OFFERING PART I / PART II

A tremendous double album from Magma legend Christian Vander where zeuhl mixes with jazz with a splattering of madness added to the mix.

The opening track is out there in the dark walking the fine line between the demented wailings of the asylum inmates and raging winds. Not for the faint-hearted. But before we run away screaming Stella Vander's vocal relaxes into a more smooth gentle and playful jazzy tone. The Lovecraft nightmare vista melts away to be replaced by a smokey relaxed basement bar filled with afficionades (not my cup of tea but there's no pleasing everyone)... then a real Magma zeuhl feel takes over. Christian Vander brings us Earth. This is what I was hoping for. Delight for Zeuhl fans. The intensity and passion is striking. Always the pulsing bass riff and precussion keep order. the vocal becomes more aggressive at one point joining the pulstaing rhythms with several of those deep funky choral soul brother Huhs that proliferated in the late 70s.

The second side is dedicated to one track: Joia. it opens with Incredible vocals: zeuhl to the fore once more. the minor(?) chords on the piano beat out time. Christian breaks into a couple of ines of English : i Give my Love to God. The beat picks up, subtly. Tremendous rhythm, restrained and toe tappingly catchy, but over it we have the shackled madness and bridled passion of zeuhl. There's more of an exotic overtone here perhaps. Love it. Guy Khalifa lets rip with the flute. Still the chords on the piano keeps the heartbeat steady. I am not sure what th term is but Vander wavers his voice at times a bit like Feargal Sharkey (only better, sorry Feargal). The piano breaks stride and provides the lead into side 3.

C'est per nous: trumpets fill in like the brass section in Kid Creole. it's more upbeat. well happy. christian and stella sing together. it's a melodic machine gun performance from CV. i give my love, i give my soul. great stuff but find yourselves a room! This is a happy and fun as Steve Wilson and PT is miserable. I cant's help listen to this track without imaginging a cartoon where there are hifis in a room Steve Wilson is whining about how miserable he is and how his last girlfrined wasnt' nice through one (as the room at that end turns grey), while Christian and Stella sing out sheer bliss from the other (sgt pepper like flowers and rainbows springing from the hifi at that end).

Anyway, enough of my delusions. ... Nah. Just as the grey wave of despondency seems to be winning, Oh Oh Baby comes on. A Tsunami of feelgood love-in sweeps the nasty grey gremlins away. hey, vander almost sounds like an early robert plant at some points: make that misty mountain hop. Tilim M'Dohm is a short track showing off the precise vocals of Stella.

Mazur Kujiawiaki Oberek shows off an interesting meter and phrasing. I reckon the name of the song gives a bit of the game away: we get three different polish (?) folk themes. Different.

Solitude swings us back deeply into jazz-zeuhl territory. It is somewhat disconcerting being able to listen to and understand english lyrics. it takes away form the experience for me, but musn't grumble: Oh Coltrane I can wait for you night and day

Uguma Ma Melimeh Gingeh is just a laid back chill out to end the journey.

This is absolutely essential for any zeuhl fan, but not a masterpiece.

This is Christian Vander's side project which is very much influenced and also dedicated to his music hero John Coltrane. When I open the cd case on the inside cover at the top it says "In the memory of John Coltrane 1926-1967", and at the bottom of the same page is a flower with the words "To John". I like the way Wayside Music describes OFFERING as a "vocal / Jazz / piano ensemble". A good description of the music. Lots of vocals and chanting along with piano, while we also get some horns, percussion, flute and drums. I really didn't think I was going to like this a whole lot from some of the descriptions I read, but this has turned out to be a very pleasant surprise for me. Should have known with MAGMA members being involved and all the chanting with that Jazz flavour that this would turn out to be a favourite of mine.

"Offering (Part 1)" opens with piano, flute and intricate drums while the horns come and go. A collage of sounds. Stella comes in after a minute and steals the show. It all settles after 4 1/2 minutes as piano and Stella can only be heard. Although she does let it rip a few more times. "Earth" is the most MAGMA-like as we get that Zeuhl rhythm throughout. Male vocals before 1 1/2 minutes and really Vander is the focus on this one with an incredible vocal display. Check out Vander's vocals after 4 minutes. What a theatrical performance. You have to hear this ! Lots of flute in this one.The opening style vocals return before 9 minutes. Vander is still carring on though after this. "Joia" is by far the longest track, in fact it's a side long 18 minute song. Strange male vocal expressions are the focus to start with sparse piano and tambourine. It starts to build 6 1/2 minutes in. A second male vocalsist comes in at 9 minutes as he trades off with Vander back and forth. Vocals stop a minute later as flute comes in while percussion and piano continue. Vocals are back after 12 minutes. Percussion only before 13 1/2 minutes. Piano comes in then vocals before 15 minutes.

"C'est Pour Nous" opens with piano melodies. Stella comes in before a minute. It kicks in with horns 2 minutes in and male vocals. Stella and horns end it. "Love In The Darkness" makes me laugh because it's so catchy with Rhodes and vocals. Just a blast ! "Tilim M'dohm" is mostly Stella and piano. "Mazur Kujiawiak Oberek" is piano melodies only throughout. "Solitude" opens with piano as male and female vocals (both Vanders) join in. The vocals become more powerful before 1 1/2 minutes. Contrasts continue. "Uguma Ma Melimeh Gingeh" opens with spoken words and piano. Vocals come in. Sounds like rain before 2 minutes. A great way to end this record.

A special album where Christian Vander sings and chants his heart out for his hero.