Posts tagged Christian Vander

(Review from progweed.net)

All four of these men were members of Magma at one time or another. On this album the four of them got together to indulge their desires to play jazz fusion outside the setting of Magma, and the result is pretty good. This album is not your standard fusion; it actually leans more to a more commercial ’80s style of fusion than the usually more interesting ’70s fusion, but gives it an interesting kick in the pants.

The first track, “GHK Go To Miles” is 24 minutes long and is the weirdest and most Magma-like track on the album. It starts funky with Janick Top’s percussive bass and Christian Vander’s impeccable drumming stopping and starting in some rather unusual rhythms. The track gets more melodic and includes interesting violin and keyboard solos by Didier Lockwood and Benoit Widemann.

“Overdrive” is a nice melodic track that vaguely reminiscent of Xaal’s more melodic moments on their first album. The third track, “767 ZX” teeters perilously on the edge of cheesy smooth jazz before it veers into a fast, swinging theme complete with walking bass lines and jazzy violin and keyboard solos. This is the most overtly jazzy part of the album, and it is quite nice (even for someone who doesn’t like “real” jazz) once it gets going. “Reliefs” is the fourth and last song. It has a heavy, funky riff that is reminiscent of Birds of Fire-era Mahavishnu Orchestra.

This is an unusual album that should appeal to anyone who likes fusion and Magma. It is an interesting study in how these four very left-field musicians approached the already stagnating genre of jazz fusion.

Line-up:
- Didier Lockwood / Violin
- Jannick Top / Bass
- Christian Vander / Drums
- Benoit Widemann / Fender Rhodes, Minimoog, Prophet 5, Kobol

Track List:
01. GHK go to Miles – 23:59
02. Overdrive – 5:00
03. 767 ZX – 6:50
04. Reliefs – 8:12

Link in comments.

Benoit Widemann, Christian Vander, Didier Lockwood, Jannick Top

Vander-Top – Paris 1976 (Live) (@256)

29 Dec 2009

(Review from rateyourmusic.com)

When Jannick Top briefly reintegrated Magma in 1976, the band toured under the moniker Vander-Top.

Recorded in Theatre de la Renaissance on November 2nd 1976, this is a wonderful and dynamic live performance from one of the more underrated periods of Magma’s history, with Top’s bass and Vander’s drums featured prominently.

Line-up:
- Jannick Top / Bass
- Christian Vander / Drums
- Klaus Blasquisz / Vocals
- Didier Lockwood / Violin
- Gabriel Federow / Guitar
- Michel Grailler / Keyboards

Track List:
01. Hhai – 8:55
02. La Musique Des Spheres – 22:06
03. De Futura – 25:35
04. Troller Tanz – 4:19

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Christian Vander, Jannick Top, Live

Magma – Bobino 1981 (Live) (@256)

04 Dec 2009

Thanks to Bilek for the contribution.

(Review from progarchives.com, rateyourmusic.com)

This is an archival recording of an entire concert from 1981. The line-up in this concert consists of ten members with two drummers, two keyboard players (one also singing), two singers and two wind players, with only the bassist and the guitarist not having an alter ego! The sound has more pyrotechnics and jazz-funk, and less Stravinsky and Coltrane-lyricism than Magma’s earlier works.

The set includes the two longer songs from Retrospektiw III (a 13-minute “Hhai” and the 20-minute “Retrovision”), along with several pieces that would later turn up on the mostly commercial Merci album and the 30-minute “Zess” which contains about 3 minutes of ideas repeated over and over.

There are some stunning moments and some quintessential Vander stretches that Magma afficianados will treasure. As well as a lot of otherwise unavailable pieces.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, vocal
- Stella Vander / vocal
- Lisa Deluxe / vocal
- Benoit Widemann / keyboards
- Guy Khalifa / keyboards
- Dominique Bertram / bass
- Jean-Luc Chevalier / guitar
- Doudou Weiss / drums
- Alain Guillard / Winds, horns
- Yvon Guillard / horns

Track List:
CD1
01. Zain – 7:39
02. Hhai – 12:52
03. Urgon Gorgo – 6:04
04. Retrovision – 19:48
CD2
01. Who’s My Love – 7:07
02. Otis – 12:48
03. Zess – 30:19
04. You – 10:10

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Benoit Widemann, Christian Vander, Live, Magma

Magma – Bourges 1979 (Live) (@256)

03 Dec 2009

Thanks to Bilek for the contribution.

(Review from classicrockmusicblog.com, seventhrecords.com)

Bourges 1979 is a double-disc live archival set, capturing Magma on tour supporting their album Attahk. It is a soundboard recording, with surprisingly good fidelity. The seven tracks include two songs from Attahk along with the band’s early magnum opus “Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh”.

The guitar playing of Jean-Luc Chevalier and bassist Michel Herve are noteworthy. Vocalist Klaus Blasquiz seems limitless in his range, Vander is a remarkably powerful and energetic drummer, and guest saxophonist Rene “Stundehr” Garber blows a mean horn on the Coltrane-inspired “Korusz XXVI”.

The huge effort put in by the musicians as well as their energy, make this a concert that holds a special place in the band’s history, documenting for the first time ever this particular period.

Line-up:
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals
- Stella Vander / vocals, piano, Fender
- Maria Popkiewicz / vocals
- Lisa Deluxe / vocals
- Jean-Luc Chevalier / guitar, bass
- Andre Herve / piano, Fender, synthesizer
- Michel Herve / bass
- Christian Vander / drums, vocals
with
- Rene “Stundehr” Garber / presentation, saxophone, vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Entree en scene – 1:06
02. Retrovision – 16:42
03. The Last Seven Minutes – 10:44
04. Urgon Gorgo – 12:04
05. Korusz XXVI – 21:07
CD2
01. Entree en scene – 0:30
02. Hhai – 10:55
03. Nono – 8:14
04. Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh – 28:32

Links in comments.

Christian Vander, Live, Magma

Offering – A Fiieh (1993) (@256)

28 Nov 2009

4 comments

(Review from gnosis2000.net, progarchives.com)

The third and most recent Offering album appeared in 1993, with a larger line-up than the previous offerings. The usual group is augmented by four other percussionists, four vocalists, and one more keyboardist.

“A Fiieh” may have more focus than the previous two albums in this vein, but the style here is decidedly more minimalist, darker, and even more symphonic (“Cosmos”).

The opener, “Hymne Kobaien”, is a somber yet delicate synth/organ largo which almost feels like an homage or benediction. It should be noted that Vander doesn’t step behind the drum kit at all on this Offering, but rather forfeits that role to Marc Delouya on the two of seven tracks that contain vocals.

The exception, however, is also the longest track on the album, “Purificatem”. This one is a long, jazzy, drone that noodles around too much without really going anywhere. This track is much more at home with the first two Offering albums.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / keyboards, piano, glockenspiel, vocals, percussion
- Stella Vander / vocals
- Isabelle Feullebois / vocals
- Emmanuel Borghi / piano (2,3)
- Pierre Michel Sivadier / keyboards
- Pierre Marcault / percussion (2,3)
- Marc Delouya / percussion (2,3), drums (6,7)
- Jean-Claude Buire / percussion (2,3)
- Julie Vander / vocals (4)
- Benedicte Ragu / vocals (4)
- Addie Deat / vocals (4)
- Jean Christophe Gamet / vocals (4)
- Philippe Dardelle / contrabass (4,6,7)
- Ogun / percussion (6,7)

Track List:
01. Hymne Kobaien (Variation Improvisee) – 4:30
02. Cosmos – 5:20
03. A Fiieh – 10:26
04. La Marche Celeste – 5:30
05. Magnifi – 3:43
06. Purificatem (Accord Des Instruments) – 4:17
07. Purificatem – 26:22

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Offering

Offering – Offering Part III-IV (1990) (@256)

27 Nov 2009

(Review from gnosis2000.net, progarchives.com)

Although this was released 4 years after the first Offering album, this Offering picks up right where that one left off, and is in many ways not much different at all.

Only three tracks here, the dominant one being the 44-minute “Another Day”. This is a song that was under development for quite some time — there are bootlegs way back from 1982 with a more concise 25 minute version of “Another Day”. It’s hard to swallow the start/ending theme. Once you get use to it, the song is genoius and funky in parts with some fine moments. The jazz element is stronger here, with Philippe Dardelle and Emmanuel Borghi performing on bass and piano.

After the glorious finale of “Another Day” we get a beautiful ballad in the same style as Lihns and La Dawotsin called “Eihn Deiss”.

The short reprise of the Offering theme closes the four editions of work.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / vocals, drums, percussion, piano, flutes
- Stella Vander / vocals, percussion
- Guy Khalifa / vocals, flute
- Isabelle Feuillebois / vocals
- Emmanuel Borghi / piano on (1)
- Phillipe Dardelle / contra-bass on (1)
- Jean Claude Buire / drums on (1)
- Pierre Michel Sivadier / keyboards on (1)
- Alex Ferrand / vocals on (2)
- Simon Goubert / vocals, electric piano on (2)
- Pierre Marcault / percussion on (2)
- Frederic Briet / contra-bass on (2)

Track List:
01. Another Day – 44:07
02. Ehn Deiss – 5:10
03. Offering (2) – 2:07

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Offering

Offering – Paris Theatre Dejazet (Live 1987) (@256)

26 Nov 2009

(Review from allmusic)

Culled from a ten-day residency at the Theatre Dejazet in May 1987, the two-CD set presents a whopping 153 minutes of music. Vander’s interests at the time were split between Magma-derived vocal pieces and ecstatic, jazzy jams inspired by John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. Vander sings lead on many tracks, front stage, sitting down at the drums only for brief moments.

The album begins with a recording of Wagner’s “Lohengrin” overture relayed over the PA — an eight minutes to set the mood. Then the full group explodes into a rendition of Coltrane’s “Ole”, pushing Stella Vander to the front. This is followed by a sequence of soft pieces using smaller configurations. Of those, “A Fiieh” and the Vander duet “Les Cygnes” stand out. Vocalist Guy Khalifa delivers a very conservative rendition of the jazz standard “Lush Life.” Disc one closes on a 22 minute rendition of “Joia”, swinging tone poem featuring Christian scatting in Kobaian.

The second disc begins with the 47-minute “Another Day,” a long, excited rambling derived from “A Love Supreme” with endless vocal solos and a nice piano solo spot for Simon Goubert. If that wasn’t enough, “master percussionist” Pierre Marcault leads the whole group into an extended tribal jam before Christian Vander moves to his drums for a 15-minute solo. By the closing Pharoah Sanders tune, the listener is as exhausted as the musicians.

Line-up:
- Emmanuel Borghi / percussion, piano
- Simon Goubert / keyboards, electric piano, background vocals
- Jean-Marc Jafet / percussion, (electric) bass
- Guy Khalifa / flute, vocals, background vocals
- Pierre Marcault / percussion
- Christian Vander / piano, drums, tambourine, vocals, flute (wood)
- Stella Vander / percussion, keyboards, vocals, background vocals

Track List:
01. Lohengrin – Prelude – 8:25
02. Ole – 5:30
03. Cosmos – 2:15
04. A Fiieh – 8:40
05. Les Anges – 11:30
06. Les Cygnes – 5:18
07. Solitude – 4:05
08. La Nuit Du Chasseur – 1:46
09. Les Vagues – 2:18
10. Lush Life – 5:01
11. Joia – 22:21
12. Another Day – 47:20
13. Anta – 7:44
14. Chorus De Batterie-Introduction A You’ve Got To Have Freedom – 14:26
15. You’ve Got To Have Freedom – 5:56

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Live, Offering

Offering – Offering Part I-II (1986) (@256)

25 Nov 2009

6 comments

(Review from progarchives.com, progreviews.com)

Offering came to the world as one of Christian Vander’s post Magma projects, functioning throughout the later half of the 80s up till the early 90s Offering ventures into territory where only Magma’s ‘Merci’ dared the tread. While the 70s Magma revolved around a more classical interpretation, Offering shows Vander’s fascination with Coltrane’s acoustic inspired Jazz blossom into full realization. It takes a step aside from Magma’s tight formulas, introducing compositions of a much looser, improvisational design.

The first four editions of Offering’s work, captured across two double-album length CDs, are dedicated to Vander’s obsession, John Coltrane. Largely setting aside his drums, on the Offering albums Vander primarily takes up vocal experimentation duties alongside Stella Vander, these being a progression of the soul-scat style he was playing around with in Magma’s early 80s recordings. This vocal style, combined with the lengthiness of some tracks, is most likely to be the biggest obstacle for appreciating the contents of these discs. For many people these will prove to be simply too much to be able to take.

The title-track prologue is clearly styled upon Coltrane, with the distinctive, ‘wave’ of sustained chords that marked his music, and Stella’s voice evoking the free yet melodic quality of his saxophone. The prologue segues into “Earth,” which musically recalls Attahk in its buzzy bass grooves.

“C’Est pour Nous” is one of the stronger pieces and recalls “Üdü Wüdü” with a vivacious, Latino backdrop and playful vocal dancing between the Vanders. The short but sweet “Tďlďm M’Dohm”, with Stella doubling a beautiful piano melody, is another highlight.

At the end of the day? Likely to be appreciated exclusively by the hardest of hardcore constituents of Magma fandom.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / lead vocals, piano, Rhodes, drums, bells
- Stella Vander / lead vocals, maracas & bells
- Guy Khalifa / vocals, flute, Rhodes, piano
- Simon Goubert / Rhodes & piano
- Pierre Marcault / percussion
- J.Marc Jafet / bass (2)
- Marc Delouya / drums (2)
- C.Martinez / trumpet
- J.Bolognesi / trombone

Track List:
01. Offering (1) – 7:56
02. Earth – 10:32
03. Joia – 17:56
04. C’est Pour Nous – 8:08
05. Love in the Darkness – 10:35
06. Tilim M’Dohm – 2:37
07. Mazur Kujiawiaki Oberek (Triptyque) – 4:59
08. Solitude – 4:07
09. Uguma Ma Melimeh Gingeh – 3:45

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Offering

Magma – Emehntehtt-Re (2009) (@256)

24 Nov 2009

(Review from amazon)

Worth the wait? In a word, yes. Although several segments of the music on this disc have appeared on earlier Magma recordings, it’s great to hear the whole continuous suite in one go, played by the current (2009) incarnation of the band.

The band are tight, the singing is passionate. Probably the biggest difference is the use of acoustic piano for much of the album – if you’ve already heard ‘Hhai’ (now part of ‘Emehntehtt-Re II’) you’ll have heard one of the live versions with Fender Rhodes electric piano – here it has acoustic piano. But that just makes it sound more like other Magma studio recordings.

Parts of the music that may be familiar to you are:
· ‘Emehnteht-Re (extract 1)’ – appeared on Hhai Live (1975)
· ‘Rind-e (Eastern Song)’ – appeared on Attahk (1978).
· ‘Emehnteht-Re (extract 2)’ – appeared on Udu Wudu (1976).
· ‘Hhai’ – appeared on Hhai Live (1975)
· ‘Zombies’ – appeared on Udu Wudu (1976).

But all these previous recordings only cover the first 29 minutes of this 50 minute version – the rest is new to most of us although the band have been playing it live for more than a year. It includes an intense section with complex interlocking vocals, a quieter section with one expressive voice and closes with slow hypnotic chiming.

The recording quality is good with the instruments and vocals clear and well balanced – an improvement on the slightly murky sound of some of Magma’s much older studio recordings. The choral vocal parts are richer than any of the live recordings and the addition of vibraphone here and there gives a new twist to a familiar sound. And it is a familiar sound – Magma doing what they do, and doing it well.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, voices, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, percussions
- Stella Vander / voices, percussions
- Isabelle Feuillebois / voices
- Herve Aknin / voices
- Benoit Alziary / vibraphone
- James Mac Gaw / guitar
- Bruno Ruder / Fender Rhodes
- Philippe Bussonnet / bass
with
- Emmanuel Borghi / piano
- Himiko Paganotti, Antoine Paganotti, Claude Lamamy, Marcus Linon and Pierre-Michel Sivadier / voices

Track List:
01. Emehntehtt-Re I – 6:53
02. Emehntehtt-Re II – 22:25
03. Emehntehtt-Re III – 13:06
04. Emehntehtt-Re IV – 3:54
05. Funehrarium – 4:19
06. Sehe – 0:27

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Les Voix Concert Douarnenez (1992) (@256)

23 Nov 2009

Thanks to Bilek for the contribution.

(Review from progarchives.com)

Or Magma unplugged. This is an absolute gem of a live album, a crystal clear direct-to- digital recording from a 1992 jazz festival. As the title and line up suggests, the emphasis here is on Christian Vander’s brilliant vocal compositions and arrangements, and the instrumental backing is generally minimal.

The album opens with the 8 piece choir singing Emehntet-Re, a fragment from the Kohntarkohsz sequence unreleased on any mainstream studio album (at the time), over a simple piano backing. It’s a piece of ethereal, celestial beauty that sets the scene for what is to follow in the next 40 minutes. Then we’re into C’est Pour Nous, an Offering era piece which features Christian and Stella Vander in a vocal duet over a piano and bass accompaniment, with Philippe Dardelle doing a sterling job of propelling the piece with a bass line worthy of Jannick Top or Bernard Pagannotti.

The main attraction is the two lengthy pieces which follow. Zess (extrait) is a sizeable chunk of another work as yet unreleased in a studio version, although fragments are on Inedits, Mythes et Legendes and sundry live albums. This is Vander’s Kobaian vision stripped down to its essence; massed vocals and a McCoy Tyner style piano with the trademark Fender Rhodes present and correct . Some of the themes will be familiar to long term Univeria Zekt heads, but rarely have they been performed with such simplicity and clarity. The proceedings close with a lengthy extract from Wurdah Itah, in which the already stripped down original gets a bigger vocal arrangement but another minimal instrumental backing. The essence of the Theusz Haamtaak trilogy distilled and compressed, it’s a glittering jewel which may be a good starting point for those overwhelmed by the original 70s albums like MDK.

As well as being a superb drummer, Vander is a genuinely gifted composer and this album is a brilliant showcase for his ability to write rhythmically complex but melodically accessible vocal music. Although he is credited with drumming on this album, for most of the time any percussion is so low key as to be inaudible. Bass and electric keyboards surface when required, but mostly this album is just what it says; les voix, in all their glory.

Line-up:
- Stella Vander / vocals
- Addie Deat / vocals
- Julie Vander / vocals
- Benedicte Ragu / vocals
- Isabelle Feuillebois / vocals
- Jean Christophe Gamet / vocals
- Alex Ferrand / vocals
- Jean Francois Deat / vocals
- Pierre Michel Sivadier / keyboards
- Simon Goubert / piano, keyboards
- Philippe Dardelle / contrabass
- Christian Vander / vocals, piano, drums

Track List:
01. Emehteht-Re – 3:39
02. C’Est Pour Nous – 7:56
03. Zess (Extrait) – 17:18
04. Wurdah Itah – 15:46

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Live, Magma

Magma – Archiw II (@256)

22 Nov 2009

(Review from waysidemusic.com)

Archiw II is the very first demo by the Kobaia era band, recorded in April, 1970 at Studio des Dames, Paris.

These are the earliest-ever recordings by Magma and are quite fun. They are taken from a acetate disc and sound like it, but it’s still very listenable. and there is also an alternate take of Eliphas Levi (Merci).

Track List:
01. Kobaia – 8:53
02. Aina – 5:20
03. Malaria – 3:49
04. Sckxyss – 2:47
05. Aurae – 9:47
06. Thaud Zaia – 5:55
07. Nau Ektila – 13:46
08. Muh (Extrait) – 1:11
09. Eliphas Levi – 9:35

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Archiw I (@256)

21 Nov 2009

(Review from waysidemusic.com, amazon)

Archiw I includes the previously unreleased film soundtrack ’24 heures Seulement’, which was recorded by the ‘Kobaia’ era band in July 1970.

Also included is an unreleased version of Mekanik Dëstruktiw Kömmandoh featuring an alternate lead vocal on second half with only the core group of Christian Vander, Jannick Top – bass guitar, Klaus Blasquiz – vocals and percussion, and Jean-Luc Manderlier – keyboards from April 11-15, 1973 recorded at Manor Studios in England.

Track List:
01. La Foule – 4:38
02. Blues de V. – 6:30
03. Fete Foraine – 2:47
04. Pascale – 2:42
05. Ourania – 8:48
06. Kalimouna (Extrait) – 0:43
07. Africa Anteria – 7:05
08. Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh – 34:35

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Simples (@256)

20 Nov 2009

Thanks to Bilek for the contribution.

(Review from progreviews.com)

Unbelievably enough, Magma did release a few singles during their heyday, presumably to drum up interest in more commercial corners than underground progressive circles could muster. The band edited a couple of album epics down to radio-length, and offered some otherwise unavailable short tracks. Despite their efforts, mass popularity was not Magma’s fate, and this collection serves mostly as an odd, pseudo-schizophrenic sampling of the band’s sound.

Perhaps the strangest music on the album is the embryonic version of Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh. It begins as a lounge-y bossanova (no kidding), with ultra-mellow zeuhl-scat by Blasquiz. After a short exposition, the more familiar strains of the epic appear. It’s apparent that MDK needed a considerable amount of midwifing before its final realization.

“Tendei Kobah” is really the first two-and-a-half minutes of “Riah Sahiltaahk” from the 1971 album 1001 Centigrade. The actual piece contained glimpses of the martial, alien zeuhlscapes that would be the group’s signature. Why they thought it had pop potential is another story.

“Mekanik Machine”, easily the best track here, is an uptempo funk-zeuhl workout from 1975. Jannik Top’s bass takes center stage, growling and gutteral, and Vander hammers down the beat like there’s no tomorrow. Add a pinch of stinging electric guitar and some major operatic wail, and you’ve got a jam that almost redeems the disc. As it is, for completists.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, voice
- Louis Toesca / trumpet
- François Cahen , Gerard Bikialo, Michel Graillier / piano
- Francis Moze, Jannick Top / bass
- Teddy Lasry / soprano sax
- Jerry Seffer / tenor sax
- Brian Godding / guitar
- Klaus Blasquiz / voice
- Stella Vander / chorus

Track List:
01. Hamtaak – 2:37
02. Tendei Kobah – 2:50
03. Mekanik Kommandoh – 5:04
04. Klaus Kombalad – 4:27
05. Mekanik Machine – 5:17

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Mythes et Legendes (1985) (@256)

19 Nov 2009

(Review from progarchives.com)

This is a pretty strange compilation. Not only is there only one complete song on this (all others are excerpts) – the rare single Klaus Kohmbalad – but the album also contains narration by Christian and Stella Vander (in French rather than Kobaian, fortunately!), explaining what the songs and excerpts are about.

The narration is interesting and pleasant to listen to, though. For instance when Christian tells us the story of Rďah Sahiltaahk, a song about a holy Kobaian who thought he could control the elements of nature and died because of it, or when Stella recites a few lines from the poem on the sleeve of 1001 Centigrades. Albeit it is only a small insight into the mind of Christian Vander, it is worth treasuring.

The excerpts expose the listener to a lot of Magma’s typical elements while being gentle to the ears of those that have not heard any Zeuhl yet.

Track List:
01. Kobaia – 6:09
02. Stoah – 4:42
03. Riah Sahiltaahk – 6:44
04. Klaus Kohmbalad – 3:28
05. Theusz Hamtaahk – 8:39
06. Wurdah Itah – 3:08
07. Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh – 7:41

Link in comments.

Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Opera De Reims 1976 (Live) (@320)

18 Nov 2009

(Review from waysidemusic.com, progarchives.com)

Magma live is always a special treat, because they always re-arrange their songs. This has the post-Hhai/Live band performing for nearly 160 minutes. Recorded in the Opera, Reims (France), in 1976, you’ve got everything but great content here — spanning over 3 discs, comprising of 5 pieces.

Line-up:
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals, percussion
- Stella Vander / vocals
- Didier Lockwood / violin
- Gabriel Federow / guitar
- Patrick Gauthier / keyboards
- Benoit Widemann / keyboards
- Benard Paganotti / bass
- Christian Vander / drums, vocals

Track List:
01. De Futura – 24:32
02. Sons Et Chorus De Batterie – 26:39
03. Kohntarkosz – 33:32
04. Theusz Hamtaahk – 33:35
05. Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh – 42:29

Link in comments.

Benoit Widemann, Bernard Paganotti, Christian Vander, Didier Lockwood, Live, Magma, Patrick Gauthier

Magma – Theater Du Taur Concert 1975 Toulouse (Live) (@192)

17 Nov 2009

(Review from progreviews.com)

Theatre du Taur is an official bootleg of Magma recorded in Toulouse on September 24, 1975. This is a companion piece to their Live/Hhai album and another subsequent official boot, Opera de Reims. As it stands, this is a pretty aptly title, as the ‘Taur’ in question is a raging bull in his prime by the name of Christian Vander.

Vander is all the reason you need to justify in picking this one up. Does he muscle his way into the spotlight? Not to detract from the other musicians, who are all in excellent form here, but Vander pretty much is the spotlight on this one, a simply all-encompassing presence throughout these two discs of music that is impossible to ignore. On the one hand, he conveys this sense of being finely attuned to what the other musicians are playing and ready to respond and assimilate, almost to the microsecond. At the same time, he gives the ultimate impression that whatever the hell they are playing is really just incidental and even moreso he is drumming along to the internal score of the music playing away in his head.

Because its set-list duplicates much that is can be found on the obviously much better-sounding Live album, this archival live album tends to fall in the shadow of Opera de Reims in terms of garnering recognition. It’s somewhat a shame, since the performances on this one are arguably more unhinged (one exception being Reims’ “MDK”).

Line-up:
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals & percussion
- Stella Vander / vocals
- Didier Lockwood / violin
- Gabriel Federow / guitar
- Benoit Widemann / keyboards
- Patrick Gauthier / keyboards
- Bernard Paganotti / bass
- Christian Vander / drums

Track List:
01. Kohntarkosz – 32:29
02. Hhai – 11:19
03. Kobaia – 11:48
04. Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh – 38:16

Link in comments.

Benoit Widemann, Bernard Paganotti, Christian Vander, Didier Lockwood, Live, Magma, Patrick Gauthier

Magma – Live BBC 1974 Londres (@256)

16 Nov 2009

(Review from progreviews.com, progarchives.com)

These live BBC recordings of 1974, provide the earliest live versions of these two songs and in many ways it shows — both songs seem to meander along at times, in no hurry at all.

Like “Wurdah Itah”, “Theusz Hamtaahk” begins with a part called “Malawelekaahm”, which is played here in what might be its definitive rendition. The vamp throughout its most intense moment is projected in slow motion, letting each note take full effect before the next is played. It’s as if the band wanted to focus on the space between notes, taking full advantage of a somewhat pared down line up and the lack of a present and eager audience. Also of note is that aside from Blasquiz and Vander, none of the other members of this line up appear on future recordings of this song. As the line-ups changed and the song developed, it seems to have lost the passion with which it is put forth here on its earliest recording. The second half of the song is much less well developed, however, giving way to meandering and lack of balance. It wasn’t as excited as it eventually became (seven years later), but this version has its merits.

“Kohntarkosz”, on the other hand, is here played by most of the same band that went on to record it in the studio later that year. It doesn’t really hold up to the studio version, however, missing the heavenly quality of Stella’s voice, as well as the intensity of the changes. This performance is much more ethereal and sparse, which works amazingly well for the first twenty minutes or so. Claude Olmos’ guitar is much more present that Brian Godding or Gabriel Federow’s in future recordings, which gives this version points. The creeping chant of “Hallelujah” at the end is interesting and pulled the song back out of the ether, but Stella is still missed.

Without a doubt, this one is for the die-hards, but the restrained tempo and variations on both songs make it essential nonetheless.

Line-up:
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals, percussion
- Claude Olmos / guitar
- Michel Graillier / Fender piano, keyboards
- Gerard Bikialo / Fender piano
- Jannik Top / bass
- Christian Vander / drums, vocals

Track List:
01. Theusz Hamtaahk – 30:03
02. Kohntarkosz – 27:26

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Christian Vander, Jannick Top, Live, Magma

Magma – Mekanik Kommandoh Akt X (Live 1973) (@256)

14 Nov 2009

(Review from progarchives.com)

This is one of the alternate versions of Christian Vander’s most notorious/best loved work, Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh. The official 1973 release is, quite rightly, regarded as the high point of Zeuhl music, but it did not fully do justice to Christian Vander’s original vision. The bass and drums are rather low in the mix, and the brass section tends to dominate the arrangements. Later live versions emphasised the melodic side of the music, with the massed vocals (apparently inspired by Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana) more to the fore.

This take ditches the brass section, pushes the massed choirs to the front and Christian Vander’s nanosecond precision drumming is crystal clear, as is the bass playing, although sadly not by the scarily talented Jannik Top. There are other significant differences from the released version; there is no guitarist on these sessions, and in places the absence of Claude Olmos’s marvellously fluid lead guitar is really noticeable. There is also a different introduction, featuring Christian Vander delivering a blood curdling speech in Kobaian over some extremely dissonant piano, before the familiar intro kicks in and he continues telling us that we’re all unworthy beings doomed to be destroyed. Once we’re past the intro, there are few deviations from the score (assuming you’re already familiar with the piece) until the slightly extended closing section, featuring some more unearthly vocal stylings. The main difference lies in the arrangements, which emphasise the music’s melodic strengths as opposed to the rhythmic power of the 1973 release. Some releases of this also include the ‘Instrumental’ version, basically the same piece with most of the vocal tracks removed.

This is a fascinating version of one of the most astonishing extended progressive rock compositions of the 1970s, and is essential listening for anyone who loves Zeuhl music. Newcomers are probably better starting with the original official version, but this stands up as a great album in its own right.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, vocals, organ, percussion
- Jean Pierre Lambert / bass
- Klaus Basquiz / vocals, percussion
- Jean Luc Manderlier / piano, organ
- Rene Garber / bass clarinet, vocals
- Stella Vander / vocals, choir leader
with
- Choirs De La Stochhaus / choir

Track List:
01. Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh – 37:50

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Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Inedits (Live 1972-75) (@256)

13 Nov 2009

(Review from progarchives.com)

This is an interesting cross section of Magma history, featuring most or all of the definitive zeuhl musicians, sadly slightly marred by murky live recording.

“Opus 3″ sets the standard with its cosmic electric keys and jazzy zeuhl rock variations with Jannick Top doing an extended bass solo, so this is obviously a required recording for maniacal born-again Kobaians. Although these songs were performed between 1972-75, they all remind strongly of the main “Kohntarkosz” theme, what with steady yet subtle rhythm work holding around one chord and those unique funeral jazz moments. It’s been said that Kohntarkosz Anteria was written in 1972 and indeed, memorable snatches of the epic do appear on Inedits.

A definite highlight, “Om Zanka” is flowing piece of 7/8 jazz mood management with Vander soloing against the amazing Benoit Widemann, and neither buries the other. Frustratingly, the quality of the production is most punishing here. Once the duel is over (assumedly called as a draw owing to exhaustion) the traditional Kobaian choirs enter to weave in and out of Lockwood’s violin melodies. It’s stunning and frankly over far too quickly.

If you are under Magma’s spell, don’t disregard Inedits merely because it’s not studio work. Magma fanatics should head here because it’ll help them to come to terms with bootleg quality, and to put names to the songs on the ones they’ve already heard!

Line-up:
- Gerard Bikialko / keyboards (1,2,4,6)
- Micky Grailler / keyboards (1,2,4)
- Benoit Widemann / keyboards (3)
- Francois Cahen / keyboards (5)
- Jean Luc Manderlier / keyboards (5,6)
- Francis Moze / bass (5)
- Jean-Pierre Lambert / bass (6)
- Janik Top / bass (1,2,4)
- Bernard Paganotti / bass (3)
- Claude Olmos / guitar (1,4)
- Marc Fosset / guitar (6)
- Gabriel Federow / guitar (3)
- Didier Lockwood / violin (3)
- Klaus Basquiz / vocals & percussion
- Rene Garber / vocals, bass clarinet (5,6)
- Teddy Lasry / saxes (5)
- Jeff Seffer / saxes (5)
- Louis Toesca / trumpet (5)
- Christian Vander / drums

Track List:
01. Sowiloi+KMX-EXII-Opus3 – 13:47
02. KMX-BXII-Opus7 – 6:20
03. Om Zankaa – 5:37
04. Gamma – 4:10
05. Terrien Si Je T’ai Convoque – 4:03
06. Gamma Anteria – 7:58

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Benoit Widemann, Bernard Paganotti, Christian Vander, Didier Lockwood, Jannick Top, Live, Magma

Magma – Bruxelles 1971 au Theatre 140 (Live) (@192)

13 Nov 2009

(Review from progarchives.com)

This album is an ‘official’ bootleg recorded in Brussels at Theater 140 the 12th of November 1971. This was the first public performance of Mekanik Kommandoh which became the basis for their landmark Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh. We also have here the live versions of the fusionairy debut album Kobaia songs, from the line-up

The album contains three songs off of Kobaia. Stoah, Kobaia, and Aina. The whole of the 1001 degrees Centigrade album, and two works in the formative phases at that point. The aforementioned Mekanik Kommandoh, and Sowiloi which would turn up later on the outakes album Inedits. The one thing that really stands out between this album and the previous versions of songs, is the Rhodes Piano and it’s central place in the live Magma sound. Many acoustic parts in Kobaia were played instead by the Rhodes.

Being an official bootleg, don’t expect 100% perfect sound quality. That said the quality is never a hinderance to the enjoyment of the album.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, vocals, organ, percussion
- Francis Moze / bass
- Klaus Basquiz / vocals, percussion
- Teddy Lasry / clarinet, sax, flute, vocals
- Jeff Seffer / sax, bass clarinet
- Louis Toesca / trumpet
- Francois Cahen / acoustic & electric piano

Track List:
01. Stoah – 5:18
02. Kobaia – 7:32
03. Aina – 6:30
04. Riah Sahiltaahk – 19:13
05. ‘Iss’ Lansei Doia – 12:58
06. Ki 0ahl o Liahk – 9:35
07. Sowiloi – 7:22
08. Mekanik Kommandoh – 16:52

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Christian Vander, Live, Magma

Magma – K.A. (Kohntarkosz Anteria) (2004) (@256)

12 Nov 2009

(Review from progarchives.com)

This is the Magma album that fans have waited almost 30 years to hear, and it’s easily on a par with the best of their mid 70s work. Fragments of this work have been heard before on Inedits, and the closing ‘Alleluia’ chorus can be heard on the early version of Kohntarkosz on BBC Londres 1974, but this is the first time the whole work has been presented (or finished, for that matter). In the rather convoluted sequence of Magma’s Kobaian epic, this piece would come after Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh and acts as a sort of prequel to Kohntarkosz.

Most of the album is closer to the Carl Orff stylings of Wurdah Itah and Mekanik Kommandoh than to the more instrumentally based Kohntarkosz or 1001 Degrees Centigrade, with Vander’s trademark vocal arrangements sounding lovelier than ever. The new band are also true to the Zeuhl spirit, especially guitarist James MacGaw, whose clean tone and economical but melodic guitar lines recall the work of Claude Olmos in the 1973-74 line up.

Parts 1 and 2 are light and melodic pieces featuring dazzling interplay between piano, guitar and vocals, all underpinned by Vander’s metronomically precise drums and some nicely judged bass from Philippe Bussonet. Part 3 opens with a lengthy instrumental passage (sounds like a synth but it was probably intended for flute or sax) which demonstrates the jazzier side of Vander’s muse – it’s surely no accident that a photo of John Coltrane is visible in the background of the snapshots of the band. Part 3 then builds to the kind of climax familiar from other Magma epics, culminating in what sounds like a distant cousin of the Hallelujah chorus.

This is also the best sounding of Magma’s studio albums – modern recording techniques mean that every element of the complex arrangements is crystal clear, but thankfully the dodgy production values which spoiled albums like Merci have been abandoned in favour of a more natural sound.

Line-up:
- Stella Vander / vocals, percussion
- Isabelle Feuillebois / vocals
- Himiko Paganotti / vocals
- Antoine Paganotti / vocals
- James Mac Gaw / guitar
- Emmanuel Borghi / piano, Fender Rhodes
- Frédéric d’Oelsnitz / Fender Rhodes
- Philippe Bussonnet / bass
- Christian Vander / drums, vocals, percussion

Track List:
01. K.A I – 11:12
02. K.A II – 15:53
03. K.A III – 21:44

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Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Theusz Hamtaakh – La Trilogie Au Trianon (Live 2001) (@256)

11 Nov 2009

4 comments

(Review from allmusic)

Magma celebrated their 30th anniversary with two Paris shows, May 13 and 14, 2000. Of course, there was no better way to commemorate the occasion than performances of leader Christian Vander’s most hallowed work, the Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy.

Comprised of the title suite, “Wurdah Itah,” and “Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh” (each movement occupies its own disc), this massive piece details a battle of the planets wherein the people of Earth travel to a planet called Kobaia and back again, all in the name of peace and self-purification.

This live album represents yet another chapter for the vital band. Particularly spectacular are guitarist James MacGaw and bassist Philippe Bussonnet, who join the ranks of the best musicians to ever have played with the group.

From the aggressive opening strains of “Theusz Hamtaahk”, with deft choral phrases and heavily accented percussion, to the episodic, head-spinning cut and chase of the middle movement, to the incredible avant-fusion break in “Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh”, this performance of the trilogy highlights all of the reasons Magma fans are such a devoted lot. Where a more traditional progressive band might emphasize the purely whimsical or capricious, Magma’s best music (as evidenced here) is literally of another world. There are arguably better performances of the individual movements elsewhere, but as a collection, the Trilogie au Trianon is practically indispensable for Magma fans.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums & vocals
- Klaus Basquiz / vocals & percussion
- Bernard Paganotti / bass
- Benoit Widemann / keyboards
- Patrick Gauthier / keyboards
- Gabriel Federow / guitar
- Didier Lockwood / violin
- Stella Vander / vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Malawelekaahm – 6:28
02. Sewolahwehn ohn Zain – 6:42
03. Deumb leweless dolehn – 3:52
04. Zeuhl Wortz – 2:28
05. Gorutz Waahrn – 3:15
06. Tu lu li le ui du wii – 1:08
07. Se lah Maahri Donsai – 2:31
08. Slibenli deh Theusz – 5:21
09. Zortsung – 3:09
CD2
01. Malawelekaahm – 4:21
02. Bradia da zimehn iegah – 2:35
03. Maneh fur da Zess – 1:42
04. Fur di Hel Kobaia – 5:38
05. Blum tendiwa – 5:49
06. Wohlsunt mlem seweless – 3:08
07. Wainsaht!!! – 3:11
08. Wlasik steuhn Kobaia – 2:44
09. Sehnnteht dros wurdah sums – 6:00
10. C’est la vie qui les a menes la! – 4:32
11. Ek sun da Zess – 2:37
12. Se Zeuhl undazir – 6:11
CD3
01. Hortz fur dehn Stekehn West – 10:17
02. Imah suri Dondai – 4:13
03. Kobaia iss deh hundin – 2:07
04. Da Zeuhl Wortz Mekanik – 7:20
05. Nebehr Gudahtt – 7:39
06. Mekanik Kommandoh – 8:05
07. Kreuhn Kohrmahn iss deh hundin – 1:30
08. Da Zeuhl Wortz wainsaht (hymne de la Zeuhl Wortz) – 1:53
09. (unnamed final track) – 5:41

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Benoit Widemann, Bernard Paganotti, Christian Vander, Didier Lockwood, Live, Magma, Patrick Gauthier

Magma – Floe Essi Ektah (EP 1998) (@256)

10 Nov 2009

4 comments

(Review from progreviews.com)

This single, the first new music released by the band since 1984, featured Christian and Stella Vander fronting a fresh group of zeuhlers. Magma reformed in the late 90s to perform several concerts (mostly in Europe and Japan). These concerts culminated in May 2000 with shows celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary. The songs on this set were recorded in November of 1998, and document a version of that touring band.

While Magma was dormant for most of the 90s, Offering (Christian Vander’s post-Magma project) was not. The music here (particularly “Ektah”) is reminiscent of Offering in that it eschews the dynamic repetition and dark overtones of the band’s 70s work in favor of light melodicism and generally straight-forward instrumental textures. In short, Vander seems to have favored the more upbeat, inspirational aspects of Magma this time around (again, similar to Offering).

“Floe Essi” was written by bassist Philippe Bussonnet. Uptempo, zeuhl-fusion tune featuring classic group vocals that are unfortunately buried in the mix (especially Cardiet’s booming operatic tenor). Bass and guitar are emphasized, playing nimble countermelody to a tune that could have easily fit on the first half of Udu Wudu, or Attahk. The song is very short (under three minutes), and seems to stop in midstream at an apparent climax. Was it a sampling of a longer piece?

“Ektah” is a Christian Vander-penned piece featuring his distinctive lead vocal (midrange, down from his 70s soprano trill). Again, this piece seemingly lies closer to the Offering tradition than to Magma. Generally simple rhythm, structured melody, Fender Rhodes (bringing out Vander’s beloved modal figures), and perhaps most suprising, loose, relatively passive drumming from Vander. Highpoints are the textured vocal intro (very Philip Glass-ian), and the classic odd-meter breakdown in the middle. Although it’s not quite an interplanetary overture of yore, it would be difficult to imagine this music coming from anyone else.

Line-up:
- Stella Vander / vocals
- James Mac Gaw / guitar
- Emmanuel Borghi / Fender Rhodes
- Phillipe Bussonnet / bass
- Christian Vander / drums, vocals, keyboards
- Isabelle Feuillebois / vocals
- Bertrand Cardiet / vocals

Track List:
01. Floe Essi ‘La fille de la mer’ – 2:58
02. Ektah ‘Le Heros’ – 5:52

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Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Merci (1984) (@256)

09 Nov 2009

(Review from progarchives.com)

Magma’s glory days were a long way behind them when they recorded this oddity. Vander more or less quit the drum stool for this album, and it took something like 18 months to record in dribs and drabs. It gets off to a shaky start with ‘Call From The Dark’, which sounds like a stab at Zeuhl Euro-Disco. The Linn drums really sound out of place on a Magma album.

Many fans would consider switching off at this point, but the album is worth sticking with. “Otis” is a tribute to the great Otis Redding, which sounds incongruous but actually works remarkably well – Vander always drew on a variety of sources for inspiration, and Redding was as outstanding in his field as Carl Orff or John Coltrane were in theirs. The album is really lifted by a Renee Garber composition, “Eliphas Levi”, which starts and ends with some beautiful flute and is largely built around piano and massed voices. Haunting and beautiful, another side of Vander’s muse which would be explored further in his future band “Offering”.

The cast of thousands, and the absence of any of the core Magma players aside from Christian and Stella Vander, make this seem like more of a solo project than a proper Magma album. Persevere with the 80s production values, though, and there is plenty that is worthwhile on “Merci”.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / vocals, piano, Celeste, keyboards, percussion
- Stella Vander / vocals
- Guy Khalifa / vocals
- Benoit Widemann / synthesizer
- Simon Goubert / synthesizer (1,3)
- Francois Laizeau / drums, drum programming
- Marc Eliard / bass
- Phillipe Slominski / trumpet on (1,3,4)
- Christian Martinez / trumpet on (1,4)
- Michel Goldberg / saxophone on (1,3)
- Liza Deluxe / backing vocals
- Jean Pierre Fouquey / Rhodes piano on (2)
- Michel Gaucher / saxophone on (2)
- Freddy Opsepian / trumpet on (2)
- Christian Guizen / trombone on (2)
- Alex Ferrand / vocals on (3)
- Jean-Luc Chevalier / guitar on (3)
- Patrick Gauthier / synthesizer on (3)
- Paul Bayle / saxophone on (3)
- Denis LeLoup / trombone on (3,4)
- Arrigo Lorenz / Soprano sax on (3)
- Maria Popkiewicz / backing vocals on (4)
- Jerome Naulay / trombone on (4)
- Zaka / percussion on (4)
- Michel Graillier / Rhodes piano on (5)

Track List:
01. Call From The Dark (Ooh Ooh Baby) – 7:15
02. Otis – 5:20
03. Do The Music – 4:22
04. Otis (Ending) – 1:58
05. I Must Return – 6:38
06. Eliphas Levi – 11:04
07. The Night We Died – 4:15

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Benoit Widemann, Christian Vander, Magma, Patrick Gauthier

Magma – Retrospektiw I-II (1981) (@256)

08 Nov 2009

(Review from progreviews.com)

After disbanding for several years, Magma held three concerts in June of 1980 at the Olympia in Paris. This two-disc set is a testament to those concerts, which reunited nearly everybody who appears on Magma’s Live/Hhai album of five years before.

The self-titled movement of the “Theusz Hamtaahk” trilogy had never (at that time) been on any of their recordings until this one. The piece is a wicked repetitive Jaws-like rhythm which cyclically increases and decreases in intensity. At about 12 minutes into the piece, it shifts into a metronome beat pattern overlaid with dreamy, stream-of-thought synths that are very unusual for Magma. This too gradually increases in intensity, until it reaches a powerful plateau of strong male and female choir chanting. The next section starts back at the original hypno-rhythm for a few minutes, and then breaks back into the metronome rhythm, this time with some utterly bizarre sci-fi soundtrack buzzings and whirlings, and a single sustained flying saucer keyboard line. This intensifies again, and then a lighthearted fusion part, then a march with pompous ELP-like keys, and then a pretty lull with fluttering harp sounds and calm chanting. Again there is a repeat of the intense theme, with ominous choir, and the finale, with explosions of weird sound effects.

The second disc features a live version of the MDK album. The first half of it sticks fairly close to the studio version. About midway through the disc there’s a break (I’m guessing it’s where the original vinyl changed sides). When the music returns, we find ourselves in the middle of a monstrous bass solo which leads into a high power, high speed fusion similar to the MDK excerpt on the Live/Hhai album. Some very impressive work here from the bass, keys, guitar, vocals and violin.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, keyboards, vocals
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals
- Stella Vander / vocals
- Liza Deluxe / vocals
- Didier Lockwood / violin
- Gabriel Federow / guitar
- Patrick Gauthier / keyboards
- Benoit Widemann / keyboards
- Bernard Paganotti / bass
- Claire Laborde / vocals (2)
- Maria Popkiewicz / vocals (2)
- Jean-Luc Chevalier / guitar (2)

Track List:
CD1
01. Theusz Hamtaahk – 36:04
CD2
01. Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh (3eme Mouvement De Theusz Hamtaahk) – 40:04

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Benoit Widemann, Bernard Paganotti, Christian Vander, Didier Lockwood, Magma, Patrick Gauthier

Magma – Attahk (1978) (@256)

07 Nov 2009

(Review from progreviews.com)

After Udu Wudu, Magma disbanded for a time, only to reconvene a year later under a slightly different direction than before. While drummer Christian Vander had maintained general leadership of the band since the early 70s, the new phase of Magma could almost be considered a Vander solo project. His interest in funk, R-n-B, gospel, and pop would come to the fore, and similar to many of his progressive rock and jazz fusion peers, he would mold the band’s sound into something closer to “popular”.

The music on this album is brighter than the previous album, emphasizing rhythm, lead vocals, and a fat bass sound over murky group vocals and extended zeuhl suites. Lead vocals, in fact, are handled exclusively by Vander, with usual Magma frontman Klaus Blasquiz vastly underutilized.

“The Last Seven Minutes” is burning zeuhl-funk, with some of Christian Vander’s most explosive drumming on record. Although they weren’t singing about interplanetary war anymore (although it sounds like they’re still in Kobaian), the band never lost its intensity. This is getting closer to hard-edged fusion, a la groups such as Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, but nothing that features Vander’s idiosyncratic wail is going to sound derivative. Fast, furious, and funky.

“Dondai” is a slow jam, Magma style — if Barry White had sung this, nobody would blink an eye. Actually, this is fairly calm by the group’s standards, and for a while, they actually seem capable of presenting relatively straightforward stuff. Some nicely restrained drum work, soothing piano and backing vocals, and the omnipresent trill of Christian Vander.

Fans of the earlier material tend to criticize this album for its lack of a “traditional” zeuhl sound in favor of a funk/fusion/zeuhl hybrid, and while it is markedly different than the preceding albums, it is one of the most exciting, and is certainly one of the most accessible.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander (Dehrstun) / lead vocals, drums, percussion, Grand piano, Rhodes, Chamberlin
- Guy Delacroix (Urgon) and (Gorgo) / “Earth” bass, “Air” bass
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals
- Benoit Widemann (Kahal) / Grand piano, Rhodes, Mini-Moog, Oberheim polyphonic
- Stella Vander (Thaud) / vocals
- Lisa Bois (Sihnn) / vocals
- Tony Russo / trumpet
- Jacques Bolognesi / trombone

Track List:
01. The Last Seven Minutes (1970-1971, Phase I) – 7:35
02. Spiritual (Negro Song) – 3:16
03. Rinde (Eastern Song) – 3:05
04. Lirik Necronomicus Kant (Ourgon & Gorgo Meet) – 5:06
05. Maahnt (Wizards Fight vs Devil) – 5:29
06. Dondai (To an Eternal Love) – 8:02
07. Nono (1978, Phase II) – 6:23

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Benoit Widemann, Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – Live-Hhai (Kohntark) (1975) (@256)

06 Nov 2009

(Review from progreviews.com)

While a great many bands from the 70s released double-live LPs, very few can claim that their live albums matched the quality of their studio releases, and even fewer can claim that their best album was live. Magma has that right. The eccentric French prog band, led by drummer Christian Vander, thrived in front of an audience, in the moment, when they were free to follow the course of their music without the boundaries set forth by the sides of a record.

The music of this album is actually atypical for what many remember the band: martial, relentless rhythm stomps, operatic howling, bombastic horn races. Here, they expose more fully than on any previous release their jazz-rock backgrounds, and subtle, masterful musicality. The first disc is mainly comprised of one of their great long works, Kohntarkosz. Beginning with the cry, “Hamatai!”, the band launches an epic with many movements, colors, and moods. Perhaps most surprising is their ease with flowing, impressionistic soundscapes. Vander has stated that when artists in the mid-70s (such as Mike Oldfield) began to borrow his ideas, he was forced to come with a new type of music. Kohntarkosz was the fruit if his new labors, and the version on this album is definitive. Great melodic, eclectic prog, with hints of fusion as well.

The second disc is made mainly of shorter tracks, and a section of another Magma epic, Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh. The highlight is the brilliant fusion-romp, “Hhaď.” The track begins with Vander’s own warbly-operatic soliloquy. It explodes into a high-energy 6/8 fireball with great guitar/violin interplay, and vocals by Vander, Stella Vander (his wife), and Klaus Blasquiz. Elsewhere, “Kobah” is actually “Kobaia” (mistitled during the original printing) from the band’s first album. Heard here is a vastly different version; more squirrely, funky, fusionesque than on the first album. The band’s improvisational skills shine on the last two tracks, which come from MDK. Didier Lockwood (only 17 or 18 years old at the time) emerges as perhaps the band’s best solist, while Bernard Paganotti’s bass solo at the beginning of the last track became infamous for its increasingly distorted sound.

Line-up:
- Benoit Widemann / keyboards
- Bernard Paganotti / bass
- Christian Vander / drums, vocals
- Didier Lockwood / violin
- Gabrid Federow / guitar
- Jean-Paul Asseline / keyboards
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals
- Stella Vander / vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Kohntark (Part One) – 15:45
02. Kohntark (Part Two) – 16:14
03. Emehnteht-Re (Announcement) – 8:10
CD2
01. Hhai – 9:20
02. Kobah – 6:36
03. Lihns – 4:55
04. Da Zeuhl Wortz Mekanik – 6:14
05. Mekanik Zain – 18:57

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Benoit Widemann, Christian Vander, Didier Lockwood, Live, Magma

Magma – Wurdah Itah (1974) (@256)

05 Nov 2009

(Review from progarchives.com)

Officially a Christian Vander solo album, Wurdah Itah is the work of the core members of Magma’s classic 1973-1976 line up. The album was recorded in just 4 days as the soundtrack to a film version of Tristan Et Yseult, which by all accounts was less than a cinematic masterpiece, but the soundtrack more than compensates for that.

Wurdah Itah is the second movement of Theusz Hamtaahk (Time of Hatred). The third Movement, Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh, had been released the previous year, while the first movement, Theusz Hamtaahk, would not be released until 1981 on Retrospektiw (though performed live at the time).

This is a very stripped down version of Magma: no choir, no horn section, not even a guitarist or a second keyboard player. Chris Cutler called it the clearest and most concentrated of Vander’s work, and this album is a good demonstration of the melodic side of Magma. Although it is broken down into 12 short pieces, the album is really 2 lengthy sequences – tracks 1 – 6 (side 1 of the vinyl original) and tracks 7 – 12 (side 2). Live, it is performed as a continuous piece in the same way as Magma’s other epics.

The opening bars are the same as Theusz Hamtaahk, while later on in the album themes that would be more fully developed on MDK can be heard. These leitmotivs give the trilogy a sense of cohesion which which really falls into place when the pieces are heard in order. The wonderful Carl Orff style vocals familiar from other Magma albums are the dominant sound on this album, with Klaus Blasquiz heard to particularly good effect. Jannick Top turns in a superbly judged performance; subtle and understated without a single extraneous note. Vander likewise plays the drums with a delicate precision that the larger Magma line ups sometimes drowned out, while his piano playing is solid and assured and shows the influence of McCoy Tyner from John Coltrane’s classic quartet.

Wurdah Itah is an essential part of Magma’s output from their classic era and is a vital addition to any collection which contains MDK or Kontarkohsz. Whilst it may be atypical Magma, it could well be Christian Vander’s masterpiece. It may even be a likely good introduction to Magma’s Kobaian tales of tragedy and quests for salvation due to its stripped-to-the-bone quality.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, piano, Fender Rhodes, percussion, vocal
- Stella Vander / vocals
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals, percussion
- Jannick Top / bass

Track List:
01. Malawelekaahm – 3:37
02. Bradia Da Zimehn Iegah – 2:18
03. Maneh Fur Da Zess – 1:36
04. Fur Dihhel Kobaia – 4:55
05. Blum Tendiwa – 3:29
06. Wohldunt Maem Deweless – 3:29
07. Wainsaht !!! – 2:30
08. Wlasik Steuhn Kobaia – 2:46
09. Sehnnteht Dros Wurdah Sums – 3:24
10. C’est La Vie Qui Les A Menes La ! – 4:58
11. ek Sun Da Zess – 2:16
12. De Zeuhl undazir – 3:40

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Christian Vander, Jannick Top, Magma

Magma – Kohntarkosz (1974) (@256)

04 Nov 2009

(Review from progreviews.com)

Kohntarkosz is a repetitive jazz-rock trance album much like its predecessor Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh (MDK), but where the previous is powerful, brassy, choral, tension building and sometimes violent; Kohntarkosz is mysterious, dark, cool, and hypnotic.

The centerpiece is “Kohntarkosz” Parts One and Two, composed by Christian Vander, which really seems like a single piece lasting about 30 minutes. The simple piano, bass and drum patterns repeat over and over and over in trance-inducing cycles, snaking up and down; the sustained blanket of Doors-sounding keys cast a sinister and psychedelic mood; the occasional intense guitar wails away like a buzz saw. The vocals are usually whispery chants that move with the flow of music; they are not aggressive like MDK. The repetitive patterns in the music are like cartoon spider webs or kaleidoscope images. This aspect seems very related to John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things”.

“Ork Alarm” is slashing horror-movie zeuhl composed by Jannik Top, and “Coltrane Sundia” is incredible with the shimmering, ethereal piano, stops and restarts, and lovely melodies.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, piano, percussions, vocals
- Jannick Top / bass, cello, vocals, piano
- Klauss Blasquiz / vocals, percussion
- Gerard Bikialo / pianos, Yamaha organ
- Michel Grailler / pianos, clavinet
- Stella Vander / vocals
- Brian Godding / guitar

Track List:
01. Kohntarkosz Part 1 – 15:23
02. Kohntarkosz Part 2 – 16:04
03. Ork Alarm – 5:29
04. Contrane Sundia – 4:14

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Christian Vander, Jannick Top, Magma

Univeria Zekt – Unnamables (1971) (@256)

03 Nov 2009

(Review from progarchives.com)

After Magma released their second album, “1001 Centigrades”, as a side project they released another album with almost the same line-up, but under a different band name: Univeria Zekt. The album, entitled “Unnamables”, was intended to be a relatively ‘easy’ introduction into the world of Zeuhl music, for the band was trying to broaden its audience.

The first side of the album consisted of five songs that combines both jazz and rock styles similar to Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago, lots of horns and very accessible. “You Speak And Speak Colegram” is a Lasry tune that is uptempo with plenty of free sax lines and guitar solos.The drums are of course prominant and the organ chips in as well. “Altcheringa” brings BS&T to mind mainly because of the David Clayton Thomas-like vocals from Zabu. This is a very catchy song. Nice guitar solo before 2 minutes as the bass throbs. “Clementine” consists of only acoustic guitar and flute throughout.This is such a beautiful song, a piece of heaven really, it’s hard to believe this is Magma. “Something’s Cast a Spell ” is a Lasry tune, although the lyrics were taken from an Ergo Sum song. The lead singer from Ergo Sum sings on this one as well. Sax really dominates, although we get a great guitar solo from Engel after a pastoral section. “Ourania” is the last song on side one. Flute and guitar start us off before some crazy sax and discordant guitar follow.

Side two is Zeuhl, and both songs were composed by Vander. “Africa Anteria” features some good bass and the sax and piano form a great team.The sax gets a little dissonant and the bass is relentless as they seem to jam for about 5 minutes. We get those bizarre shouts from Vander, and before that a drum solo that is apparently the only recorded drum solo that Vander did. “Undia” features Blasquiz singing in Kobaian. The song starts off quietly and builds to a full sound with great drumming.

Line-up:
- Christian Vander / drums, percussion, voice (6)
- Klaus Blasquiz / vocals (4 & 7), percussion
- Francois Cahen / pianos
- Francis Moze / bass, organ
- Teddy Lasry / saxes, flute, organ
- Jeff Seffer / saxes
- Tito Puentes / trumpet
- Claude Engel / electric & acoustic guitar
- Zabu / vocals (2)
- Lionel Ledissez / vocals (4)

Track List:
01. You Speak And Speak And Colegram – 2:09
02. Altcheringa – 3:28
03. Clementine – 3:01
04. Something’s Cast A Spell – 4:24
05. Ourania – 4:25
06. Africa Anteria – 11:31
07. Undia – 4:47

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Christian Vander, Magma

Magma – 1001 Centigrades (1971) (@256)

02 Nov 2009