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Baker's Dozen

Cinematic Quality: Blanck Mass' Favourite Albums
James Benge , May 12th, 2015 13:12

He's just released his second solo album, Dumb Flesh, and is set to play tQ's stage at The Great Escape on Friday. Before that, the Fuck Buttons man gives James Benge the rundown of his top 13 records

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Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygène
His melodies are always next to none, it seems to me to always be the initial consideration for him and that speaks very loudly to me, operating in an electronic world as I am. He’s up there as one of the greats for melodic electronic music. He’s a very lovely man, a fan of music, he’s energetic and just a really lovely man.

I feel like I heard Oxygène when I was very, very young. The first record that I ever bought was ‘Popcorn’, but I think it was probably the Hot Butter version. It was the first vinyl I ever owned, it was a present from my parents. Actually… strictly speaking that’s not true. My brother was bought ‘Popcorn’, I got Status Quo, ‘You’re In The Army Now’. Luckily my brother and I ended up swapping. I just remember the very strong melody line from ‘Oxygène Part IV’ from when I was very young. Before I even knew it was Jean Michel Jarre I knew that melody line.