CHRISTIAN VANDER: TRISTAN ET ISEULT [AKA: ẀURDAH ÏTAH] (OST)

Originally Christian Vander's soundtrack to a little known film Tristan Et Iseult, Ẁurdah Ïtah is remastered and rereleased as part of the Magma canon these days - as a result of it being the key quartet of Christian and Stella Vander, Klaus Blasquiz and Jannick Top. As a result of the stripped back quartet, there is no guitar, brass or choir, but they still manage to generate the signature totalitarian melancholy marching feel of MDK, albeit a little softer without the guitar and brass sections.

Ẁurdah Ïtah is the second part of the Theusz Hamtaahk (Time of Hatred) trilogy, released after MDK, the third movement. Set before MDK, where Nebehr Gudahtt provided the enlightenment that the Kobaians offered on their visit many years ago, Ẁurdah Ïtah in Kobaian apparently means 'Dead Earth'. As with everything Magma, the plot should be open to interpretation. I personally see it as the Kobaians lookin on from afar at what we humans are doing to the planet Earth and expressing their displeasure but also slight empathy. But there are a thousand other ways to interpret of course!

It's less repetitive than MDK in terms of its rhythms and chanting, and is probably the best example of Magma's more melodic lyrical style, and I would place it slightly ahead of MDK in my personal tastes, and definitely as another entry point for Zeuhl style.