Photo Credit: Thames & Hudson website
Electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre has announced the release of Machines: A History of Electronic Music, an expansive new book tracing the evolution of electronic sound from its earliest experiments to the AI era. Set for release in November through Thames & Hudson, the 368-page hardcover marks Jarre’s first book and promises to be both a historical account of electronic music and a visual celebration of the instruments that shaped the genre.
Rather than serving as a traditional memoir, Machines chronicles more than a century of electronic music history, beginning with Italian Futurist Luigi Russolo’s 1913 manifesto The Art of Noises. The book follows the development of electronic music through artistic movements including Surrealism and the Bauhaus, before exploring the impact of pioneering institutions such as the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and Germany’s Kraftwerk. It also examines key technological milestones, from tape manipulation and analogue synthesis to digital production and AI-assisted composition.
The publication draws heavily from Jarre’s personal archive, one of the world’s largest collections of electronic and electro-acoustic instruments. Featuring more than 130 specially photographed machines, including iconic modular synthesisers, rare prototypes and bespoke one-off creations, the book offers readers an in-depth look at the technology that has defined electronic music across generations.
Alongside Jarre’s own reflections, Machines includes contributions from a wide range of influential artists and producers, including Vince Clarke, Gary Numan, Richie Hawtin, Hans Zimmer, Armin van Buuren, Nicolas Godin of Air, and Pete Townshend. Their insights accompany Jarre’s personal anecdotes, archival material, technical schematics and documentation from some of his landmark live performances.
