Jean-Michel Jarre Announces 'Oxygene' 50th Anniversary Edition

 

Jean-Michel Jarre has announced a special 50th anniversary edition of his landmark album Oxygene, to be released on November 20, 2026 via BMG. Originally released in France in 1976 before its international release in 1977, Oxygene helped bring electronic music to a global audience and established Jarre as one of the defining figures of the genre. Recorded in the former kitchen of his Paris apartment using an eight-track tape machine, a homemade mixing desk and a small collection of synthesisers and electronic instruments, the album went on to sell more than 18 million copies worldwide.

At the heart of the anniversary edition is a new 2026 remaster of the original stereo mix, created from the original tapes to restore the full dynamics and character of the recording.

Pre-order Oxygene 

The Dolby Atmos version was mixed by David Kosten, Steven Wilson and Jarre for Distant Swimmer, the new immersive-audio partnership between Kosten and Wilson, with Oxygene its first project. Bringing together Kosten’s extensive work in Atmos and as a multi-award winning producer and mixer, and Wilson’s experience as a six-time Grammy nominee, Porcupine Tree founder and spatial-audio pioneer, the team preserved the balance and distinctive tape-echo character of the original stereo mix while allowing the album to breathe in three-dimensional space.

The release includes a 180g black-vinyl edition, half-speed mastered and cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios; CD; limited-edition coloured eco-vinyl; digital editions; and a deluxe Blu-ray mediabook featuring Oxygene in Dolby Atmos for the first time, alongside a new 5.1 mix, the 2026 stereo remaster and selected archival material.

“When I created Oxygene, I was working directly with analogue instruments and tape, and the sound had a particular depth, movement and life of its own. For this anniversary edition, we returned to the original tapes with the aim of preserving that character rather than changing it,” Jarre says.

Five decades after its release, Oxygene continues to resonate across generations of artists and listeners. The anniversary edition features new liner notes from Alexis Petridis (The Guardian) who recalls Oxygene sounding like “a curious transmission from the future” when it entered the British singles chart in 1977. “Oxygene wasn’t just an exceptionally good album,” he writes. “It was an album that felt like a strange kind of culmination, on which Jean-Michel Jarre managed to capture and tie together every extant aspect of electronica into 40 minutes of music.”

Alma Rota (Rolling Stone France) writes: “The record becomes image, concert, architecture, landscape. It ceases to be merely a recorded object and becomes a universe that every era reinvents. Formats change. Technologies evolve. The landscape remains.”

And German writer Torsten Groß, writes: “The foundation for this unique career was laid in that kitchen — with a broken Mellotron and ideas for eternity.”

The anniversary edition also marks an extended partnership between Jean-Michel Jarre and BMG, encompassing his recorded catalogue and future works. Jarre is currently in the studio working on new music, with further details to be announced. Alistair Norbury, Senior Creative Advisor at BMG, says: “Jean-Michel Jarre has influenced generations of electronic artists and continues to shape the culture today. Electronic music has deep European roots and continues to evolve globally. This partnership reflects our shared long-term commitment to that legacy and a creative vision for what comes next.”

The release arrives in a major year that will also see Jarre appear on October 21 as Guest of Honour at Amsterdam Dance Event, where he will present the sold-out immersive concert Oxygene & Beyond: A Sonic Journey Celebrating 30 Years Of Ade at AFAS Live. His wider ADE program will also include three exclusive panel discussions at ADE Pro, bringing together the history of electronic music with the ideas, emerging technologies - including AI - and artists shaping its future.

It also follows the publication of Machines: A History Of Electronic Music (November 24, Thames & Hudson). Drawing on Jarre’s exceptional collection of electronic and electro-acoustic instruments, the book presents 130 machines, specially photographed, that trace more than a century of electronic music, from the first electrified machines of the early 20th century to artificial intelligence algorithms. Contributors include Armin van Buuren, Vince Clarke, Gillian Gilbert, Nicolas Godin, Richie Hawtin, Johnny Marr, Gary Numan, Benjamin John Power, Nick Rhodes, & Hans Zimmer.

Yes Release Digital Deluxe Version Of 'Aurora'

 

Yes released their 24th studio album Aurora earlier this year via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. Now, the band have launched a deluxe digital edition, including instrumentals of the full album as well as a brand-new video for the track “Ariadne,” once again directed by Matt Hutchings. Watch the new video below.

 “‘Ariadne’ was one of those songs that seemed to reveal itself as we were writing it,” says singer Jon Davison. “I’ve been captivated by Greek mythology since I was a child, so there was something particularly exciting for me about exploring the story of Ariadne through music. There’s a wonderful sense of mystery and discovery in the song, and that’s what I love most about it. I’m really proud of what we created together, and I hope people feel that same sense of discovery and wonder when they hear it.”

Stream & download the deluxe version of Aurora

Aurora is available as a Limited Deluxe 180g Light Green 2LP+2CD+Blu-ray Artbook & Poster, as well as a Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook, both featuring the stunning artwork of Roger Dean and Freyja Dean, as well as a bonus disc of instrumentals, and a Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit stereo mixes (by Curtis Schwartz). The album is also available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP + LP-booklet, Special Edition CD Digipak & as Digital Album. 

When Yes first began sketching out ideas for what would become the process was loose and exploratory. There was no preconceived concept at the start, just a collection of musical fragments that gradually began to find one another and take form. Among these early sketches was a piece titled “Aurora,” and it quickly became clear that the name carried certain gravity. It suggested light, emergence, and a sense of vastness, qualities that resonated deeply with the band. Jon Davison remembers how “the title immediately resonated with Steve Howe and sparked visual inspiration for artist Roger Dean, setting a conceptual tone that would guide the project.”

Work on Aurora began almost as soon as the ‘Classic Tales of Yes’ tour ended in 2024. The idea of a new album surfaced quickly and with the label’s encouragement, the band had the time to develop material organically. Rather than gathering in a single studio for months, they embraced a modern workflow; ideas were born in home studios, shaped independently, and then woven together through constant collaboration. Downes and Howe often acted as the central creative axis, with Howe, as producer, serving as the point through which all ideas eventually flowed.

Across Aurora, each track carries its own character. Some echo the classic approach, others push into new territory, but together they form a cohesive whole that honors the band’s heritage while embracing forward motion. With their 24th studio album, YES demonstrate not just longevity, but a sustained curiosity, a desire to keep exploring, refining and discovering their capacity to create.

For more information on Yes, visit yesworld.com. 

Twisted Sister Announce 'Totally Twisted - The Studio Albums 1982–1987' Box Set

Twisted Sister's Totally Twisted - The Studio Albums 1982–1987 is a celebration of the explosive 1980s with a collection that brings together Twisted Sister’s classic studio albums from 1982 through 1987. The set is available on November 13.

Available as a five-LP and five CD box set, Totally Twisted chronicles the era in which Twisted Sister evolved from a New York City club phenomenon into an international heavy metal powerhouse.

The collection features five studio albums:

• Under the Blade 

• You Can’t Stop Rock ’n’ Roll

• Stay Hungry

• Come Out and Play

• Love Is for Suckers

Together, the albums capture the full arc of Twisted Sister’s defining ’80s run and present the complete studio-album story of a band whose music, imagery and larger-than-life personality helped define an era.

Pre-order Totally Twisted - The Studio Albums 1982–1987

The LP edition presents each album on its own uniquely colored vinyl, creating a striking collector’s package designed for fans who want to experience these essential recordings in the classic album format. 

With its combination of hard-rocking attitude, unforgettable songs and unmistakable visual identity, Totally Twisted = The Studio Albums 1982–1987 is an essential collection for longtime Twisted Sister fans and a definitive introduction for a new generation of rock fans.

 

'Ronnie Wood: The Jimi Hendrix Portraits' Launches At Handel Hendrix House In London

 

Ronnie Wood: The Jimi Hendrix Portraits features two new, unseen original portraits of Jimi Hendrix in his flat on Brook Street by Ronnie Wood alongside prints of much-loved paintings inspired by photographs of Hendrix. They're all on display for the first time in Hendrix’s own home at 23 Brook Street, Mayfair, now the Handel Hendrix House museum, from Wednesday, September 30 through Sunday, April 11, 2027. 

"Without doubt it’s an honor and an absolute delight to be unveiling my two new portraits of Jimi Hendrix along with five other works capturing Jimi in action at the Handel-Hendrix House in Mayfair," Wood said in a statement. "There couldn’t be a better location to have an exhibition and display my work than Jimi’s house in London’s Brook Street."

The Rolling Stones guitarist recalls meeting Hendrix fir the first time. “I first met Jimi in 1966 when he first arrived in London, totally unknown at the time. We shared a flat together for a little while in Holland Park and became friends. It wasn’t long before he stunned us all with those outstanding first performances especially one at the Bag of Nails club in Soho. I’ve created the moment I witnessed the great man on stage in one of the paintings to be exhibited. Jimi’s immense and unique talent took guitar playing to another planet and I hope the paintings capture all that and more."

As Simon Daniels, Director of Handel Hendrix House explains: "At Handel Hendrix House, our aim is to celebrate Jimi Hendrix's life, music and influence by opening up his London home on Brook Street, with live music and through our collections. Ronnie Wood is an iconic figure in contemporary rock and roll who not only knew Hendrix, but also played with, and even lived with him. His unique perspective as both an artist and a musician allows him to capture the spirit and energy of Jimi's live performances with his brush and offers a truly personal tribute to the legend he knew. We are excited to be sharing with our visitors this collection in the place Jimi called home, particularly never-before-seen artworks of Hendrix relaxing in his Brook Street flat."

Handel Hendrix House cares for and presents to the public the homes of two of the greatest musicians ever to have lived in London. George Frideric Handel lived at 25 Brook Street from 1723 until his death in 1759. It was here that Handel wrote and rehearsed his greatest works, including Messiah and its ever popular ‘Hallelujah chorus’ – perhaps the most famous piece of classical music ever written.  His stirring anthem ‘Zadok the Priest’, was also written in Brook Street and has accompanied the coronation of every British monarch since George II (for whom it was written in 1727), including HM King Charles III.

In 1968, Jimi Hendrix moved into an adjoining flat at number 23. Here, in the only place he said he felt truly at home, Hendrix entertained, inspired, and collaborated with other icons of British 60s rock music.

Handel Hendrix House has completed a £3 million project to open all of Handel’s house to the public for the first time by restoring the basement and ground floor by faithfully recreated Handel’s basement kitchen with all its fixtures and fittings, carefully detailed on research and an inventory made shortly after the composer’s death. 

 

Also

- Restored the ground floor parlors in which Handel would receive his guests and aristocratic patrons and in which his assistant, J.C. Smith, would sell tickets and subscriptions to new works.  

- Restored the front façade of 25 Brook Street so that visitors can finally enter Handel’s home through his front door.

 

New things to see in Handel’s house include:

- Historic rooms presented as they might have been in the 1740s, when the composer was in a new burst of creative energy and commercial success writing dramatic oratorios.

- Recently acquired works of art, creating a collection representative of the more than 100 works of art Handel owned in Brook Street.

- New exhibitions about Handel’s music and the musicians he worked with and a mixed reality audio-visual display about the writing of Messiah in the very room in which it was composed.

 

In 2016, Jimi Hendrix’s flat in 23 Brook Street was brilliantly restored and opened to the public. To be enjoyed as a contrasting and complementary part to a visit to Handel’s home, the Hendrix experience at Handel Hendrix House has been expanded as part of the Hallelujah Project:

 

- For the first time, visitors can walk up and down the stairs to his flat, where George Harrison famously had to step over one of Jimi’s other visitors who had passed out en route to the exit.

- A new exhibition features a film showing visitors exploring Hendrix’s legendary guitar technique and his influence on musicians and creatives, with high quality sound supported by Bang & Olufsen

- The film includes material uncovered by Handel Hendrix House through their national ‘Your Experience’ appeal for memories, images and stories of people’s encounters with Jimi Hendrix across the country.

 

A guide to Handel Hendrix House is now available on Bloomberg Connects, which can be translated into 12 different languages including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Italian, Russian, Korean, Hindi, Japanese and Chinese. Details of the house can be found https://guides.bloombergconnects.org/en-US/guide/handelHendrixHouse

The house is open Wednesday – Sunday 10.00 – 17.00 (last entry at 16:00). Tickets are £14.50 for adults, £10.50 for students and free for the under 12s. Tickets can be purchased in advance at handelhendrix.org but it is possible to buy a ticket on the day at the museum. 

Rod Stewart Announces Retirement From The Road

According to numerous reports and the man himself, Rod Stewart is ending his touring career. 

The singer-songwriter, 81, has announced his The Final Encore Tour for 2027, weeks after he canceled his upcoming shows following a heart procedure.

“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour ever, ever, ever,” Stewart began in a video message shared on Instagram on Monday, Sept. 28. “I’m not retiring, but this will be the last rock and roll tour.”

He continued, “I wanna thank you for everything you’ve given me, and hopefully I’ve given you something in return,” before taking to his piano and singing, “Please come out and see me on the tour. It’s gonna be great!”

In the caption, Stewart added, “Well, here we go… one last time! Come and see me on my The Final Encore Tour for one more round of rock ‘n’ roll. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The 21-date tour will begin in Dublin on April 23, before five shows in Stewart’s native U.K., including a date in his home city of London. Synth-pop singer Howard Jones is set to support Stewart on this run of concerts.

The “Maggie May” star will then head to mainland Europe for the remaining 15 shows across May, June and July, ending the tour in Hannover, Germany, on July 24.

Tickets will be available through his website.

Though the tour will only take Stewart around Europe, he also recently announced a handful of U.S. shows. In March, he’ll play Georgia and Florida, before two Colorado shows in September, bookending his The Final Encore Tour.

Last month, Stewart’s team shared on Instagram, the day after he postponed a Cincinnati show, that he had undergone a “routine coronary stent procedure” and was “doing very well,” but that his Las Vegas residency dates later that month and his September tour dates would be canceled.

Earlier this month, his wife, model Penny Lancaster, opened up about her husband’s recent health challenges on an episode of the At Home with Vanessa podcast.

Stewart, who paused a concert in Utah in June to use an oxygen mask backstage after nearly fainting, found out later that he had an “underlying heart issue,” Lancaster, 55, told host Vanessa Feltz.

She said her husband had also experienced “a couple of instances where he had an upper respiratory infection,” explaining that he’d performed at a venue with “very high altitude, so it would affect anybody.”

Fortunately, doctors caught his heart problem at the right time. “They detected a slight blockage which needed a stent, which, according to a lot of research, it appears most people over the age of 65 will often need and require a stent,” Lancaster said.

Official Trailer & Track Listing Confirmed For 'Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning' Concert Film

 

Trafalgar Releasing and Mercury Studios has unveiled the official trailer for Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning, as tickets go on sale for the concert film capturing the triumphant final performance from Ozzy Osbourne and the original Black Sabbath lineup. The film opens in cinemas worldwide October 28 for a limited time only. Tickets are available now at backtothebeginning.com, where fans can also sign up for the latest event updates. Watch the trailer below.

The film documents the July 5, 2025 Back To The Beginning show at Birmingham's Villa Park marking Ozzy Osbourne's farewell performance (in his hometown just 17 days before his untimely death) reuniting with his Black Sabbath band mates: Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward marking the iconic group’s first performance together in more than 20 years and their triumphant final show. 

The sold-out show commanded more than three million requests for the 44,000 available tickets. The night included sets from Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Gojira, Guns N Roses, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Metallica, Pantera, Rival Sons, Slayer, and Tool, along with All-Star segments with special guests Adam Wakeman, Andrew Watt, Billy Corgan, Chad Smith, David Draiman, David Ellefson, Jake E. Lee, KK Downing, Mike Bordin, Nuno Bettencourt, Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Ronnie Wood, Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Sleep Token II, Steven Tyler, Travis Barker, Vernon Reid, Whitfield Crane, and Yungblud.

The two-hour, thirty-minute cinematic release is highlighted by performances from some of the most influential names in rock coming together to celebrate Black Sabbath’s legacy in front of generations of fans along with personal reflections from the superstar musicians Ozzy and Black Sabbath inspired, and a behind the scenes look at the day itself including insight from show host Jason Momoa and Musical Director Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine guitarist).

The Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning performances are as follows:

 

Ozzy Osbourne I Don't Know Mastodon Supernaut Rival Sons Electric Funeral Anthrax Into the Void Halestorm Perry Mason Tool Hand Of Doom Ozzy Osbourne Mr Crowley Tom Morello's All Stars ft David Draiman, Jake E. Lee, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin, Adam Wakeman Shot in the Dark Tom Morello's All Stars ft Whitfield Crane, Scott Ian, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, II (Sleep Token), Adam Wakeman Believer Tom Morello's All Stars ft YUNGBLUD, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, II (Sleep Token), Adam Wakeman Changes Lamb of God Children of the Grave Alice In Chains Fairies Wear Boots Gojira Under the Sun Pantera Electric Funeral Slayer Wicked World Ozzy Osbourne Suicide Solution Tom Morello's All Stars ft Travis Barker, Danny Carey, Chad Smith, Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt, Rudy Sarzo Symptom Of The Universe Tom Morello's All Stars ft Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Rudy Sarzo, Danny Carey Snowblind Tom Morello's All Stars ft Sammy Hagar, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, Chad Smith, Vernon Reid Flying High Again Tom Morello's All Stars ft Papa V Perpetua, Vernon Reid, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, Travis Barker Bark At The Moon Tom Morello's All Stars ft Steven Tyler, Ronnie Wood, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo, Travis Barker The Train Kept A-Rollin' Tom Morello's All Stars ft Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo, Chad Smith Walk This Way Guns 'N' Roses Never Say Die Metallica Hole In The Sky Ozzy Osbourne Crazy Train Black Sabbath War Pigs Black Sabbath N.I.B. Black Sabbath Iron Man Black Sabbath Paranoid Ozzy Osbourne Mama I'm Coming Home

 

Presented in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround sound, the film is directed for screen by Ben Wainwright-Pearce, with the live concert directed by Tim van Someren, and produced by Jim Parsons, Jamie Silk and Dan Seliger.

Gibson Partners With Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival

 

Gibson has partnered with Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival for its highly anticipated return to Texas on September 26 and 27, 2026, at the Moody Center in Austin. Featuring Eric Clapton, Gary Clark Jr., Buddy Guy, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Trey Anastasio, Joe Bonamassa, and more. Tickets for Crossroads Guitar Festival are available now at crossroadsguitarfestival.com.

The two-day festival will unite generations of celebrated guitarists, including an all-star roster of Gibson signature artists featuring Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr., Billy Gibbons, Sierra Hull, Marcus King, and Keb’ Mo’, representing a wide range of musical styles and generations. Beyond the performances onstage, Gibson will be on the ground throughout the weekend with an immersive festival booth offering fans hands-on access to guitars, exclusive product experiences, photo opportunities, and more.

Throughout the weekend, festivalgoers can visit the Gibson festival booth, where more than 30 Gibson and Epiphone instruments and MESA/Boogie amplifiers will be on display and available to plug in and play. The festival booth will give fans the opportunity to experience the instruments firsthand and connect with Gibson at one of the world’s premier celebrations of guitar music.

The Gibson booth will also offer a world-first preview of the forthcoming Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Eric Clapton 1964 ES-335 TDC Reissue, scheduled for release in summer 2027. Inspired by Clapton’s original 1964 Gibson ES-335, the new model celebrates one of the most recognizable and historically significant guitars associated with his career.

Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Eric Clapton 1964 ES-335 TDC Reissue, scheduled for release in summer 2027.

Fans at the festival will be able to enter for the opportunity to win one of the Eric Clapton signature guitars when the model launches in 2027. Festivalgoers can take their place atop the celebrated Gibson Guitar Throne, a striking installation constructed from 100 real electric guitar bodies and necks that has been exhibited at music events around the world. Attendees can have their photo taken on the throne for the opportunity to be featured across Gibson’s social media channels.

The seventh Crossroads Guitar Festival will celebrate the 28th anniversary of Crossroads Centre Antigua, the treatment and education facility founded in 1998 to support individuals affected by alcohol and substance dependency, as well as their families. Through Gibson Gives, the philanthropic division of Gibson, the company is proud to continue its support of Crossroads Centre Antigua and its mission to provide treatment, education, and compassionate care. Gibson’s partnership with the Crossroads Guitar Festival reflects the company’s longstanding belief in the power of music to support healing, strengthen communities, and create meaningful, lasting change.

Guitar Center will also offer on-site retail, giving attendees access to an exclusive, curated collection of products tied to the festival. The Guitar Center Experience will feature a rare showcase of iconic instruments from the retailer’s renowned Legends Collection, including the original 1964 Gibson ES-335 played by Eric Clapton during his time with Cream. The historic guitar serves as the inspiration for Clapton’s forthcoming Epiphone signature model, which fans can preview at the Gibson festival booth.

Continuing its longstanding tradition of honoring artists who have made significant contributions to music, Guitar Center will also induct an artist into its famed RockWalk during the festival. The honoree will be announced at a later date.

More information about the Gibson and Crossroads Music Festival partnership