Electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre is to publish his debut book, Machines: A History of Electronic Music, on 24 November, tracing a century of sonic experimentation through his personal collection of electronic and electro-acoustic instruments. The release marks a notable step for the French musician, who has spent decades shaping and popularising synthesiser-based music, as he turns to print to document the technology and culture behind the genre.

The book charts developments from Surrealism and the Bauhaus through avant-garde radio laboratories and studios including Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Radio France and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, covering innovations from tape manipulation and analogue synthesis to digital recording and AI-assisted performance. It will feature 130 specially photographed images of synthesisers and rare prototypes, alongside contributions from artists such as Armin van Buuren, Richie Hawtin, Vince Clarke, Gillian Gilbert, Nicolas Godin, Johnny Marr and Nick Rhodes. The book is available for pre-order now.