Blimey. What is/are Magma? This is truly new to me. I don't think I've ever come across them before. Alerted via Julian Cope's biography I alighted upon his two recommended albums - Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh (aka M.D.K.) and Kohntarkosz and what fun they are.
Many bands are described as unique but the description is entirely appropriate with Magma who not only produce extraordinary music but actually sing in their own made up language too. Hailing from France (which surprised me as the country is not known for producing much international rock music as far as I know) they actually sound German but are apparently singing in "Kobaïan". Furthermore their music spawned its own genre known as Zeuhl which (literally speaking in their own language) translates as celestial.
To dive further into the rabbit hole briefly Kobaïan is the language of the people of the planet Kobaïa (of course) - a planet settled by refugees from Earth in some distant sci-fi future as told through the albums. Although founding settler, drummer and singer, Christian Vander, explains that the language is...
...this vague explanation hasn't stopped obsessive fans learning to decipher the lyrics and actually converse to one another in Kobaïan!
Zeuhl sounds to me like a cross between prog, classical and opera. The music is epic and symphonic in scope employing complicated time signatures and mind blowing dynamics and tempos. The singing is choral or operatic. Satanic chanting lends the vocals a sort of Hammer Horror soundtrack vibe.
It's not much like conventional prog rock but the closest contemporary sounds I can hear in these albums would be King Crimson and Yes (the guitarist's fluid lines sound very much like Robert Fripp although it is the piano that provides the majority of the melodies especially on Kohntarkosz) and perhaps some Godspeed You! Dark Emperor, and my more recent discovery Morte Macabre.
Christian Vander was heavily influenced by John Coltrane and there is some jazz fusion in the records, supplemented by a brass section particularly on MDK albeit this is mostly employed in a bombastic big band fashion. In fact the more jazz flavoured avant garde honkings on Kohntarkosz reference rock mavericks Capt. Beefheart and Frank Zappa, two artists sadly under represented on this blog so far.
Above is the music map for Magma. Closest neighbours include Guru Guru, another German band on my radar for a future listen. On the left of the chart we see Cambridge movement artists Soft Machine, Gong and Caravan, along with Krautrockers Can, Faust and Ash Ra Tempel, but I wouldn't say Magma sound much like any of them. I haven't actually heard of any of the bands name-checked over on the right side of the chart.
With an extensive discography and still going and touring today (including a gig in London this October - I say "gig" but imagine it's more like a "happening") I thank Mr Cope for igniting my interest and predict further excursions to Kobaïa in coming months.
Discography (courtesy Wiki)
Studio albums
1970: Magma (reissued as Kobaïa)
1971: 1001° Centigrades
1973: Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh
1974: Ẁurdah Ïtah
1974: Köhntarkösz
1976: Üdü Ẁüdü
1978: Attahk
1984: Merci
2004: K.A (Köhntarkösz Anteria)
2009: Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré
2012: Félicité Thösz
2014: Rïah Sahïltaahk
2015: Šlaǧ Tanƶ
2019: Zëss[22]
La Dusseldorf - La Dusseldorf
La Dusseldorf - Viva
Magma - Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh (MDK)
Magma - Kohntarkosz
Amon Dull II - Yeti
Grobschnitt - Solar Music
Many bands are described as unique but the description is entirely appropriate with Magma who not only produce extraordinary music but actually sing in their own made up language too. Hailing from France (which surprised me as the country is not known for producing much international rock music as far as I know) they actually sound German but are apparently singing in "Kobaïan". Furthermore their music spawned its own genre known as Zeuhl which (literally speaking in their own language) translates as celestial.
To dive further into the rabbit hole briefly Kobaïan is the language of the people of the planet Kobaïa (of course) - a planet settled by refugees from Earth in some distant sci-fi future as told through the albums. Although founding settler, drummer and singer, Christian Vander, explains that the language is...
A phonetic language made by elements of the Slavonic and Germanic languages to be able to express some things musically. The language has of course a content, but not word by word.
...this vague explanation hasn't stopped obsessive fans learning to decipher the lyrics and actually converse to one another in Kobaïan!
Zeuhl sounds to me like a cross between prog, classical and opera. The music is epic and symphonic in scope employing complicated time signatures and mind blowing dynamics and tempos. The singing is choral or operatic. Satanic chanting lends the vocals a sort of Hammer Horror soundtrack vibe.
 |
| A suitably scary looking band, Christian Vander centre |
It's not much like conventional prog rock but the closest contemporary sounds I can hear in these albums would be King Crimson and Yes (the guitarist's fluid lines sound very much like Robert Fripp although it is the piano that provides the majority of the melodies especially on Kohntarkosz) and perhaps some Godspeed You! Dark Emperor, and my more recent discovery Morte Macabre.
Christian Vander was heavily influenced by John Coltrane and there is some jazz fusion in the records, supplemented by a brass section particularly on MDK albeit this is mostly employed in a bombastic big band fashion. In fact the more jazz flavoured avant garde honkings on Kohntarkosz reference rock mavericks Capt. Beefheart and Frank Zappa, two artists sadly under represented on this blog so far.
Above is the music map for Magma. Closest neighbours include Guru Guru, another German band on my radar for a future listen. On the left of the chart we see Cambridge movement artists Soft Machine, Gong and Caravan, along with Krautrockers Can, Faust and Ash Ra Tempel, but I wouldn't say Magma sound much like any of them. I haven't actually heard of any of the bands name-checked over on the right side of the chart.
With an extensive discography and still going and touring today (including a gig in London this October - I say "gig" but imagine it's more like a "happening") I thank Mr Cope for igniting my interest and predict further excursions to Kobaïa in coming months.
Discography (courtesy Wiki)
Studio albums
1970: Magma (reissued as Kobaïa)
1971: 1001° Centigrades
1973: Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh
1974: Ẁurdah Ïtah
1974: Köhntarkösz
1976: Üdü Ẁüdü
1978: Attahk
1984: Merci
2004: K.A (Köhntarkösz Anteria)
2009: Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré
2012: Félicité Thösz
2014: Rïah Sahïltaahk
2015: Šlaǧ Tanƶ
2019: Zëss[22]
Live albums
1975: Live/Hhaï
1977: Inédits
1981: Retrospektïẁ (Parts I+II)
1981: Retrospektïẁ (Part III)
1989: Akt X: Mekanïk Kommandöh (earlier studio recording of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh from 1973)
1992: Akt I: Les Voix de Magma (from August 2, 1992 at Douarnenez)
1994: Akt IV: Theatre Du Taur Concert, 1975 (from September 27, 1975)
1995: Akt V: Concert Bobino 1981 (from May 16, 1981)
1996: Akt VIII: Bruxelles 1971 (from November 12, 1971 at Theatre 140)
1996: Akt IX: Opéra De Reims, 1976 (from March 2, 1976)
1999: Akt XIII: BBC 1974 Londres (from March 14, 1974 at the London BBC studios)
2001: Trilogie Theusz Hamtaahk (Concert du Trianon), CD + DVD
2008: Akt XV: Bourges, 1979 (from April 17, 1979)
2009: Live in Tokyo 2005
2014: Zühn Wöhl Ünsai – Live 1974 (2 CD; Radio Bremen recordings)
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ReplyDeletePretty sure that the ex-snooker, now respected electronica DJ Steve Davis assisted in getting some of the Magma back catalogue re-released. It's a strange world ....
ReplyDeleteThanks Electric Ape, I read that somewhere too that he was a fan and organised some UK Tours for them back in the day. It is quite dense listening but I'm slowly getting more into it. Worth checking out any Steve Davis DJ sets?
ReplyDeleteWell, he played one of my tunes on BBC6Music once so he ain't bad! Catching him on tour would be best.
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