OFF: Magma

K Henderson henderson.120 at OSU.EDU
Wed Apr 12 09:40:22 EDT 2000


Dave asked....

>Years ago I heard an LP by Magma (1981 actually in Edinburgh after the HW
Sonic >Attack tour). Blackish cover featuring gargoyles? and the band's name
in red.

Udu Wudu perhaps?  The Attahk cover had those weird Giger dudes on it, but
I'm sure the band's name wasn't in red.

>I remember being seriously impressed; when I finally got round to buying
some of >their stuff (Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh) in 1988 what a shock!
(Andy G'b could >excommunicate me from the CD Services mailing list for
this!) Ugh crap. A clunky >'oribble thing, badly executed, second division
Amon Duul 2 >wannabes...pretentious poorly played kak...hello, hello...who
let the cat in, >blimey it's Stella Vander.
>I dug out MDK last week put it on the turntable and gave it a listen; time
hasn't >improved it.
>Some questions for the good people of the BOC-L.
>1. Did I pick a stinker?

Well, I guess you and I are the only ones, but I don't like MDK much either.
Most of the Magma-heads on rmp (where I usually don't fit in too well
anyway) think it's the best damn thing ever made.

>2. What was the name of that Magma LP that I heard in 81 and is it
different from >MDK?

If it were Udu Wudu (from 1976), than yes, a lot different.

>3. What is the best Magma?

Udu Wudu is my favourite...it has a sort of parallel feel to Space Ritual
blanga, esp. during the side-long "De Futura" space jam. The bassist Jannick
Top doing an "alternate universe" rendition of the rumbling, scary bass
blanga.  Totally different sound...demonic almost.  Brilliant!  100%
pretentious too...but in a 'good' way.  :)

Kohntarkosz is the other album that's usually cited to be among their best,
and I do like that one quite a lot...far more than MDK anyway.  Live Hhai
(which exists in both single CD form, and (from what I hear) much better
quality double CD form) includes alternate versions of both the MDK and
Kohntark (retitled thusly) epics.
Pretty good.  The Christian Vander 'solo' album, the soundtrack to some
version of Tristan et Isolde, now titled Wurdah Itah is more similar to MDK
(although lots of short tracks instead of giant pieces).  Hit and miss for me.

This stuff is all from their 'classic' period from 1973-75 or so.  Udu Wudu
was 1976 and their transition (I would guess) into what became the 'gospel'
Magma of the late 70s (and judging by this 1981 video I've just
seen...thanks Karen) and early 80s.  The album Attahk (1978) I quite like
also, even though it's both jazzier and (as I said) kinda like 'gospel.'
Vander and cohorts go over the top a bit (nothing surprising there) with the
falsetto voices and quasi-spiritual revival-ing....but I like it in limited
doses.  The second hour of the video is too much of a dose, and it got a
little tired for me.

I'm not sure what the history has been since then...they put out some
'Retrospectiw' discs (three parts, I and II together) which are actually
'original' recordings I believe.  And then a 'Merci' live show (?), which
doesn't rate too highly with other fans.  And then the recent reformation of
a new version of the band that recently came to the US to do four shows.  I
saw them at ProgFest, and even though they played material entirely from
MDK, Kohntarkosz, and Hhai, I thought that they were the most amazing thing
I'd ever seen.  The new bassist Phillipe Bussonet (?) was out of this
world!!  And Vander is a fabulous drummer...he looks completely unorthodox
(kinda like Keith Moon), but he's always right on.  And he 'directs' the
band from his drum kit in a strange way that I can't describe.

The only really new thing they recorded was a CD-single (name escapes me)
that I hear is great.  I heard rumours of a new album, but then I've also
heard rumours that their breakup is once again imminent.  So who knows?
Andy G'b might.  :)

Most of that's probably right...feel free to correct me/fill in details anyone

Grakkl (FAA)



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