This Page Last Updated
November 3rd 2005

JEAN MICHEL JARRE: DANUBE CONCERT UPDATE

APRIL 28TH: Jean Michel Jarre's Official Web-Site (www.jarre.net) has announced that Jean Michel Jarre's proposed Concert at the Friendship Bridge (Giurgiu-Ruse Bridge) across the River Danube between Bulgaria & Romania, to celebrate Bulgaria & Romania's entries into NATO, has been relocated, and is now being planned to take place at Bulgaria Square, in front of the National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria, on July 2nd 2004.

Today, the Sofia News Agency (www.novinite.com) reported that Jean Michel Jarre is to record a Track with a Bulgarian Folk Singer, especially for the Concert, and that both Jean Michel Jarre and his Management will be soon visiting the Bulgarian Capital, Sofia, to visit the proposed Concert Site, and to listen to various Bulgarian Folk Singers...Click Here For More

PLEASE NOTE: The proposed Concert is in the early stages of preparation, therefore, nothing has been agreed or signed yet...WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

JARRE UK Would Like To Thank JARRE.NET (www.jarre.net) & Revolution (www.revolution-uk.com) For This Information.

APRIL 22ND: 'JARRELOOK', The UK Jean Michel Jarre Tribute Band, have Officially Announced to JARRE UK, that their forthcoming Concert at The Charter Theatre, in the Guild Hall, Preston, Lancashire, on July 3rd 2004, will feature for the very first time, their own Full-Size 650mW Laser Harp.

The Laser Harp has taken 18 Months to construct, at a cost of about £7500, and has been designed and built entirely by Martin from 'JARRELOOK' and Tony Allgood from Oakley Sound Systems (www.oakleysound.com).

JARRE UK has been attending regular Rehearsals with 'JARRELOOK' over the past few months, and has seen the Laser Harp develop from a 65mW configuration to it's current and final 650mW configuration, and this week took the opportunity to interview Martin to ask him to explain just how his Laser Harp works, and to explain the work involved in it's development:-

"The Laser Harp uses a 650mW Laser Quantum Entertainer 532nM (Green) Laser Head, with 1/2 a Catweazle Wide-Scan Galvo-System, essentially a Single Laser Beam that fires at a Mirror that moves several times a second, to give the Laser Harp's 8-Beam appearance."

"Putting Laser Strength into perspective, the average Laser Pointer uses a 1-3mW Laser Head and the average Laser Projector uses a 65mW Laser Head. Anything above 5mW constitutes a hazard to the eyes and anything above 500mW constitutes a burning hazard. Therefore it is impossible to keep your hand in the Laser Harp for more than about a second without protection, as it burns, and should the Laser Harp catch you directly in the eye, you would be blinded instantly." (Editor's Note: JARRE UK witnessed the Laser Harp burn through Plain White Paper in just 3.79 Seconds!!!)

"The Laser Harp is a dedicated Electronic Hardware design, as the Software design that was originally envisaged, proved impossible to achieve. The Laser Harp does not use Top-Beam Sensors, but uses a Single Sensor at Floor Level. The Laser Harp Electronics know where the Laser Beam is at any given time, therefore when the Laser Beam is broken, it is detected by the Bottom Sensor, and the Laser Harp Electronics know which Laser Beam is broken. The Laser Harp Electronics then translate the broken Laser Beam into a MIDI Message and routes it to the appropriate Synthesizer via the Master Sequencing Computer."

"The Notes assigned to the Laser Harp Beams are not chromatic, but varies from Track to Track. For example, one of the Track's that we will be playing on the Laser Harp at the Concert has 2 B's, an Octave apart. Learning to play the Laser Harp has therefore been very difficult, as we have to follow a Number Sequence (Laser Beams 1-8) rather than a Note Sequence."

"The construction of the Laser Harp has been very difficult because of it's Bottom-Sensor Design. A Top-Sensor Design would have been much easier to construct, but this would have required a Frame around the Laser Harp, to accurately position the Sensors. Unfortunately, a Bottom-Sensor Design is very sensitive to Ambient Light, and even with a Laser Beam as powerful as 650mW, it is difficult to get accurate triggering, especially on the outer Laser Beams. As a result of this, reliability has proved a major headache, but, we have overcome this problem, and the Laser Harp is now triggering reliably at Shoulder Height, let alone the Normal Height of operation."

Tickets for 'JARRELOOK's forthcoming Concert, a performance of 24 Jean Michel Jarre Tracks, which features 3 NEW Tracks, and features the Laser Harp, at The Charter Theatre, in the Guild Hall, Preston, Lancashire, on July 3rd 2004, are now on sale, priced at £15, available from Arietta Music in Deardengate, Haslingden, and The Guild Hall Box Office, in Preston.

Tickets from Arietta Music in Haslingden, Lancashire, can be obtained Tuesday-Friday 16:00-19:00 (4pm-7pm) & Saturday 09:00-16:00 (9am-4pm) by Phone on +44 (0)1706-229457. Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Switch) & Cheques are accepted. Please Note: There is a £1.50 Booking Fee for Credit Card Payments, and a 50p Maximum Postage Fee.

Tickets from The Guild Hall Box Office in Preston, Lancashire, can be obtained Monday-Saturday 10:00-20:00 (10am-8pm) by Phone on +44 (0)1772-258858. Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Switch) & Cheques with a Stamped Addressed Envelope are accepted. Please Note: There is a £1.50 Booking Fee for Credit Card Payments, and a 50p Maximum Postage Fee.

IMPORTANT HEALTH WARNING: This 'JARRELOOK' Concert will contain some Powerful Strobe Lighting Effects. Any Epilepsy sufferers who may be affected by these, should be aware of this fact before booking a Ticket.

For further information about 'JARRELOOK', The UK Jean Michel Jarre Tribute Band, visit their Official Web-Site (www.jarrelook.fsnet.co.uk).

JARRE UK Would Like To Thank 'JARRELOOK' For This Information. 'JARRELOOK' Photos © Duncan Walls. No Unauthorised Reproduction Permitted.

'JEAN MICHEL JARRE: THE ESSENTIAL' ALBUM UPDATE

APRIL 19TH: Today, AMD (Alternative Music Distribution) confirmed that both the UK Release of Francis Dreyfus Music's NEW Jean Michel Jarre Greatest Hits Album, "JEAN MICHEL JARRE: THE ESSENTIAL", and the UK 'Mid-Price' re-releases of Francis Dreyfus Music's Jean Michel Jarre Back Catalogue, have been delayed, and are now scheduled for May 3rd 2004.

JARRE UK Would Like To Matt Stoddart (Alternative Music Distribution) For This Information. "JEAN MICHEL JARRE: THE ESSENTIAL" Artwork © Francis Dreyfus Music.

APRIL 1ST: AMD (Alternative Music Distribution) have confirmed that they are now the NEW Official Francis Dreyfus Music Distributor in the UK, and therefore will be distributing the UK Release of Francis Dreyfus Music's NEW Jean Michel Jarre Greatest Hits Album, "JEAN MICHEL JARRE: THE ESSENTIAL", now scheduled to be released in the UK on April 26th 2004.

Following in the footsteps of the European & US Jean Michel Jarre Back Catalogue Re-Releases, AMD confimed that they will also be re-releasing Francis Dreyfus Music's Jean Michel Jarre Back Catalogue in the UK, at 'Mid-Price', and have scheduled ALL the Re-Releases for April 26th 2004.

JARRE UK Would Like To Tony McLoughlin (Alternative Music Distribution) For This Information. "JEAN MICHEL JARRE: THE ESSENTIAL" Artwork © Francis Dreyfus Music.

Web-Master: Duncan M G Walls 'Dunkie' (ICQ: 114076586)
Assistant Web-Master: Robin Hosgood (ICQ: 29538207)

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'SHANE 54' Interview


Jean Michel Jarre
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'AERO' Concert (September 7th 2002)


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