"Imagine a world, many centuries into the future, when society as we know it has decayed into chaos and degradation, void of spiritual guidance. The colonizatin of space is well underway, and space travel has become commonplace. It is in this setting that a handful of enlightened Earth people seeking a better existence finance the construction of a private spacecraft and leave the planet in search of a new world where a new, more spiritually guided civilization can be reborn. They finally find that new home after a long and hazardous journey on the distant planet Kobaia, where the party settles and begins anew.
"Magma is a concept band whose albums explain the origins and development of the new civilization on Kobaia, and their interactions with the people of Earth and other planets. All of their lyrics are sung in the language of the new civilization, 'Kobaian.' As one might expect, the music from Kobaia several hundred years from now is very unlike what we are accustomed to on twentieth century planet earth. Magma's music is very strange, beautiful, and ultimately rewarding, but it does require an open mind on the part of the listener. It is music that must be experienced fully with body, heart and soul: not simpley a cerebral performance of some kind of space opera by clever musicians, but a full blown spiritual experience with the music acting as the connecting vehicle between performer and listener.
"Led by drummer Christian Vander, Magma began in the final months of the sixties in France, pretty much apart from the underground music scene of the times. In fact most of the original members had worked in other rock and jazz groups before, although without much notoriety. The band has since gone through an almost constant stream of personnel changes, but the alumni list looks like a who's who of top caliber French musicians: Klaus Blasquiz, Guy Khalifa, Claude Engel, Jannick Top, Bernard Paganotti, Patrick Gauthier, Francis Moze, Rene Garber, Jean-Luc Manderlier, Benoit Widermann, Didier Lockwood, Teddy Lasry, Yochk'o Seffer, Michel Herve, Florence Berteaux, Daniel Denis, Clement Bailly... and the list goes on. All the while, the one constant is Vander and his vision- although the contributions of the other musicians to the execution of this vision cannot be downplayed. The creation of the development of the original concept and the Kobaian language was in fact a group effort. Some players were more influential than others, but with each change in personnel came a slight change in the sound of the band." - Peter Thelen/Expose
Christian Vander Trio/65! + Jour Apres Jour ....import double CD $24.99
"Before C.V. jump-started Magma back into life, one of his main activities during the late 1980s and early 1990s was his trio with Philippe Dardell-double bass and Emmanuel Borghi-piano. When I saw them in the 90s, I thought it would be the only time I would ever see Vander play drums! And they (and he) were excellent. Their sound (as given away by one of the titles of their two albums included here) was jazz ala '65 Impulse Coltrane, with Coltrane going for a coffee off the bandstand. This is their two, long out of print albums reissued with 3 previously unreleased tracks from their very first session in 1988, just to make those of you who already own this stuff feel the need to buy it again. I realize that this is a jazz album that will mostly sell to rock people who are fans of Magma, but by any stretch of the imagination, these are both excellent jazz releases; if buying this because you love Magma gets you interested in Impulse-era John Coltrane/McCoy Tyner and you go exploring from there, I guess that isn't any worse than my being 16 and buying an Eric Dolphy record because I adored The Mothers of Invention and wanted to hear what the dedicatee of the Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue actually sounded like!" ~ Steve Feigenbaum
Magma/Emehntehtt-Re ....import CD + DVD (NTSC-Region 0) $28.99
At the doors of immortality, dreams the Great Servant of Ptah, God of creation drifting infinitely within his own mind, as he tries to awaken Him. In its message, as in its genesis and its making, Emehntehtt-Re is an intimate epic, an occult stride forward, a quest for the sublime. Initiated in 1975, its composition beholds its whole fulfillment after more than three decades. It is the testimony of an unwaveringly timeless inspiration, of which the expectant present asserts itself beyond history. Connecting wide and contrasted scenes, it sets its coherence within its very dynamics, playing with chiaroscuro, between choral splendor, operatic jubilation and hurricane of spirits beyond graves. As much a seraphic liturgy as it is a telluric opera, Emehntehtt-Re comes as the final closure to a second trilogy, following upon that of Theusz Hamtaahk, in Christian Vander's corpus. This is a music reaching out from a time before man time. Born at the heart of nebulas, fed on mineral glow, and riding crypts capped with a cosmic vault. This record comes with a 57-minute DVD, "Phases," as a testimonial to the intensity of our work during its recording.
Stella Vander - vocals, percussions
Isabelle Feuillebois - vocals
Herve Aknin - vocals
Benoit Alziary - vibraphone
James Mac Gaw - guitar
Bruno Ruder - Fender Rhodes
Philippe Bussonnet - bass, piccolo bass
Christian Vander - drums, vocals , piano, Fender Rhodes, keybords, percussions
also featuring: Emmanuel Borghi - piano
Himiko Paganotti, Antoine Paganotti, Claude Lamamy, Marcus Linon, Pierre-Michel
Sivadier - backing vocals
Magma/Bourges 1979 ....import double CD $31.99
The latest release from Magma's archive series is this show taken from the Attahk tour, recorded April 17, 1979. While it is simply a soundboard stereo recording, a lot of work has been done to make it sound as good as possible, and it sounds pretty darn good. This was a difficult period for Magma; times were changing and the amazing complex, other-worldly sound they were best known for was falling out of favor. This album is a document of the sound of a band struggling; struggling to keep an audience, struggling to reinvent themselves while retaining their sound, struggling to stay relevent to people who were too willing to write them off. Some of the old guard remain and there are many new faces as well: Klaus Blasquiz, Stella Vander, Maria Popkiewicz, Liza Deluxe-vocals, Andre Herve-Fender Rhodes, synthesizer, Jean-Luc Chevalier-guitar and bass, Michael Herve-bass, Christian Vander-drums and voice and guest Rene Garber. The tracks are: Entree en scene (1:06), Retrovision (16:42), The Last Seven Minutes (10:44), Urgon Gorgo (12:04), Korusz XXVI, (21:07), Entree en scene (0:30), Hhai (10:55), Nono (8:14), Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh (28:32)
Christian Vander/Un Homme...Un Batterie ....import DVD $27.99
A professional, one hour documentary on Vander with interviews and (solo) performances. He explains some of his ideas and background (English subtitles available) and plays. You wouldn't think it would be this interesting to watch a sweaty guy play solo drums, but, man!!! Format Type NTSC, All Region
Magma/Mythes et Legends Volume Four .... import DVD-NTSC Region 0 $35.99
In May, 2005, Magma took over the wonderful Parisian club "Le Triton" for four weeks with an ambitious, over the top project; a retrospective of 35 years of Magma music, showcasing some of their best known pieces from 1970 to the present. The four sold-out weeks were a major success. This is the fourth and final of the series of DVDs which capture the best of these performances for the world beyond Le Triton to enjoy them. The band here includes the then current line-up of Magma (Christian Vander, Stella Vander, James Mac Gaw, Emmanuel Borghi, Philippe Bussonnet, Isabelle Feuillebois, Antoine Paganotti, Himiko Paganotti) with guests Aymeric Avice (trumpet), Hugues Mayot (sax) and Frédéric d'Oelsnitz (Fender Rhodes and keyboards). The emphasis here is on the final period of Magma in the very late 1970s and early 80s, before their dissolution and before their stupendous rebirth over a decade later. But even though you get some of what I feel is the groups lesser material, there's also a stupendous rendition of the stupendous Kohntarkosz Anteria, which is a full 50' long and, imo, justifies the purchase of the DVD even if you aren't going to watch anything else on here! Tracks are: Zess (33'), In a Dream, The Night We Died, Otis, Kontarkhosz Anteria, Kobaia. Total time is over an hour and a half.
Magma/Mythes et Legends Volume Three ....import DVD-NTSC Region 0 $35.99
In May, 2005, Magma took over the wonderful Parisian club "Le Triton" for four weeks with an ambitious, over the top project; a retrospective of 35 years of Magma music, showcasing some of their best known pieces from 1970 to the present. The four sold-out weeks were a major success. This is the second of a series of four DVDs which capture the best of these performances for the world beyond Le Triton to enjoy them. The band here includes the current line-up of Magma (Christian Vander, Stella Vander, James Mac Gaw, Emmanuel Borghi, Philippe Bussonnet, Isabelle Feuillebois, Antoine Paganotti, Himiko Paganotti) with guest keyboardist Benoit Widemann back in the fold. Tracks are: Kohntarkosz Lihns, Emehnteht-Re (Emehnteht-Re pt. 1 / Rindoh / Emehnteht-Re pt. 2 / Hhai / Zombies), Nono, The Last Seven Minutes (which also has a drums-only viewing angle). The emphasis here is on the very great and intense 1974-1977 era (Kohntarkosz, Live/Hhai, Attahk). Total time is about 2 hours and this is beyond unbelievably wonderful. Highly recommended.
Magma/Myths et Legends Volume Two ....import DVD-NTSC Region 0 $35.99
In May, 2005, Magma took over the wonderful Parisian club "Le Triton" for four weeks with an ambitious, over the top project; a retrospective of 35 years of Magma music, showcasing some of their best known pieces from 1970 to the present. The four sold-out weeks were a major success. This is the second of a series of four DVDs which capture the best of these performances for the world beyond Le Triton to enjoy them. The band here includes the current line-up of Magma (Christian Vander, Stella Vander, James Mac Gaw, Emmanuel Borghi, Frederic d'Oelsnitz and Philippe Bussonnet) with very special guest - yes, really! - Jannick Top (bass). The emphasis here is on the very great and intense period 1973-1974. Tracks are: Wurdah Itah (almost 50'!), Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh, Suite for violincelle, Quadrivium, De Futura. Total time is just under two hours and this is beyond unbelievably wonderful. Highly recommended.
Magma/Mythes et Legends Volume One ....import DVD-NTSC Region 0 $35.99
In May, 2005, Magma took over the Parisian club "Le Triton" for four weeks with an ambitious, over the top project; a retrospective of 35 years of Magma music, showcasing some of their best known pieces from 1970 to the present. The four sold-out weeks were a major success. This is the first of a series of four DVDs which capture the best of these performances for the world beyond Le Triton to enjoy them. The band here includes the current line-up of Magma (Christian Vander, Stella Vander, James Mac Gaw, Emmanuel Borghi and Philippe Bussonnet), special guest Klaus Blasquiz (vocals) and a 3-piece saxophone section. The emphasis here is on the period 1970-1972 (Kobaia, 1001 Degrees Centigrade & the earliest versions of MDK). Tracks are: Malaria, Stoah, "Iss" Lansei Doai, Aurae, Kobaia, Theusz Hamtaahk 1st movement, Sowiloi, KMX B12. Total time is over two hours and this is beyond unbelievably wonderful. Highly recommended.
Magma/Concert Bobino 1981 ....import DVD-NTSC Region 0 $27.99
This period was probably Magma's nadir, but even so, there is some decent to good stuff on here and a few really good players (Benoit Widemann, Jean-Luc Cheavlier, Dominique Bertram, etc.) all wearing amazing, ridiculous, new wave/sci-fi costumes. The picture quality is somewhat blurry but more than watchable.
Magma/Theusz Hamtaahk - Trilogie au Trianon 2000 ....import DVD-NTSC (all region) $41.99
This much sought after DVD is 2 hours and 45 minutes long and is a document of the 30th anniversary concerts. It contains the complete Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy (Wurdah Itah, Theusz Hamtaahk, Mekanik Destrutiw Kommandoh). The video quality is extremely clear. As this trilogy is very well performed by the current line up of Magma, and as this trilogy is pretty much their compositional pinnacle, this must be considered the definitive Magma video document (at least until such time as they discover perfect footage of the 1974-76 era bands....)
Magma/La Trilogie Au Trianon ....import CD Box Set $45.99
3 x CD BOX. Recorded live at Magma's 30th anniversary concerts in May, 2000, this is the first time that the complete Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy has been released in one set. Excellent live recording and terrific energy coming off of the stage. While you've heard the tunes before, you haven't heard them all performed live, & while it would be nice for some new material, this is still essential for fans.
Magma/Kontarkosz Anteria (K.A.) ....import CD $22.99
The 45' Kohntarkhosz Anteria was written circa 1972/1973, but never officially recorded, although a tiny piece of it appears on Inedits, and other little bits were grabbed and used in various other works (most notably the live versions of Kohntarkosz from 1974, which can be heard on the BBC 1974 album). Since Christian Vander reactivated Magma in the mid 90's, the band has really turned into a great unit on their own and one that compares quite favorably to their 'glory period'; the only thing lacking was new material for them to perform. This isn't exactly completely new, but for someone who has been waiting desperately for the band to put out something that isn't a re-recording of a 1970's work, this album is completely fine. And if it had been heard in 1974, it would have been held in the same high esteem as MDK, Wurdah Itah or Kohntarkosz! Can't give anything much higher praise than that! A fantastic, clear recording that features: Stella Vander, Isabelle Feuillebois, Antoine Paganotti, Himiko Paganotti (vocals), James Mac Gaw (guitar), Emmanuel Borghi and Frederic d'Oelsnitz (Fender Rhodes and grand pianos), Philippe Bussonnet (bass) and the ol' badass himself, Mr. Zebehn Strain de Geustaah (drums, vocals, percussion). Packaged in a really nice digipack with two inserts, including a huge booklet with the entire libretto.
Magma/Kobaia ....import double CD $28.99
2 x CDs. One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. Their 1st album, this is baby steps for the band.
Magma/1000º Centigrades ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This was their 2nd album & the first where they began to find their own true voice. With a crack line up including Christian Vander, Francis Moze, Teddy Lasry, Francois Cahen, & many more. While somewhere between Zeuhl & good early jazz rock, this still features the truly twisted vision that is Magma.
Magma/Bruxelles 1971 - Theatre 140 ....import double CD $28.99
2 x CDs One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is a live recording (of reasonably good quality, given the time-period) featuring the 1001o Centigrade band!
Magma/Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is their 3rd & is rightly considered a avant/prog classic and the start of Zeuhl. Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/Mekanik Kommandoh ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is a previously unheard version of MDK, recorded about 9 months before the released version, & with some unique differences too! Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Christian Vander & Magma/Wurdah Itah ....import CD $18.99
While this is listed as a 'solo' release by Magma's founder, this is, for all intents & purposes, the fourth Magma album, having been released between M.D.K. and Kohntarkhoz. Stripped down to the barest essentials of electric and acoustic pianos (all played by Christian), bass by Janick Top, choir (Vander, Klaus Blasquiz and Rene Garber) and drums by Vander, this is the purest, distilled essence of the Magma ethos. A brilliant, unique album.
Magma/Kohntarkosz ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever.This is rightly considered an avant/prog classic and is definitely one of Vander's greatest most totally unfathomable compositions. Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/BBC Radio - London 1974 ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is their amazing recordings in fine sound from Top Gear, featuring the classic line-up, including MONSTER bassist Jannick Top in rare, over the top form. The definitive versions of Köhntark and Würdäh Itäh. Essential. Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/Live-Hhai ....import double CD $28.99
2 x CDs : One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is rightly considered a avant/prog classic and features a great lineup of the band (Christian, Stella, Klaus, Bernard Paganotti, Didier Lockwood, Benoit Widemann, Jean-Pol Aseline, Gabriel Federow). This is probably their most accessible work, as it is their most 'fusion sounding work' with extremely strong soloing from violinist Didier Lockwood, but it in no way compromises their vision. And what a great live recording! The drums sound like they are right in front of you! Includes amazing versions of Kohntarkhoz, Mekanik Zain, Hhai, and other classics! Highly recommended and THE place for newbies to start.
Magma/Inedits ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is all otherwise unavailable material, from 6/72-1/75. Musically great with awesome basswork by Janik Top, but it suffers from mediocre-at-best sound. Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/Theatre Du Taur-Concert 1975-Toulouse ....import double CD $28.99
2 x CDs : One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is live 9/24/75 in good sound. It features basically the Hhai/Live band with Patrick Gauthier replacing J-P Aseline! Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/Concert 1976 - Opera De Reims ....import triple CD set $35.99
3 x CDs. One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This has the post-Hhai/Live band (with Patrick Gauthier, Bernard Paganotti, Klaus, Christian, etc.) Includes a live version of De Futura, & all the usual suspects as well. Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/Udu Wudu ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is the last ''real'' Magma disc, recorded as the band was collapsing. But it includes the side long smoker ''De Futura'', which launched a thousand zeuhl bands on their careers....Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/Attahk ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This was the last of the 70's Magma discs & has some great moments.
Magma/Retrospektiw I-II ....import double CD $28.99
2 x CDs One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is from their reunion concert in Paris in 1980. Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/Retrospektiw III ....import CD $18.99
One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This is from their reunion concert in Paris in 1980.
Magma/Les Voix ....import CD $18.99
"Not so much a true Magma album as it is a choral interpretation of some old Magma music. With no less than 9 vocalists (lead by Christian and Stella Vander), the choir is lightly backed by two pianists/keyboardists (Pierre Sivadier and Simon Goubert), Philippe Dardelle (contrabass, from the CV Trio and Offering albums too) and Vander himself (drums, piano) in what is a very acoustic, very airy sounding set. The bootleg quality sound grows a bit tiresome, but the highlights of the four tracks included make it worth the money for the diehard Magma fan. Those highlights are the excerpt from 'Zess' and the short (well, fifteen minutes) summary of 'Wurdah Itah.'"-Gnosis/Expose
Magma/Simples ....import CD-EP $16.99
CDEP One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This contains their five rare singles-only tracks (not from master tapes though). Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Magma/Floe Essi-Ektah ....import CD single $9.99
CD single. One of the greatest, most idiosyncratic & original bands ever. This 10' long ''single'' is new recordings by the new edition of Magma; amazingly good. Be prepared for some intense listening, as these all feature amazing playing & a truly twisted vision.
Christian Vander/Offering I-II ....import CD $18.99
"It had been a while since Magma left us with 'Merci,' and this, the first true Vander solo project finally appeared in 1986. Musically, Vander began exploring some undeveloped territory, as evidenced by the opening cut "Offering (Part One)", where Stella's lead voice croons over plentiful piano rolls, almost mysteriously. With more focus on the exploration and composition, Vander would take to the drums less frequently (about a third of the album). Other musicians include Guy Khalifa (vocals, flute, keys), Simon Goubert (rhodes/piano), and Pierre Marcault (congas, assorted percussion)."-Dan Casey/Expose
Christian Vander/Offering III-IV ....import CD $18.99
"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." The jazz element is stronger here, too, with fellow members of the Christian Vander Trio performing on bass and piano (Philippe Dardelle and Emmanuel Borghi). Most of the musicians from the first "Offering" return on this one too."-Dan Casey/Expose
Christian Vander-Offering/Magma Presente Offering ....import CD box set $49.99
This box brings together all of the releases by Christian Vander's other main project, which is a more vocal/jazz/piano oriented ensemble. This box includes over 30' of never before heard material, and the individual CDs have been remastered. The individual CDs are being phased out and this is now the only way to get the complete 'offerings' from Offering.
Christian Vander/Les Cygnes Et Les Corbeaux ....import CD $25.99
A nice and fairly odd album by the visionary leader of Magma, this really bears little trace to any of Magma's work except for the vocals, which are not the predominant factor here anyway. Basically an orchestral album based on piano and 'orchestral keyboards', which actually do do a pretty respectable job of mimicing a real orchestra. Nice lp-style sleeve and illustrations. "Fifteen years in composition (1982 - 1997) and more than four years in the making, this music is something entirely new, bridging the compositional efforts of the 20th Century post Schoenbergian greats to create a 21st Century music which grasps the essence of the vast interior stillness behind all sound and pierces the intensity of silence behind all noise. Disavowing all mechanical tempos, this free-flowing masterpiece reveals itself through the formless form of vortices and spirals, cascading, recursive, ineffable. 65 minutes of fluttering wings, of song, of cries, of absolutely different sensations, this is a neo-impressionist composition of revolutionary proportions and aspirations." "I have found in the motion of swans and crows a parallel with the inner motion of the Kosmos itself. Or, at least, this is what I perceive in it."-Christian Vander, 6th March 2002
Christian Vander/Korusz ....import double CD $28.99
2 x CDs. Believe it or not, this is 2 CDs of drum solos from the 70's. Why did they release these solos only & not the rest of the concerts, which they claim not to have? Only Zebehn Strain de Gustaah can tell you - and he's not talking...
Christian Vander/A Tous Les Enfants... ....import CD $23.99
An album of piano & pretty, simple & quite obviously Magma-esque melodies, sung by a small female choir or solo female voice. Suitable for children & even their parents; think of it as Vander's lullabye album. Comes in a nice little hardbound book package.
Patrick Gauthier/Bebe Godzilla ....import CD $18.99
An early 80's release by this keyboardist who rightly made a name for himself playing with Magma, Heldon & Weidorje! This crosses the sound of Magma & Heldon. Players include Richard Pinhas, David Rose, Bernard Paganotti, Christian Vander, Didier Batard, Jean-Pierre Fouquey & more!
Stella Vander/Le Coeur Allant Vers ....import CD $22.99
Not a Zeuhl album, but Stella sings beautifully a number of French-style chansons, with backing by a number of Magma & related musicians (James Mac Gaw, Frederic D'Oelsnitz, Didier Lockwood, Simon Goubert, Christian Vander, Sophia Domancich, Michel Graillier, and a bunch of other musicians as well). Quietly romantic and actually rather beautiful and quite nice. Just don't expect any Kobaian.
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