ORK! UPDATE # 11

November 1992

CHRISTIAN VANDER TRIO

06-11-92      Villebonte sur Yvette 
10-11-92      La Louvière, Belgian Jazz Festival 
18-11-92      Le Sunset, 60 rue des Lombards, 75001 Paris  
19-11-92      Le Sunset, Paris 
20-11-92      Le Sunset, Paris 
21-11-92      Le Sunset, Paris 
18-12-92      Drancy 
15-01-93      Meaux 
29-01-93      Salle Le Royal, Pessac-Bordeaux 
30-01-93      Pessac-Bordeaux 
12-02-93      Issoudun

LES VOIX DE MAGMA - Special Concerts

29-04-93      Palais des Congrés, Le Mans (Europa Jazz Festival du Mans)  
06-05-93      Bordeaux (to be confirmed)

ZEUHL / JAZZ - Concerts

??-01-93      XAAL (supporting IQ) London (to be confirmed) 
12-11-92      Simon Goubert            Duc des Lombards, Paris. 
13-11-92      Simon Goubert            Duc des Lombards, Paris.
14-11-92      Simon Goubert            Duc des Lombards, Paris.

DOUARNENEZ CONCERT 02-08-92

Pierre de Ramefort supplies the following full track list for the 02-08-92 Douarnenez concert mentioned last issue: 'Ëmëhntëht-Rê opening', 'To Love', 'I Must Return', 'C'est pour nous', 'Tous Ensemble (All Together)', 'Zëss', 'Ronde de Nuit', 'Theusz Hamtaahk', 'Wurdah Ïtah (2nd part)', 'Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh (2nd part)', 'La Marche Celeste'. The next OFFERING album is expected to be a studio album that will include 'La Marche Celeste'.

PAGA

Jean-Christophe Alluin did a long interview with Klaus Blasquiz and Bernard Paganotti after a concert by their group (PAGA) in Brittany in September. Claude Salmieri (drums) has left PAGA GROUP. He was replaced by François Laizeau. Their current record project is a little behind schedule.

CHRISTIAN VANDER - Christopher Colombus

Christian Vander composed the music for a street "son et lumiêre" spectacular about Christopher Colombus in the city of Reims - He played keyboards and also narrated the story. Part of this music was presented in the intro tapes at the start of the recent concerts in Paris.

PATRICK GAUTHIER

Patrick Gauthier replaced Pierre-Michel Sivadier for the October concerts by LES VOIX DE MAGMA in Paris. Patrick has formed his own group with Julie Vander, Antoine Paganotti (Bernard's son) on drums, and Bénédicte Ragu. They are already planning to record a new album for Seventh Records too.

KISS BOOTLEG CD

Last September saw the release on the Kiss label of a bootleg CD called 'Theusz Hamtaahk - Premier Mouvement' taken from a high quality 150 minute audio of a concert at L'Opera in Reims (supposedly on 2nd March 1976). The sound quality is almost excellent, but with too much treble, and a lack of bass or general presence. Otherwise it is a genuine live sound and brilliant music. The tracks are 1. 'Köhntarkösz' (33:32) and 2. 'Theusz Hamtaahk' (33:34). The booklet has some original drawings of Christian in action. I presume the actual source of this was a fine concert in Reims on 1-3-76 that featured the 'Hhaï / Live' line-up with Bernard Paganotti on bass, Didier Lockwood on Violin and Gabriel Federow on guitar. This same line-up later played MAGMA's last gig in the UK at the New Victoria. The concert in Reims featured 'Köhntarkösz' (32:50) leading into 'De Futura' (14:20) then 'Theusz Hamtaahk' (34:45). The concert finale was a long 'Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh', which started fairly faithful to the 4-73 recording but after a few guitar excursions broke into 'Mekanïk Zaïn' with another soaring Violin solo. Unfortunately the keyboard backing was a bit lame towards the end of the piece, as if their fingers got stuck. There are rumours of two similar CDs on the Wildbird label due to emerge from Italy soon.

FRENCH TV

In the first week of September 1992, M6 (French TV) re-broadcast their Paris Premiere show of an OFFERING concert at MJC d'Orgemont, Epinay-sur-Seine. This concert was recorded on 20-12-89 and the original transmission was about 65 minutes long including twenty minutes of the encore by the Christian Vander Trio. This was not an especially exciting concert but it was well filmed and at least means that some good picture quality videos are in circulation.... unlike the psychedelic washed-out Chorus TV tapes.... Has anyone seen a broadcast of the Christian Vander Trio in Pernes Les Fontaines (July 1991)? That was a stunning show that deserves worldwide TV exposure.

MAGMA TV REUNION!

ARTE (Franco-German cultural TV) recorded a Didier Lockwood TV special in the week ending 26-09-92 for transmission on 19th December 1992. Didier performed with various group line-ups from his eighteen year career, one of which he insisted had to be a reformation of MAGMA. Christian Vander, Klaus Blasquiz, Bernard Paganotti, Patrick Gauthier and Stella agreed, and they played a version of 'Mekanïk' in the TV studio. Gabriel Federow was invited to play guitar too but he had stopped performing music, so did not appear.

MDK

Seventh have regained the rights to the masters of 'MDK', which is now available in true CD quality.

AKT LABEL

In order to fight against bootleggers (see above) Zebëhn has founded a new record label called AKT which will release Live material by opening the Vander archives!. AKT I was of course the "Les Voix" album discussed elsewhere. The third album may be a recording from Toulouse 24-09-75. The current release date is February 1993 to tie in with the delayed release of 'Retrospektïw I et II'. Future "official bootleg" releases are planned especially with unreleased material featuring Jannick Top. For example the latest release, any day now, is strange recording of René Garber, Jannick Top, Klaus Blasquiz and Christian Vander in a mad jam session from 1973, recorded at the Manor in Oxford on the night alter the recording of 'MDK', this improvisational album is called "NËHÈH", yet also referred to as "SONS".

CHRISTIAN VANDER - JOHN COLTRANE

Christian Vander said he has recorded an interview for a French TV show about John Coltrane, to be broadcast on the 2nd of January 1993 on the satellite TV channel CANAL+.

PHILIPPE CAUVIN

Look out for a new project in 1993 by PHILIPPE CAUVIN, he made two marvellous Zeuhl solo albums in the early 80's 'Memento' and particularly 'Climage' and some fine music with his group - UPPSALA.

LE GRAND BLUES BAND

The first album by LE GRAND BLUES BAND will be released in November or December on the New Rose label and it features Klaus Blasquiz.

DANIEL DENIS

Daniel Denis (ex-UNIVERS ZERO) has started recording a new album for 1993 release, co-produced by Musea and he is also searching for a new manager and venues for a possible tour.