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

Magma's next album has the most interesting backstory of any of their releases. Released in mid-1974, Ẁurdah Ïtah (Kobaïan for "Dead Earth") is the second movement of the Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy and a prequel to MDK. As mentioned above, the eponymous Theusz Hamtaahk is the first movement, but it has never been recorded in the studio. The available summaries of the stories within these first two movements are  vague. Theusz Hamtaahk tells the story of a terribly destructive war, and Ẁurdah Ïtah is about its aftermath.

Ẁurdah Ïtah, though, was not initially released under that name. That didn't happen until its reissue in 1989. In 1974, it was released as Tristan et Iseult, a Christian Vander solo album and soundtrack to a film of the same name.

In 1972, Magma recorded some demo tapes. Filmmaker Yvan Lagrange got a hold of them and used them (without permission) for his avant-garde film Tristan et Iseult, a non-traditional retelling of the chivalric story of the same name. The film is incredibly hard to get a hold of, and the only people who seem to know about it are Magma fans and diehard experimental cinephiles. Based on reviews on Letterboxd, the film is confusing and involves a lot of horses.

Somehow, Christian Vander found out about this small-budget, unsuccessful film and got Lagrange to agree to fund a proper soundtrack in exchange for not being sued.

The result is the most stripped-down release in Magma's discography. Featuring just drums, bass, piano, and vocals, Ẁurdah Ïtah stands in stark contrast to its lush predecessors. Fittingly for an album titled "Dead Earth," such spartanness might have been a smart stylistic choice. (Though I do get the sense that Lagrange couldn't exactly fund an enormous production.)

Due to its limited sound palette, conception as one unified composition, and emphasis on repetition and gradual change, Ẁurdah Ïtah is difficult to analyze on a track-by-track basis. It is best enjoyed as one massive suite.

"Malaẁëlëkaahm" opens the album on a rapid chant before dissolving into something moodier and more atmospheric. As with MDK before it, Ẁurdah Ïtah is quick to establish a ritualistic mood. Jazz elements are more obvious here, and the album feels more grounded overall, perhaps due to the sparse instrumentation.

"Bradïa Da Zïmehn Iëgah" is a brief, woozy, wobbly piece where ostinato piano and shuffling drums provide backing for Kobaïan vocals. "Manëh Fur Da Zëss" continues in this vein for another short song.

"Fur Dï hël Kobaïa" is a bit slow to get going, but it eventually turns into a driving piece where the many layers of overdubbed vocals work together wonderfully. The structure is constantly changing, but it somehow managed to feel like it all belongs together. "Blüm Tendiwa" is another gradual build from a quiet intro, but this piece is the most cosmic-sounding yet.

The first half of this record ends on "Ẁohldünt Mᴧëm Dëẁëlëss". It has a bouncy, ascending melody, and Stella Vander's vocals are the real star of this song.

"Ẁaïnsaht !!!" opens with some weird, processed vocals and one repeated piano note, but it soon returns to the sound that has dominated the album up to this point. "Ẁlasïk Steuhn Kobaïa" is an exciting track where emphasis is placed on the piano and bass, as opposed to vocals and drums.

"Sëhnntëht Dros Ẁurdah Süms" keeps the energy up and plays around with dynamics. Electric piano is also deployed here, and even that slight change in sound adds a lot. The opening chant from "Malaẁëlëkaahm" is revisited in a sunnier rendition (itself evocative of the opening of Theusz Hamtaahk), and more themes are revisited in "C'est la vie qui les a menés là !". The second half of this song again shifts the focus to the piano, and the result is strongly reminiscent of Van der Graaf Generator's best work.

Ẁurdah Ïtah closes on "De Zeuhl Ündazïr", a song which foreshadows musical themes from Mekanïk Destruktïẁ Kommandöh, emphasizing the connection between these two albums.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2022/04/18/deep-dive-magma/