Magma formed in 1969 around the creative linchpin of drummer/vocalist Christian Vander, who came from a professional jazz background including study with Elvin Jones and work with Chick Corea and Mal Waldron. Borrowing a concept from Pharoah Sanders and scat vocalist Leone Thomas, Vander coined the synthetic language Kobaïan, a vaguely Franco-Teutonic codification of his own guttural, glossolalic vocal style. The abstraction provided by the Kobaïan verse seems to inspire Magma's singers to heights of emotional abandon rarely permitted by conventional lyrics.
With Magma, Vander brought forth a body of work distinguished by levels of energy, inspiration, and spiritual power unprecedented in progressive rock. Operatic vocals, pulsing bass lines, jazz sonorities, mystical science fiction themes, and large-scale compositions influenced by Carl Orff, Igor Stravinsky, and John Coltrane are the individual facets that make up the canon that Vander refers to as "Zeuhl Music", music that aspires to goals beyond the material world.
The November, 1986 establishment of Seventh Records for the purpose of bringing the Magma back catalogue to CD has introduced a new generation to the band's formidable corpus, while Musea Productions has dutifully restored a host of Magma splinter group recordings to print. Magma's eponymic 1970 double-LP debut (aka 'Kobaïa', Seventh REX IV/V) is a remarkable achievement, considering the group had only been together about eight months at the time of recording. The prominence of horns and piano suggests an outré variation on Traffic's mildly psychedelic jazz-rock, and lead vocalist Klaus Blasquiz was still under the influence of the gravely white blues mannerisms of the time, further dating the album.
'1001° Centigrades' (1971, Seventh REX VI) is a stylistic, as well as narrative continuation of 'Magma Kobaïa', with stronger dynamics, tighter ensemble playing, and better integration of the brass trio. An octet for the first two albums, Magma suffered a high turnover rate in later years, as Vander demanded a level of commitment and musical discipline few could sustain.
In 1971 Magma's former manager Laurent Thibault founded Thélème, the first label devoted exclusively to French rock. At Thibault's instigation, Vander sanctioned a one-off studio project by Magma's constituents under the name Univerïa Zekt. An intriguing (if ultimately unsuccessful) endeavour at reaching a broader audience by grafting the less threatening elements of Magma's sound onto accessible jazzipop songforms, Univerïa Zekt's 'The Unnamables' (Musea FGBG 4086) consists of three compositions by reedman Teddy Lasry, one by Francois Cahen, and three by Vander. The English vocals on two Lasry songs are uncomfortably reminiscent of Blood, Sweat, and Tears' overwrought R&B, while Vander's own entries resemble the more languid passages of Magma's first LP. A pleasant, if miscalculated admixture of white blues and jazz-rock, 'The Unnamables' (which betrays none of the Lovecraftian menace suggested by the title) should be viewed as an adjunct to the Magma oeuvre, rather than an essential entry.
Magma's six-minute, summer '71 live take of 'Mekanïk Kommandöh' on Thélême's 'Puissance 13+2' (Musea FGBG 4087) is easily the best track on that Laurent Thibault-produced anthology, though Francis Moze's bass sounds a bit anaemic in comparison to future Magma bassist Jannick Top's elaborations of the theme. While the band's threshold of aggression was still delimited by the leisurely pace of the first two albums, this performance more than hints at the urgency and intensity in the offing. This germinal 'Mekanïk Kommandöh' should not be confused with the subsequent Philips 45 entitled 'Mekanïk Kommando', nor the single-track, 38-minute Seventh Records, 'Mekanïk Kommandöh' CD. All three are very different recordings.
Following a late '72 break-up and reformation, Magma found its full voice with the devastating 'Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh' (1973, Seventh REX VII), massive, martial choral work graced with the siren-like presence of Stella Vander, heraldic brass by Teddy Lasry, and an unstoppable, iron-fisted rhythm section. Often misleadingly referred to as the "classical" version of 'M.D.K.', 'Mekanïk Kommandöh' (recorded January 1973, released 1989, Seventh REX VIZ) is the initial recording of 'M.D.K.' that was rejected by Virgin Records. While lacking the formidable production and aura of menace of the subsequent Giorgio Gomelsky-produced rendition, 'Mekanïk Kommandöh' is the more fluent, spontaneous reading. (Actually the "classical" versions are the live performances of this epoch, where Magma were assisted by an orchestra - Ed.).
The most significant difference between the January '73 'Mekanïk Kommandöh' line-up and the group that recorded 'Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh' three months later is the arrival of bassist Jannick Top. Top brought throbbing, insistent bass lines, voiced in a fierce, growling tone that became the most imitated instrumental signature in French rock.
As the original 16-track masters were lost, Seventh Records' original CD release of 'M.D.K.' was transcribed from vinyl copy, with a striking, mostly-instrumental rehearsal take of the entire album included as a bonus track. Seventh has recently recut 'M.D.K.' from the high quality "copy masters" (two-track duplicates of the original tapes used in the production of foreign pressings) from which the clear, dynamic Japanese A&M 'M.D.K.' CD was mastered, while deleting the bonus track.
Bristling with barbaric chant and percussive piano figures lifted from Orffs 'Veni Creator Spiritus', Christian Vander's solo debut, 'Wurdah Ïtah' (1974, Seventh REX LX), came as a result of Laurent Thibault pirating a 1971 Magma rehearsal tape for use as the soundtrack to Yvan Lagrange's 'Tristan et Iseult' film. Vander exacted compensation by having Thibault, then in the employ of Barclay Records, arrange for a legitimate recording and release of the same material (movement one of the Theusz Hamtaahk Cycle, to initiates) on Barclay. As Magma were under contract to A&M at the time, no mention of the band appears on the album, and all personnel credits (save Vander's own name) are in Kobaïan. What's most intriguing about 'Wurdah Ïtah' is not its spartan bass/drums/piano/vocal line-up, but the opportunity to hear a major Vander composition free of time fusion influence that incrementally supplanted the Wagnerian rock of 'M.D.K.'.
The elegant 'Köhntarkösz' (1974, Seventh REX VIII) turns from the goosestep gait of 'M.D.K.' and 'Wurdah Ïtah', which, along with the group's penchant for cryptic insignia and uniform black attire, brought accusations of fascism from intimidated audiences. Infused with exotic, Mahavishnu Orchestra-like colourations, the expansive, lyrical two-part titular elegy rivals the infinitely darker 'M.D.K.' for status as Magma's magnum opus. Other tracks include Jannick Top's harrowing cello piece, 'Ork Alarm', and Christian Vander's 'Coltrane Sündïa', an intimate tribute to his musical fore bearer.
The 1988 Seventh Records reissue of 'Köhntarkösz' was mastered from a poor LP copy, a shortcoming inadequately compensated for by the inclusion of a drab, badly recorded demo of 'Köhntarkösz I & II'. As with 'M.D.K.', the current Seventh edition is mastered from the same high-quality source as the Japanese A&M edition, again minus the bonus track.
One Köhntarkösz-era milestone lacking digital documentation is the raw, riveting 'Mekanïk Machine' single (1974, Vertigo), possibly the fiercest sonic evocation of the techno-teratological nightmares of Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger ever to reach vinyl. Appropriately, Giger was to provide the cover art to 1977's 'Attahk'.
1975's heart stopping 'Hhaï / Live' (Seventh REX X/XI) serves as an ideal introduction to Magma. Newcomer Didier Lockwood's gliding, mellifluous violin fronts a confident, unified ensemble, and Klaus Blasquiz and Stella Vander's vocals are nothing short of rapturous. As Jannick Top had left the band, Bernard Paganotti (who had played R&B and jazz with Christian Vander in the '60s in the groups CHINESE and CRUCIFERIUS LOBONZ) stepped in, bringing a comparably floor shuddering approach to electric bass. The audiophile-quality Seventh Records double-CD adds an eight-minute extract of 'Ëmëhntëht-Rê', as well as the volcanic 'Mekanïk Zaïn' finale. Lockwood departed in 1976 to join the more narrowly fusion-oriented Magma splinter group ZAO for their fourth album, 'Kawana'.
Jannick Top returned to time fold for 'Üdü Wüdü' (1976, Seventh REX XII), an unwieldy attempt at coupling time heavy chant and jackboot rhythms of 'M.D.K.' with a contemporary synthesizer sound. 'Üdü Wüdü' is not without compelling passages, such as the ominous Blasquiz / Paganotti oratorio, 'Weidorje', and Top's eighteen minute, multi-instrumental workout, 'De Futura', but Vander's energy was clearly flagging, and the group had dwindled to as few as three members on some pieces. The Seventh CD adds the stirring studio version of another extract from Vander's major unreleased project of the mid-seventies: 'Ëmëhntëht-Rê'.
'Inedits' (1977, Tapioca LP, out of print) is a badly pressed bootleg compilation of 1971 - 1976 performances, capturing the band in a freer, more visceral mode than on the exquisitely refined 'Hhaï / Live'. As the mass of 'Inedits' lacks corresponding studio documentation, an authorized CD reissue would be most welcome.
Lighter in tone than any previous Magma opus, 'Attahk' (1977, Seventh REX XIII) crossbreeds funky, keyboard-driven fusion with what sounds like extra planetary gospel. Unlike Üdü Wüdü' and the later 'Merci', here Vander's spiritual presence transcends time limits of his material. Partly at the encouragement of co-producer Laurent Thibault, Vander took over lead vocals from Blasquiz, with Vander's coarser, more emphatic delivery constituting the main difference between the two chanteurs.
The stateside Tomato CDs of 'Live', 'Üdü Wüdü', and 'Attahk' are must-avoids not only for their abysmal sound, but also for the fact that Vander receives no royalties from these editions. The same caveat applies to the UK Charly release of 'Live'.
The thirty-five minute 'Retrospektïw III' (1981, Seventh REX XV) documents highlights of Magma's 1980 reunion concerts. As with the LPs, the 'III' CD released prior to the (originally) combined volumes I and II. Portions suffer from overworked arrangements and pandering solos, but the eighteen-minute 'Retrovision' displays the vocal powers of Stella Vander, Lisa Deluxe, and Maria Popciewicz to breathtaking effect.
'Merci' (1984, Seventh REX XIII) mixes French, English, and Kobaïan lyrics, Tower of Power style horn charts and Motown song forms, culminating in plastic soul that sinks like a rock. The memorable exception is 'Eliphas Levi', an enchanting madrigal incorporating Christian Vander's recreation of McCoy Tyner's piano solo from Coltrane's first version of 'My Favorite Things'.
'Mythes et Legends Vol. 1' (1985, Seventh REX XIV) compiles excerpts from early releases with snippets of live material, interleaved with French and Kobaïan commentary from the Vanders and late-vintage vocalist Guy Khalifa. It's a choppy assemblage, and the epic scale of Magma eludes capture in truncated sound bites. Still, the 1971 B-side 'Klaus Kömbälad' is three minutes of pure poetry otherwise unavailable on disc.
ZAO was formed by saxophonist / clarinettist Yochk'o Seffer and keyboardist Francois Cahen upon their 1972 break with Magma. Featuring the sensual scat vocals of Mauricia Platon (like Univerïa Zekt trumpeter Tito Puentes, one of the few black artists to participate in the French progressive scene), ZAO's 1973 debut, 'Z=7L' (Musea FGBG 4081), synthesizes the incandescent passion and dense arrangements of the Zeuhl tradition with a more flexible, jam-oriented electric jazz aesthetic. The equally strong 'Shekina' (1975, Musea FGBG 4067) finds ZAO's wiry fusion leavened by the classical stylings of the Margand string quartet.
'Kawana' (1976, Musea FGBG 4039) bears a colder, more technical approach, and marks Seffer's final work with the band prior to turning to a full-time commitment to his solo vehicle, NEFFESH MUSIC (which assimilated the members of the Quatour Margand).
The Vander/Top/Blasquiz/Garber CD "Nëhèh (Këhr) / Sons' (AKT II) is an unstructured 1973 improvisation exhibiting our heroes arrhythmically battering keyboards and percussion instruments while making embarassingly silly vocalizations. Recorded late at night after an 'M.D.K.' session, 'Nëhèh (Këhr)/ Sons' provides the most persuasive argument for saying "No" to drugs in recent memory.
Bernard Paganotti and keyboardist Patrick Gauthier left Magma in 1976 to form WEIDORJE. On their only album (Musea FGBG 4058), the septet extends and improves upon 'Üdü Wüdü's simultaneously martial and mystical airs, while sustaining a distinctive space-rock atmosphere of their own.
Paganotti's Laurent Thibault-produced solo debut, 'Paga' (1985, Columbia 4684412) alternates powerful, bass-centred anthems with insipid, overproduced ballads. The 1988 follow-up with Paga Group, 'Haunted', (Bleu Citron BLC-D 004) marks a further occlusion of Paganotti's musical gifts by a reliance on digital sequencing. Both Paganotti's vocals on Paga and Klaus Blasquiz's on 'Haunted' are unpleasantly suggestive of Barry Manilow with a French accent.
One of the most sought-after of all Magma satellite LPs, Laurent Thibault's pastoral, poetic 'Mais on ne peut pas rêver tout le temps' (1978, Musea FGBG 4054) revives the Zeuhl spirit in primarily acoustic settings, abetted by consummate studio craft. Highly recommended.
The outstanding compilation 'Enneade' (1987/1990, Musea FGBG 4005) showcases the work of former Magma personnel and French and Belgian Magma-inspired bands. Despite a few clinkers (bland Fender Rhodes noodling from Cahen, a 1982 Magma track that could be mistaken for Earth, Wind and Fire), 'Enneade' stands as compelling testimony to the group's seminal power.
With Magma in abeyance for most of the '80s, Christian Vander played jazz with ALIEN (in Quintet, Quartet and Trio formations), FUSION, and the Christian Vander Trio, invoked the spirit of Coltrane with his semi-acoustic group OFFERING, and in 1992 began live performances of classic Magma material under the name LES VOIX DE MAGMA. The band's first CD, 'Les Voix' (1992, AKT I), is a live recording of Magma and Offering standards arranged for drums, string bass, keyboards, and chamber choir. The Vanders' lead scat singing is embarrassingly florid in places, and the ensemble only intermittently taps into the confluence of spiritual and physical energies that is the essence of Zeuhl.
With the 1992 establishment of Seventh's sister label, AKT, for the purpose of releasing live and obscure recordings from the Vander archives, a forthcoming studio release by Les Voix de Magma, and the possibility of an electric Magma reunion including Jannick Top and Klaus Blasquiz, Magma remains a vital and pervasive force in French modern music.