.
How would you normally spend New Year's Eve?
Jarre: At home with my family in peace.
How do you think the music industry will change as a result of the Corona crisis?
Jarre: I think with the restrictions, people are starting to realize more and more the importance of music in their daily life.
How do you look back on 2020?
Jarre: What a strange year, really sci-fi-esque! 2020 has certainly given all of us the time to reflect on ourselves, to realize that there is not much we can control in life, and to make the most of what we have and to enjoy or miss the company of those who we love.
How did you experience the Corona crisis in France this year?
Jarre: To be honest, I'm not a very social person by nature and have spent most of my life with my machines in the studio so my habits haven't been too shaken.
What do you wish for in 2021?
Jarre: I want to spend more time with my family.