MACHINES: A History of Electronic Music Book to Launch From Jean-Michel Jarre
The electronic music pioneer traces the evolution of the genre in a new published work.
JEAN-MICHEL JARRE is set to release his first book, titled MACHINES: A History of Electronic Music, via Thames & Hudson USA. The publication marks the electronic music pioneer's debut foray into authorship, chronicling the development of the genre he has helped shape across his career.
With layer upon layer of rich content, Machines: A History of Electronic Music is a spectacular exploration of electronic music's past, present, and future — seen through the eyes of one of its defining visionaries. Jean-Michel Jarre is a true pioneer of electronic music, and this book invites readers into his formidable archive—one of the world's largest and most significant collections of electronic and electro-acoustic instruments. Through these machines, Jarre traces the evolution of a century of sonic experimentation, underscoring the ideas, technologies and cultural movements that shaped electronic music as we know it today. Featuring 130 curated, specially photographed examples—from iconic modular synthesizers to rare prototypes and bespoke one-offs—Machines: A History of Electronic Music set for release November 24, 2026 maps the trajectory of Jarre's prolific career alongside each technological progression. Pre-order for the book is now live at: https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/machines-a-history-of-electronic-music-by-jean-michel-jarre-hardcover
Machines: A History of Electronic Music features contributions from Armin van Buuren (DJ/Producer), Vince Clarke (Erasure/Yazoo/Depeche Mode), Gillian Gilbert (New Order), Nicolas Godin (Air), Richie Hawtin (Plastikman), Johnny Marr (The Smiths/The The/Electronic), Gary Numan, Benjamin John Power (f Buttons/Editors/Blanck Mass) and Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran).
Beginning with Luigi Russolo's 1913 Futurist manifesto The Art of Noises, the book journeys through Surrealism and the Bauhaus, into avant-garde radio laboratories, and inside pioneering studios, including Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Radio France, and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Along the way, Jarre charts the creative and technological breakthroughs that transformed modern music—from tape manipulation and analogue synthesis to the digital revolution, 3D recording, immersive multimedia, and AI-assisted performance.
At once lively, insightful, and deeply personal, Machines is the account of an artist whose life and work are inseparable from the history of electronic music itself. Jarre reflects on his childhood fascination with reel-to-reel tape machines and his studies in Paris under Pierre Schaeffer at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales. Personal anecdotes and expert commentary are interwoven with rare archival material, technical schematics, recreations of sonic experiments, and sequenced stills from legendary live performances.
Machines will be available November 24, 2026.
