Electronic music has reached a defining cultural milestone.
For the first time, France has officially recognised the genre as part of its national Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
As a result, electronic music now stands one step closer to future UNESCO recognition.
At the heart of this historic moment is Jean-Michel Jarre, one of the genre’s most influential architects.
Jean-Michel Jarre and UNESCO heritage recognition
This decision confirms electronic music as a living cultural practice.
It recognises a form shaped by technology, creativity, and shared experience.
Importantly, the move opens the door to a potential UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage application.
That step would place electronic music alongside France’s most protected cultural traditions.
According to French media, the recognition spans nearly a century of innovation.
It traces a clear line from early electronic instruments to modern global movements.
From early instruments to French Touch
France’s cultural inventory highlights a continuous creative evolution.
That journey begins with the 1928 Ondes Martenot and leads directly to the rise of French electronic music worldwide.
Along the way, artists such as Daft Punk, AIR, Cassius, and Justice helped shape a sound that travelled far beyond France.
However, Jean-Michel Jarre remains the central figure in this lineage.
His work helped define electronic music as a cultural language rather than a niche genre.
Oxygène and the global breakthrough
In 1976, Jarre released Oxygène.
The album changed the course of popular music.
Through its success, synthesised sound reached mainstream audiences worldwide.
Electronic music suddenly carried emotion, atmosphere, and mass appeal.
Since then, Jarre has continued to expand artistic boundaries.
He has consistently merged sound, space, light, and technology into unified experiences.
At the same time, his role extends beyond music.
For more than three decades, he has served as a UNESCO Ambassador for Education, Science and Culture, advocating for intangible culture and artistic innovation.
Reacting to the announcement, Jarre welcomed the recognition.
He described it as a long-awaited acknowledgment of electronic music’s cultural value.
Performing electronic music at world heritage sites
Over the years, Jarre has connected electronic music directly with global heritage.
He has transformed historic landmarks into vast sonic environments.
His performances have taken place at the Pyramids of Giza, the Forbidden City, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Pompeii, and Registan Square in Samarkand.
Most recently, he performed in Samarkand during UNESCO’s 43rd General Conference.
The moment symbolically linked electronic music with centuries of human history.
Technology as a creative force
Jarre’s influence continues to evolve.
Rather than treating technology as a limitation, he uses it as a creative instrument.
He has explored multi-channel audio, large-scale outdoor shows, virtual reality, and metaverse concerts.
Each project pushes the definition of live performance further.
In 2021, his New Year’s Eve livestream Welcome To The Other Side set a new benchmark.
Broadcast from a virtual Notre Dame Cathedral, it reportedly reached more than 75 million viewers worldwide.
A cultural milestone for electronic music
Ultimately, France’s decision sends a clear message.
Electronic music belongs within cultural heritage, not outside it.
By recognising Jean-Michel Jarre as one of its pioneers, the country honours the genre’s past.
At the same time, it strengthens electronic music’s place in the global cultural future.
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