track list :
1. Sowiloh + KMX - E XII - Opus 3 (13:45) - Vander,Top
2. KMX - BXII - Opus 7 (6:13) - Top
3. Om Zanka (5:30) - Vander
4. Gamma (4:00) - Vander
5. Terrien Si Je T'ai Convoque (4:10) - Vander
6. Gamma Anteria (7:45) - Vander

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

NOTES: Live recordings spanning several years with varying lineups.


Biography

Perhaps the all-time peak of prog pretentiousness was when drummer Christian Vander, of the French band Magma, invented his own language to express the post-apocalyptic story lines of the band's albums. Despite the inherently unnecessary nature of this activity, it definitely contributed in the immense and overbearing atmosphere of Magma's music. The pioneering 70s French band was one of the most experimental, artistic and fiercely uncompromising bands of the progressive era. Their music combined elements of jazz, opera, minimalism and 20th century classical music into a highly idiosyncratic mix of exceedingly dark, yet emotionally rich and undeniably powerful sound that eventually brought on the Zeuhl sub-genre of progressive rock. Their expanded ensemble included heavy emphasis on horns and choirs. The compositional style of the group reflected a mastery of sophisticated musical concepts; their use of gradual repetition as a tension building tool was unparalleled, as well as subtle rhythmic innovations and minimalist techniques as atmospheric devices. Though the music will definitely sound exceedingly odd at first, just because they are so different from anything else, their sound has a certain addictive quality to it, and developing a taste for their eccentricity is not particularly difficult. All their albums fit together into some concept which causes them all to hang together. I'm not sure what the particulars are, but it has something to do with humanity leaving a desolate Earth for the new utopian world of Kobaia (hence Vander's language, Kobaian) and the complications that came along with the transition. Their first two albums, Magma and 1001 Centigrade, dealt more with a jazzier sensibility, and are comparatively lighter in tone than some of their later works. Magma's next work would kick off their most notable and distinctive period, the immense Mekanik Destructiw Kommandoh (MDK). This album features all the hallmarks for which Magma are recognized. Martial beats, militaristic pounding and a heavy emphasis on a huge, orchestral backdrop replete with choirs and layers of horns. The overall mood of doom, death and destruction is undeniable. The sound is carried over into a Vander solo album (in name only), Wurdah Itah, as well as their next opus, the magnificent Kohntarkosz, which features less vocal dependence but is an overall masterpiece of desolate moods and stark atmospheres. The live album, Hhai, is supposedly excellent, but I haven't heard it yet. After that, the albums from Udu Wudu on are something of a step down. Overall Magma produced some of the most important and groundbreaking music of the decade. - Greg Northrup [2002]