ZEUHL

The best album of the year

Wow... What a music!? I think we have finally found the best album of the year and probably one of the best albums of the decade, if not the best! My touch with zeuhl is very poor to date, but I have to change this. Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê is just unthinkable music. It's like a jewel - rare and prime. It personifies the word art - and explains some other words: perfection, unique, profound and made with wish. I think that's enough for the portrait of the album.

Now it's time to talk about the essence of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê. This is an album with perfect musicianship and extremely extraordinary songwriting. There aren't peak moments and culmination, because the whole album is a culmination. All around the album the themes are connected logically and precise. Probably there are the culminations - at the end of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê II and at the end of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê III, but as I said everything else is like a culmination, too.

Kobaïan language is again rulling over the album. The constructed (by Christian Vander) language sounds very ancient-like and helps the album being some more impressive. All the instruments are just divine. Drum, bass, piano and guitar are all incredible. I would like to mention two names: Philippe Bussonnet (bass player) and, of course, Christian Vander - who doesn't need introduction. They both play remarkable all around the album. The combination of all the instruments is highly impressive. It reveals the balance and synchronize of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê. I won't forget to talk about the vocals. The specific choir vocals brings more volumed and dinamic sound plus darkened suspense. Lead vocals made by Christian Vander and Stella Vander remind me opera singing and contribute to more classic sound of the album.

As a conclusion: one of the most undoubtful 5 stars rating for me!

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 tambourin.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,piano 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.

This is a MASTERPIECE. I HAD to review this album as a magma fan and as a MUSIC LOVER: THIS IS THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR, and here are the reasons why...

1) Christian vander`s drums are .... THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE WAY HE PLAYS..... just listen to the second track on this album and you`ll see

2) Stella Vander`s voice is amazing, she can sing really high and really low, and the sound of her voice is charming

3) I DONT KNOW HOW THE HELL THEY HAVE DONE TO CREATE MUSIC LIKE THIS, HOW DO THEY REMEMBER WHAT`S NEXT? I mean the music is a PERFECT (in the good way) mess

4) It is really honest with its title, you feel like in a story in egypt when you hear this CD, listen to track 5 and try to correct what I`ve said

416843 STARS TO THIS ONE,,,,, 5 stars on prog archives

Conclution: The best magma album after MDK

Finally, I was able to review this. My third venture into Zeuhl territory. And also my not only first Zeuhl, but also first album listened together with my girlfriend. I'm glad she's stunned (pleasantly) by this, this ... masterpiece, same as I am. Still am

Something that can fit only to vast and faraway universe of Kobaïa. It literally got my attention, held me for these roughly 50 minutes and let me go after it ended. Few minutes after it ended. Very interesting album, even I feel that some elements starting to be well known and repeats itself. But that's OK, I just though that this magical wonderful (shiny happy, you know) world will be full of surprises endlessly. Nevermind, let's sober a little bit. OK, it's not possible, 'cause I'm still listening.

Christian Vander's voice is, well, still good, even he's XX years old. Not lost anything from his energy and potential, it's even better. First I didn't understand all these hyped ratings (9 ratings, 2 reviews, all 5-stars), but now I'm doing the same thing. It will decrease after some time I suppose, maybe even I will change my mind, but for now, it stands for

5(+) with only mistake, it can be little bit boring after some time. I felt this during first listen, but then, after repeated ones, it disappeared little bit. The problematic part is towards the end of II and for some time in III. But there's also positive thing about it, every new listen brings something new. Not patterns (piano, drums, chanting, it's very similar), but new sounds, little differences, some of them which are very important.

Yet another triumph for Magma! I've been looking forward to this album for a couple of years now, and all the fantastic performances of the piece have been wetting my appetite and made me itch for this new masterpiece. One of the most spiritual pieces they have done in my opinion. Not much to say as far as specifics after that last reviewers comprehensive review. Very rich, dense vocals as on their last album, and fantastic playing all around particularly by Bubu on pt 3 and great playing and singing by Vander. My only beef is with the sound quality on Funerarium Khant. There is a lot of distortion when played at a loud level with a lot of bass. But that does not affect the musical brilliance of this album. Hooray for Magma!

After "Tzomborgha" and "Hyderomastgroningem", I think I can safely say that Ruins is by no means a band that makes any easy-listening material. Although something about their music really tickles my brain in a way I can't describe. I thought the previous two albums had a few too many moments that were noise simply for the sake of noise. I was hoping that the bands had an album that contained more actual songwriting (or as close to songwriting as Ruins gets), and lo and behold, Pallaschtom definitely delivers on that account.

Thanks to the wonders of MIDI technology, Ruins can sound like a band that both plays more than bass and drums and sound like a band that is playing anything but bass and drums. For some this is a blessing and others a curse, but for me it is definitely the former. Unlike the first two Ruins albums I became familiar with, the amount of noise that is found in this album is not there just for the purpose of being "different" or more "avant-garde". It tends to serve some type of purpose, and one can easily tell that all the tracks are very well structured and thought-out. While much of the music still sounds a bit like jamming, albeit with some mind-boggling tempo and time changes, it is not meandering (an issue I have with some of the band's other work). All this being said though, this is still by no means for the average symphonic prog fan. Actually, this isn't for the average music fan. Most people will run away screaming and pulling their hair out the first time they sit through several Ruins songs. If they had used this album to torture people in Guantanamo, I would not be surprised (although the vocals might end up torturing some of the guards too). Although I think part of the reason this band appeals to me is because I tend to enjoy lots of heavy and/or challenging music.

This Ruins album feels much more complete compared to my previous two adventures with this duo's work. I think I can safely rank this one at 4 stars. I will say however that one must have an adventurous taste in music before checking out Pallaschtom. Either that or you enjoy the sound of crying chipmunks from time to time. I swear I heard that type of sound at some point on here...

Magma - Live (1975)

This would even scare extraterrestial invaders!

I recently purchased Magma's Atahkk and was blown away by this totally new sound. I had to have more of this! I've spend a bit to much money on it, but it turned out to be worth it: a vinyl copy of Magma's double live lp.

The music of Magma is hard to discribe. I'll try to discribe it by a sum of words. Dark opera, psycho fusion, dissonance, music about the beginning of the earth, not-human, spacey, classical music influenced vocals. Just listen to the music if you want the complete picture, words are inaccurate.

The sound of this live recording is good, all instruments are well mixed and there's a good difference between the low volume and high volume moments. The band plays at an extraordinary rate of precision, I know of no live record that resembles this quality. Cristiaan is a great drummer, but he knows when to freak out and when to keep it functional. The vocals are intensive, but always in a controlled way. The basslines are good and functional, the keys are perfectly played throughout the concert. The choise of keyinstruments is very good, most of them originate from the jazzrock/fusion repertoire.

Side one and two. The live version of the Kohntark composition of 30 minutes. This is the darkest part of the album. The concentration is high for halve an hour and it seems no mistakes are made. The dissonant chordprogressions with the angelic vocals work very well and it makes me enter to some strange world, like the music sucks you in. Though the music itself isn't that relaxing, I do seem to get in a trance while listening to it. I don't have this very often with music, so this is a very special experience for me!

Side three. Shorter compositions, some could be discribed as songs. Most of them have clear fusion influences, except for the vocals. Magma shows it's more gentle side. The tracks are less dark, some are even angelic in happy sence. Still I get floted away to some other world...

Side four. The technical fusion abilities of Magma are shown here. Though the dark opera side of magma is omnipresent, some fusion jams appear and succeed to keep the tempo high on this lenghty live registration.

Conclusion. I've never heard something like this before, is this the one perfect live album? I don't think more then 30% of the PA collaborators will ever get to like this because of it's heavy atmospheres and unlikable freakyness. It might be even heavier then VdGG's Pawn Hearts. If you like dissonance, psychedelica, spacerock and fusion, this is your final experience! If you just like symphonic prog of the classic tradition, this might be your worst nightmare. For me this the proof people can believe in something, though it is stranger then everything else. They did this, and it worked! I think Magma can be seen as one of the progressive end-points: this is as far as we have come in 40 years of prog. And I thank them for that. Five stars.

France sure sprouted its share of weird bands in the seventies. Magma is the most widely recognized of those. Their music started from a wilful form of jazz rock that gradually mutated into a dense sound, heavy on jazz signature drums, entrancing distorted bass, and intense vocal performances in a self-invented language.

Well, the sound - or should I say the universe - that was evoked by it was so unique and out-worldly that this kind of music became known as a genre of its own, with Magma (and a few followers) as its sole representative. Zeuhl was born.

This Magma Live/Hhaï from 1975 was the first album I heard from them and I was sold on the spot. I was already receptive towards 70's jazz-rock but this pretty much blew me away. The album contains a solid performance of Köhntarkösz (a 30 minute piece from the preceding studio album). The set list is completed by a number of very attractive shorter tracks from earlier albums and the 20 minute monolith called Mëkanïk Zaïn, which only appears on this album (as far as I know). With its heavy distorted bass guitar it kind of foreshadows Da Futura from the ensuing Üdü Wüdü. My issue doesn't contain the track from their defining album MDK, which is fine, the way to enjoy that piece is in one sitting, not by a 7 minute excerpt from it.

If you like this type of music you sure own this album already. If you don't but are curious about this magnificent band, Live/Hhaï might be your place to start.

A Musical Monument 35 Years in the Making

Indisputably the most ambitious and complex creative project of the rock era, the French group Magma, over the course of its 40 year history, has related in bits and pieces an alternative spiritual history of the human race from the point of view of a future, enlightened civilization, passionately sung or chanted in its unique, emotionally evocative language (constructed by the group's leader, Christian Vander.) Only in the last ten years have these works truly begun to coalesce into connected narratives in officially recorded form, cycles or trilogies that make apparent the "future history" (some label it secularly as 'science fiction' but considering the religious context of the music, I prefer 'prophecy') that Vander and his allied musicians relate. A huge step forward was the 2000 Trilogy at Trianon performance, which for the first time brought the Theusz Hamtaahk pieces together on CD and DVD. 2004's Kontarkosz Anteria extended the Kohntarkosz narrative of 1974 by adding a prequel to the story of the archaeologist scholar who discovered and explored the tomb of Emehnteht-Re, then, after experiencing a life-altering vision within, determined to complete that ancient pharaoh's spiritual work. In the liner notes to Kontarkosz Anteria, Vander noted that a third part of the story, an epic biography of Emehnteht-Re himself, already in part existed, consisting of works that had appeared under different titles on 1975's Live/Hhai (Emehnteht-Re: Announcment, Hhai), 1976's Udu Wudu (Zombies (Ghost Dance), Emehnteht-Re (extrait)?the latter a CD bonus track), and 1978's Attahk (Rindoh). Tapes of live performances from 1977 reveal that Vander has indeed had the interconnection of these pieces in his mind since the time of their creation, and extended performances of Zombies from that year contain the original version of the latter part of the present work, never before recorded. Is this 2009 CD, then, little more than a compilation, a rehashing of old ground? The answer, emphatically, is 'not at all!' Not only does the linking of works previously recorded as isolated tracks utterly transform their context and meaning, unifying them while adding fully-conceived and organic musical bridges between them, but the versions of these works presented here are so wonderfully matured from their originals that there is simply no comparison. Emehntehtt-Re (aka "The King in the Land of the Dead") is a masterpiece 35 years in the making, and it shows.

For the passionate Magma fan, this long-awaited release of the studio version of Emehntehtt-Re has been an event fraught with anticipation and anxiety. On the one hand, we've been listening to concert versions of the completed work for over two years now, and thought we knew pretty much what to expect in terms of general content, but still, the question hung heavy: would Vander and Co. get it right? Would the scintillating spirit of the live performances be captured in the sterile atmosphere of the studio? Would the production choices be too conservative, or else over-the-top, or would they achieve the proper balance in presenting this monumental work? I'm happy to report, after a week of delirious listening, that with only a few exceptions, Magma and Christian Vander got this one right. Not that this studio recording is without some shocks, even for jaded fans who thought they'd heard it all. Like the surprising addition of a second t in the name of its hero (previously known as 'Emehnteht-Re'), there is much on this CD that may upset fans who thought they were already familiar with the work, and like that additional 't,' some of these changes may at first seem a bit random, out of line with what we had been previously led to expect, and jarring. But that, in a nutshell, is Magma, who've never been content merely to repeat past years' performances or studio versions of their works on tour, but constantly experiment and reinvent. Vander wastes no time in announcing that this studio version of Emehntehtt-Re will differ from live performances: following the first, explosive chord, his voice comes in unexpectedly, intoning a narrative text (in faux Egyptian?) that we have never heard before, which is repeated in a variation in the all-new Sehe section that now closes the work. In-between, as well, there are a number of alterations in vocalizations, instrumentations, arrangements and emphases that may take listeners familiar with the live Emehntehtt-Re aback. Nonetheless, though select changes may stand out as dramatic, the bulk of the choices made on this studio recording tend towards restraint and understatement, rather than bombast or obvious effects, and the results, with few exceptions, are to the work's betterment. True, some efforts will be required of new listeners to catch the nuances and emotions in some of the more conservatively played sections (such as Rindoh), but what delightful hours of discovery await them.

The work begins with what was formerly known as Emehnteht-Re: Announcement, a stately-yet-chilling introduction to the Egyptian pharaoh that emphasizes both his magnificence and otherworldliness. The chorus of meticulously articulated voices here (as in many other moments on the album) is simply stunning, blasting ahead like a wind in a sandstorm to announce the King, while the subsequent percussion and descending male voices give the impression of the regal procession following after, advancing in leisurely stages. At about 3:00 in length, this is one of the shorter recordings of Announcement (contrast 8:00 for the Live/Hhai version) but it serves its purpose and moves on quickly, as opposed to the sometimes droning/meandering 1975 performances. A brief bridge then takes us into Rindoh, which must be counted as one of the most changed pieces from its original manifestation (on 1978's Attahk), where a much thicker operatic trilling and heavier playing in my opinion mars a delicate work. Frankly, however, although a vast improvement in studio versions, I found this recording of Rindoh too plain and conservative, lacking in beauty and spirit in comparison with live versions. As with Announcement, it seems that the Vanders went here for tightness and restraint, for whereas in concert, Stella Vander's impassioned vocals remind me viscerally of lovers who are tragically torn apart, the elegant but cool vocals here leave me largely unmoved. Particularly, the closing section at 5:55, which sounds haunting enough to give shivers in concert, here has only a faint note of tragedy. As this was one of my favorite concert moments, this cooler Rindoh left me just that, cold. And while on my few complaints, I should mention the erratic division of tracks on this CD, by which these two pieces are gathered as Emehntehtt-Re,Part I. The new division of the work, which willfully seeks to override the previous titles given to the parts, simply doesn't work. The actual divisions are still apparent enough musically to make the new title divisions meaningless, and if the full, 51 minute piece was divided merely for the convenience of the listener, a much better job should have been done in splitting the sections meaningfully. With this division, for example, one cannot skip right to the Zombies section without going through the lengthy Hhai, etc.

Emehntehtt-Re,Part II (consisting of works formerly titled Emehnteht-Re (extrait), Hhai and Zombies) for example, does not at all hold together logically as a single part, each with a strikingly different tone and mood. The first section, which has always been one of my favorites of the work, a youthful, effervescent and soulful celebration, remains so in this version, despite substantial differences in vocalization from Udu Wudu. Vander's vocal energy and crisp articulations have wonderful synergy with the flowing chorus here, and even his infamous falsetto is nicely restrained when he resorts to it for a moment of ecstasy. But the moment that floored me when I first heard this CD and continues to floor me is the bridge between this section and Hhai. Whereas a single female voice had previously announced the upcoming Hhai, here the bubbling chorus from the previous section picks up this part with great energy, resulting in a few moments of absolutely orgasmic harmony in which?as with the best of Magma?my mind seems for an instant to separate from my body and go soaring through the clouds. Hhai itself, a heartfelt pledge of faith and fealty to sacred principles, continues the restrained approach that characterizes the album as whole, in this case, however, much to the benefit of the work. Gone, for example, are those solos between dueling synthesizers that characterized Hhai's live versions, ever on the edge of cheesiness and sometimes crossing over, and taking the place of bombast is a pure expression of spiritual certainty and strength, full of genuine feeling instead of hyperbole. This, the first studio version of Hhai, should absolutely now be considered the definitive one (and what a shame that it was not separated as a track so that we could enjoy it as such). I was also pleased to see in the booklet with lyrics accompanying the CD (a nice boon!) that I was correct about Vander using English phases in this piece: "to believe in God" and "a love supreme"?the latter a reference to Vander's musical saint, John Coltrane.

From Hhai?the proud hero, full of spiritual certainty, heading off on a sacred venture? the mood rapidly darkens to Zombies (Ghost Dance), the macabre tones of which describe a disturbing and disorienting journey to the underworld (indeed, Ementet is the Egyptian word for the Land of the Dead). This sudden shift of atmosphere leads the listener to consider the narrative and beliefs behind the work (hardly transparent from the Kobaian lyrics alone). Christian Vander has described the piece as relating the efforts of an Egyptian King, Emehntehtt-Re, to gain the secrets of immortality, a quest in which he is ultimately slain, just as he was about to achieve success. Such a mythic narrative is reminiscent of many ancient tales, most notably the Epic of Gilgamesh or Orpheus and Euridyce, which involve perilous journeys into the world of the dead, where the hero inevitably fails in his quest to overcome death. The ancient Egyptians, of course, were obsessed with what occurs after death and finding the keys to awaken immortality, believing that a heart of pure feeling, which united spirit and body, was essential for this purpose. Souls were held to be innately eternal, and could migrate, but were judged by fearful celestial figures after death, and if found wanting, the transmigrating heart could be eaten and kept from moving on. On the other hand, realization of one's true immortality could be individually gained by achieving gnosis, a full unity of body and spirit. To what extent Vander's composition was influenced by such beliefs from the Egyptian funerary text Spells for Coming Forth into the Light (popularly known as The Book of the Dead) can only be surmised, but in a work that names itself after Ementet, such background should be kept in mind.

To me, Zombies (Ghost Dance) evokes the hero's passage through legions of slow- moving but nonetheless terrifying guardian soldiers, who gather in his way and grasp at him in an effort to intimidate his entry into their world. The movements of these somnambulant, unfeeling dead are represented through lyrics consisting mostly of inarticulate 'hey-ho's 'om's and 'ah's, punctuated by wicked base lines and frenetic percussion evoking terror. Like Rindoh, the studio version here is a night-and-day improvement over its predecessor, which was marred with excessive special effects of the synthesizer. Vander's new version is not without some startling effects, however, particularly in the broken and jammed musical patterns at 20:30, which evoke in an 'in-your- face' manner the interchangeability of the masses of the dead spirits, and the impossibility of defeating them when one simply takes the place of the previous. The 21st minute of Emehntehtt-Re, Part II develops into a breakthrough, however, with the introduction of a variation on a theme from the 1974 Kohntarkosz, the first of many references to this work that suggest that the hero of the present work is laying the spiritual foundation that the hero of the next will discover and extend.

Emehntehtt-Re Part III, which thematically belongs with the preceding Zombies (Ghost Dance) continues and develops its dark, gothic tones, taking them, incredibly, into yet more sinister territory. The exact narrative content of this thirteen minute section is beyond me, but it is clear that it represents the crux of the work, a struggle of heart and mind against dark, seductive forces without or within, from out of which certain crucial spiritual insights ultimately emerge. Until recent years not heard outside of a few 1977 concert recordings, this section is notably the most musically intense of the work (and perhaps one of Magma's most complex compositions), consisting of themes that wonderfully develop, split, interplay and overlap?before collapsing onto one another and falling apart entirely in the gasping and drowning vocals at 11:11, out of which rises a soaring resolution. If two, competing forces can be separated in this intense mingling, one is epitomized by the dark, aggressive voice at 3:55 and 9:30 that chants "Wor / ehlio sohn deh wir / ehlio sohn deh wor deh wir / ehlio sohn d'ohm," whereas the other is characterized by variations of the upwardly rising themes from Kohntarkosz, which grow clearer and gain strength at 8:00, tangle with the dark theme again after 9:30, break apart and ultimately emerge, stronger than ever and seemingly triumphant (now shot through with refrains from the opening of Hhai) at the close.

After all of this intensity, Emehntehtt-Re IV is initially a return to lyricism and seemingly the aftermath of the conflict, a celebration of breakthrough. The initial crescendo of the rapidly cycling bright Kohntarkosz theme at :50 seems to represent a falling through time and space, or waking from a dream, but takes a sudden, dark downturn at its close, as though the hero did not emerge where he expected. This is followed by a beautiful solo full of bittersweet lament. We hear the hero furiously recording his discovery (the Kohntarkosz theme), perhaps realizing that his time is limited, followed by a sudden snap and single- note trailing vocal, representing the death blow and hero's shock. What has happened here? Was the breakthrough a dream, or genuine, and the King assassinated by a more earthly force? Is this his punishment for transmitting the secrets of the divine to humans, to be ultimately picked up centuries later by Kohntarkosz?

Funehrarium Kanht, an entirely new section of the work heard only in concert recordings of the past several years, is simultaneously a dark, mournful funeral procession (an inversion of the initial procession of Announcement), pulsing with pain and grief, and the draining away of the hero's life blood, with every panicked but slowing beat of his heart. The studio version, with a faster tempo and more muffled sound, is vastly superior to the clanging, clashing concert version, which seems to drag on forever. Vander's warbling voice at the close, similar to that at the end of The Night We Died, represents both extreme mourning and the brutal instant of the hero's life force leaving him.

Sehe, a brief, narrative conclusion to this profound work, spoken over haunting moans and clanging machinery, announces through slight variations on the words of the initial opening the changed state of the hero, now trapped in a gloomy underworld and awaiting salvation. My personal belief is that the chronology and deeply bleak ending of this piece hint that it should be considered the first in the Kohntarkosz cycle, followed by K.A. and then Kohntarkosz, with its soaring, triumphant conclusion.

One final choice that bears discussion is the release of this monumental work as a combination CD/DVD set. Magma fans and serious musicians will enjoying this "making of" DVD for the behind-the-scenes insights it gives to the band (who will ever forget the scene of the 61-year-old Christian Vander dancing to Zombies?) and its recording process. The DVD seems designed to show us Vander's relations with his younger musicians, and his meticulous perfectionism in the recording process. Although there are slight revelations of musical and narrative intent here and there, one wishes the DVD was less of a 'home movie in the studio' and more of a history and description of the work, as the title Phases, seemed to promise. Indeed, the most important "phase" is left out here, the recording of the vocals and most of the percussion. One also wishes, for the underappreciated Magma's own sake, that this DVD had been listed as an optional add-on with the CD, for although appreciative fans know the true value of this set and won't hesitate, others may balk at the price.

Should you be one of them, let me inform you, categorically, that for all the potential to change your life and thoughts on music that this recording holds, you should not hesitate to pay such a piddling fee one hundredfold.

Zeuhl music since its beginnings has prompted a very clear response over listeners. Basically or you love it or you hate it. And this album as the first one ever released having the 'classic' Zeuhl sound, is not far from this almost binary discussion. And this point makes it immediately an absolute masterpiece and a must have for being a groundbreaker work.

Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh (MDK) contains one of the most risky and innovative proposals in prog-music for that time (released in 1973). And if you consider that Progressive Rock looks for a fusion between rock (guitars, keyboards, drums, electric bass, etc used in producing the music), chamber music ('small' ensambles not orchestras specifically), contemporary music (dynamically changing complex metrics, dodecaphony structures, polyphonies dynamically changing with monophonies, etc), jazz (solos, virtuoso-style musicians, etc) (you could put some other variables in here, but IMHO these may be the basics of ProgMusic), so considering these factors, Christian Vander mixed them all, resulting in an 'Orffesque' ritual (The very beginning of 'Hortz Fur Dëhn Stekëhn West' and 'Da Zeuhl Wortz Mekanïk' for example), recalling Stravinsky at some points (the ending part of 'Hortz Fur Dëhn Stekëhn West' and 'Mekanïk Kommandöh' for example) and of course reminiscences to Rock and even jazz. But you can dismember this album all you want, anyway what you will find is Zeuhl.

An absolute masterpiece, essential in any collection.