World-renowned French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre will release a remastered version of his historic live album "The Concerts in China" on Nov. 25 to mark its 40th anniversary. 

Originally released in 1982, the album served as a document of a memorable concert tour Jarre undertook the previous year — consisting of five shows in Shanghai and Beijing. It was the first time a Western music artist had performed in China following the country's reform and opening-up. The tour also marked the first time Jarre performed his music with other musicians on stage and featured the first use of a laser harp. 

"To this day, 'The Concerts in China' experience remains to be probably the most surreal and poetic of all my experiences," said Jarre, now 74 years old. "It was an honor to be the first Western musician to play live in the country at that time and it was like visiting another planet for me; and also for the Chinese audience too it seemed to be the same curious awe. I have revisited China very often out of passion for their culture and have performed there since. I am delighted that 'The Concerts in China' album has been remastered, as it's something I'm incredibly proud of and remains a testimony of my ongoing attachment to China."

The 40th anniversary remastered edition of "The Concerts in China" will be available digitally across streaming platforms in China. In many other countries worldwide, it will be released as a 180g double LP with gatefold sleeve, including a collector's poster featuring unpublished images, and as a double CD version including collector's booklet. The track list mirrors the original version of the album. It includes the classic original composition "Souvenir of China," as well as "Fishing Junks at Sunset," a new arrangement of a traditional Chinese song known as the "Fisherman's Chant at Dusk," which was performed and recorded with the Peking Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra.

As a pioneer in electronic music and a UNESCO ambassador for education, science and culture, Jarre's back catalog includes 22 studio albums, which have sold more than 85 million units worldwide, and earned him numerous awards and nominations. He has also set several Guinness World Records for live audience attendance at concerts in several iconic locations, performing at the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Great Pyramids in Egypt, the Sahara Desert, the Eiffel Tower, and the Dead Sea. In recent years, he has started to explore the realms of VR performance and the metaverse. His latest studio album "Oxymore" was released on Oct. 21 to much critical acclaim.

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