Magma -

Magma are a French avant-garde rock band from Paris, formed in 1969 by drummer and keyboardist Christian Vander. During the 1970s, they released six proper studio albums and a live disc on the Philips, Vertigo, Utopia, and Eurodisc labels.

Their debut, Kobaïa (1970), introduced the Kobaïan language and ritualized vocal arrangements. 1001° Centigrades (1971) and Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh (1973) expanded their operatic Zeuhl style with orchestral textures and polyrhythmic complexity. Ẁurdah Ïtah (1974) stripped the lineup to a quartet, emphasizing piano, bass, drums, and layered vocals. Köhntarkösz (1974) and Üdü Ẁüdü (1976) refined compositional continuity and thematic repetition.

The band experimented with chamber instrumentation, including violin, brass, and multiple keyboards. Vocalists Stella Vander and Klaus Blasquiz became central to the ensemble’s choral intensity. By the late 1970s, Magma defined a new sound, blending jazz, classical, and avant-garde elements into the Zeuhl canon.

Background

Magma formed in 1969 when ex-Cruciferius drummer Christian Vander teamed with singer Lucien Zabuski, bassist Francis Moze, and keyboardist/conductor Laurent Thibault. The three hailed from psych-rockers the Zorgones, which issued the single “Herr Doktor Reich” (b/w “Mon Velo Est Bleu”) that year on Mercury. At first, the group called itself Uniweria Zekt Magma Composedra Arguezdra before trimming the name to Magma. They initially featured clarinetist René Garber, who would return multiple times over the ensuing lustrum. Zabuski departed after their first tour.

During 1970, Magma grew into an octet with singer Klaus Blasquiz, pianist François Cahen, guitarist Claude Engel, trumpeter Alain “Paco” Charlery, and reedists Teddy Lasry and Richard Raux. Just prior to joining, Engel cut the album How to Kiss the Sky with psych-rockers Omega Plus. Teddy had appeared on albums as far back as 1960 with his musician parents Jacques and Yvonne Lasry.

Thibault stepped down from Magma to produce their first album, released in December 1970 on Philips. In preparation, Vander created a new language.

Kobaïan

Christian Vander created Kobaïan as the lyrical language of Kobaïa, the fictional planet in Magma’s concept albums. He felt that French lacked the necessary expressiveness for his ambitious story and the music’s unique sonic requirements.

Kobaïan draws sonic inspiration from elements of Slavic and Germanic languages, blending them with the scat-yodeling vocal style pioneered by jazz artist Leon Thomas. The language is primarily phonetic, concentrating on sonorities and emotional depth rather than fixed semantic meanings. This abstraction reportedly inspires Magma’s singers toward greater emotional intensity than conventional lyrics would permit.

Magma use Kobaïan on fifteen concept albums, which detail the continuing mythology of Kobaïa, with lyrics often delivered by “massive quasi-operatic choruses.” Vander himself dubbed the band’s signature style “Zeuhl,” the Kobaïan word for “celestial.” This pioneering use of a constructed language and the resulting musical style influenced other artists, eventually defining the Zeuhl genre, with some successor bands also adopting similar invented languages.

Magma [Kobaïa]

Magma released their self-titled debut album in October 1970 on Philips.

The double-LP introduced the ensemble’s unique fusion of jazz, classical, and rock idioms with choral vocals in Kobaïan, a language invented by drummer–composer Christian Vander to narrate a sci-fi saga about exiles from Earth founding a utopian colony on the planet Kobaïa. The music draws on late-’60s jazz-fusion, European chamber textures, and militaristic rhythms that would define Vander’s later zeuhl style.

Vander leads the eight-piece lineup of vocalist Klaus Blasquiz, guitarist–flutist Claude Engel, pianist François Cahen, bassist Francis Moze, trumpeter Alain “Paco” Charlery, reedists Teddy Lasry (soprano sax, flute) and Richard Raux (alto and tenor sax, flute).

Vander wrote six of the album’s ten tracks, including the English-sung opener. Lasry, Cahen, Engel, and producer Laurent Thibault each contributed one piece.

The first record opens with “Kobaïa,” a ten-minute introduction to Magma’s rhythmic and harmonic vocabulary with cycling bass patterns, percussive bursts, and shifting horn voicings that pivot between Latin-jazz phrasing and free-form sections. “Aïna” moves through somber piano passages and double-sax interplay before accelerating into a brass-rock finale. “Malaria” layers chantlike vocals over driving percussion and flute motifs. Lasry’s “Sohïa” follows with interlaced flute lines and modal piano that progress from pastoral calm to a martial close. Cahen’s “Sckxyss” contrasts tight piano riffing with fierce sax exchanges, while “Auraë” concludes the first disc with slow, ominous piano figures that swell into full ensemble chorales.

Disc two begins with Engel’s “Thaud Zaïa,” which alternates airy flute themes and turbulent group sections. Thibault’s “Naü Ektila” opens on acoustic guitar and clarinet in a folk-tinged prelude before erupting into a rock-driven midsection with extended piano solo. Vander’s “Stöah” employs declamatory vocals and angular piano runs that anticipate the choir-based dynamics of Mekanïk Destruktïẁ Kommandöh. “Mûh” closes the set with a slow piano introduction, alternating jubilant and turbulent episodes that merge Cuban-style rhythm, jazz improvisation, and avant-garde vocalization.

A1. “Kobaïa” (10:15)
A2. “Aïna” (6:15)
A3. “Malaria” (4:20)

B1. “Sohïa” (7:00)
B2. “Sckxyss” (3:47)
B3. “Auraë” (10:55)

C1. “Thaud Zaïa” (7:00)
C2. “Naü Ektila” (12:55)

D1. “Stöah” (8:05)
D2. “Mûh” (11:13)

Sessions took place in April 1970 with Vander and bassist Laurent Thibault producing and Claude Martelot and Roger Roche engineering.

Magma features cover artwork by Marie-Josèphe Petit. Philips promoted the album with “Kobaïa” (b/w “Mûh”) in 1970.

“Kobaïa” became a fixture of Magma’s live repertoire and reappeared in rearranged form on Live/Hhaï (1975).

1001° Centigrades

Magma released their second album, 1001° Centigrades, on October 5, 1971, on Philips.

The album marks the solidification of Magma’s Zeuhl style, balancing jazz-rock sophistication with a stronger sense of narrative unity. Written entirely in founder Christian Vander’s Kobaïan language, 1001° Centigrades continues the saga of the Kobaians—an enlightened race who, having settled a distant planet in the debut album’s story, return to Earth to impart their wisdom. The album’s jazz instrumentation and complex rhythmic structures reflect Vander’s growing command as a composer and bandleader.

Magma recorded 1001° Centigrades as a seven-piece with Vander (drums, vocals, percussion), François Cahen (acoustic and electric pianos), Francis Moze (bass), Teddy Lasry (saxophone, flute, clarinet, voice), Yochk’o Seffer (saxophone, bass clarinet), Louis Toesca (trumpet), and Klaus Blasquiz (lead vocals, percussion). The lineup marked a reshuffle from their 1970 debut: guitarist Claude Engel departed, replaced by the expanded brass section of Seffer and Toesca.

Vander wrote the side-long opening suite, while Lasry and Cahen contributed one composition apiece. Vander’s “Rïah Sahïltaahk” serves as the main narrative piece; Lasry’s “’Ïss’ Lanseï Doïa” and Cahen’s “Ki Ïahl Ö Lïahk” expand the album’s jazz idiom into more atmospheric and ensemble-oriented territory.

The 21-minute “Rïah Sahïltaahk” opens with a restless interplay of piano, brass, and rhythm section in a pattern of abrupt tempo shifts and sectional contrasts. The composition unfolds in scenes that alternate martial intensity with near-symphonic interludes, its momentum driven by Vander’s precise drumming and Blasquiz’s declamatory vocals. Lyrically, it depicts the Kobaians’ arrival on Earth and their initial reception. “’Ïss’ Lanseï Doïa” (Lasry) follows with more overt jazz inflection—built on cyclical bass motion, unison horn figures, and Rhodes textures—culminating in a subdued finale marked by clock-like percussion and murmured voices that symbolize the Kobaians’ imprisonment. Cahen’s “Ki Ïahl Ö Lïahk” closes the album in a lighter yet tense 8½-minute movement of elastic rhythms and layered horns, describing the aftermath of the mission: the rescue from Earth and the Kobaians’ vow never to return.

A1. “Rïah Sahïltaahk” (21:45) – Sprawling suite where layered winds, rotating piano cells, and vocal proclamations escalate through shifting meters toward a climactic ensemble convergence.

B1. “’Ïss’ Lanseï Doïa” (11:46) – Nocturnal, jazz-centered design that evolves from subdued harmonic motion to dense horn clusters and martial vocal assertions.
B2. “Ki Ïahl Ö Lïahk” (8:23) – Compact movement balancing percussive vocal drive, swirling reed lines, and an accelerating brass ascent.

Sessions occurred from April 5–10, 1971, at Philips Studios in Paris with producer Roland Hilda and engineer Dominique Blanc-Francard.

1001° Centigrades features a cover illustration that reproduces Christian Vander’s Kobaïan poem “Ïtah,” accompanied by a French translation on the reverse sleeve.

Following the album’s release, Magma underwent a major turnover when Cahen and Seffer departed to form Zao, a parallel jazz-rock project that extended the sound of Magma’s first two albums.

Univeria Zekt – The Unnamables

Magma adopted the pseudonym Univeria Zekt for their third album, The Unnamables, released in January 1972 on Thélème.

The album presents a lighter, jazz-oriented sound designed to introduce new listeners to Magma’s musical world. The first half features accessible brass-rock pieces akin to contemporary acts like Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago, while the second half returns to the denser, rhythmically charged Zeuhl style developed on 1001° Centigrades.

Univeria Zekt comprised the same core personnel from Magma’s second album: Christian Vander (drums, percussion, vocals), François Cahen (acoustic and electric pianos), Francis Moze (bass, organ), Teddy Lasry (saxophones, flute, organ), and Claude Engel (electric and acoustic guitars), augmented by reedist Jeff Seffer, trumpeter Tito Puentes, and percussionist–vocalists Klaus Blasquiz, Lucien “Zabu” Zabuski, and Lionel Ledissez.

Lasry wrote three of the album’s first five tracks, while Vander composed the remaining three on side two and the closing track of side one. Cahen co-wrote one piece with Zabu.

The opening “You Speak and Speak and Colegram” (Lasry) is a brisk, horn-driven jazz-rock number with open sax phrasing and prominent organ undercurrents. “Altcheringa” (Cahen, Zabu) evokes early Blood, Sweat & Tears with soul-inflected vocals, cyclical bass figures, and a midsection of electric piano and guitar soloing. “Clementine” (Lasry, Engel) follows as an acoustic interlude for flute and guitar. “Something’s Cast a Spell” (Lasry, Ledissez) borrows lyrics from Ergo Sum’s 1971 debut and features that group’s vocalist, with alternating sections of quiet flute textures and full-band passages framed by Engel’s guitar leads. Vander’s “Ourania” closes the first side with irregular drum phrasing and angular sax lines over staccato piano motifs.

Side two contains Vander’s “Africa Anteria” and “Undia,” both rooted in the Zeuhl idiom. “Africa Anteria” (11:30) builds from pulsing bass and tumbling piano into a long improvisational stretch with Vander’s only recorded drum solo, followed by intense horn exchanges and wordless vocal exclamations. “Undia” unfolds as a slower, hymn-like piece sung in Kobaïan by Blasquiz, structured around repeated crescendos and releases that foreshadow Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh.

A1. “You Speak and Speak and Colegram” (2:10)
A2. “Altcheringa” (3:27)
A3. “Clementine” (3:00)
A4. “Something’s Cast a Spell” (4:16) — lyrics adapted from Ergo Sum’s 1971 track of the same name, written by Lionel Ledissez and performed here with the original vocalist
A5. “Ourania” (4:23)

B1. “Africa Anteria” (11:30)
B2. “Undia” (4:47)

Sessions occurred in late 1971 at Thélème Studios in Paris with producer Laurent Thibault and engineer Dominique Blanc-Francard.

The Unnamables features a cover illustration by Philippe Druillet that depicts a surreal cosmic vista aligned with Magma’s broader mythos, though the album’s lyrics and concept remain Earth-bound.

Thélème promoted The Unnamables with “Undia” (b/w “Ourania”), issued as a 45 rpm single.

The project’s intent—to attract new listeners through a transitional sound—proved short-lived, and Vander soon returned to a fully realized Zeuhl form on Magma’s next release, Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh.

Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh

Magma released their fourth album, Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh, on May 6, 1973, on Vertigo (France) and A&M (abroad).

The album marks the full emergence of Magma’s self-styled Zeuhl sound, an intense fusion of rock, jazz, and classical modes structured as a continuous choral suite in seven movements. Conceived, written, and arranged by drummer–vocalist Christian Vander, M.D.K. crystallizes the rhythmic discipline, operatic vocal phrasing, and apocalyptic fervor that define Magma’s mythos of the planet Kobaïa.

Vander leads a large ensemble that includes bassist Jannick Top, guitarist Claude Olmos, keyboardist Jean-Luc Manderlier (piano, organ), reedist René Garber (bass clarinet, vocals), brass and flute player Teddy Lasry, and vocalists Klaus Blasquiz and Stella Vander alongside a female choir (Muriel Streisfield, Evelyne Razymovski, Michele Saulnier, and Doris Reinhardt).

Vander composed the album’s seven-part work in its entirety. The piece evolved from early performances under the title “Mekanïk Kommandöh,” expanded from its 1971 embryonic form into a 38-minute oratorio structured on cyclical piano motifs, martial drumming, and choral invocations sung in Kobaïan, Magma’s invented language.

The music unfolds as a continuous progression of themes. “Hortz Fur Dëhn Štekëhn Ẁešt” opens with a pounding ostinato of piano and drums over which male and female voices chant ritualistically before swelling into full choral mass. “Ïma Sürï Dondaï” and “Kobaïa Iss Dëh Hündïn” introduce brighter passages of organ and brass, while “Da Zeuhl Ẁortz Mëkanïk” reasserts the album’s central rhythmic figure in an accelerating sequence of antiphonal chants and angular horn bursts. “Nëbëhr Gudahtt” drops to sparse piano and percussion as Vander’s voice alternates between guttural recitation and shrill falsetto, leading to the climactic “Mëkanïk Kömmandöh,” where the ensemble locks into rapid pulses of organ and drums beneath massed choirs. “Kreühn Köhrmahn Ïss Dëh Hündïn” closes the cycle in solemn, hymnlike cadence.

A1. “Hortz Fur Dëhn Štekëhn Ẁešt” (9:36)
A2. “Ïma Sürï Dondaï” (4:30)
A3. “Kobaïa Iss Dëh Hündïn” (3:34)

B1. “Da Zeuhl Ẁortz Mëkanïk” (7:48)
B2. “Nëbëhr Gudahtt” (6:02)
B3. “Mëkanïk Kömmandöh” (4:10)
B4. “Kreühn Köhrmahn Ïss Dëh Hündïn” (3:13)

Sessions took place in April 1973 at The Manor Studio in Oxfordshire and Aquarium Studio in Paris with producer Giorgio Gomelsky and engineers Eddie Sprigg and Gilbert.

The cover features a circular cosmic motif designed by collective associate Pierre Giraud, symbolizing the ascension theme central to Vander’s Kobaïan saga.

Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh established Magma’s defining style and became the cornerstone of the Zeuhl genre, performed and reinterpreted in multiple versions across subsequent decades.

Christian Vander – Tristan et Iseult [Ẁurdah Ïtah]

On June 15, 1974, Christian Vander released Tristan et Iseult, a soundrack to the namesake avant-garde French film. The album, recorded with select Magma personnel (Blasquiz, Stella, Top), appeared on Barclay. In 1989, Egg Records reissued the soundtrack as a Magma album with the title Ẁurdah Ïtah.

The album distills the Zeuhl approach into a stripped-down quartet format, emphasizing piano, drums, bass, and vocal interplay while maintaining the operatic and ritualistic intensity of earlier Magma work. Its sound anticipates the full scope of the Theusz Hamtaahk Trilogy, combining forceful rhythms, sparse instrumentation, and Kobaïan chants.

Christian Vander performs drums, piano, Fender Rhodes, percussion, and vocals. Jannick Top plays bass, Klaus Blasquiz contributes vocals and percussion, and Stella Vander provides vocals.

Christian Vander wrote all eleven tracks, shaping the material into two continuous side-long suites. No covers appear on the album.

The music blends two continuous movements marked by angular piano lines, forceful drumming, and tightly controlled bass patterns. Vocals alternate between Vander’s guttural and high-register chants, Klaus Blasquiz’s percussion-accented lines, and Stella Vander’s soprano passages. Tracks like “Fur Dï hël Kobaïa” and “Blüm Tendiwa” build tension through rhythmic shifts and vocal layering, while “Ẁohldünt Mᴧëm Dëẁëlëss” channels motifs from Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh into a more intimate ensemble setting. Side two features dramatic contrasts of tempo and intensity, including the operatic surges of “Sëhnntëht Dros Ẁurdah Süms” and the climactic ensemble of “De Zeuhl Ündazïr.”

A1. “Malaẁëlëkaahm” (3:37)
A2. “Bradïa da Zïmehn Iëgah” (2:18)
A3. “Manëh Fur da Zëss” (1:38)
A4. “Fur dï hël Kobaïa” (4:55)
A5. “Blüm Tendiwa” (3:29)
A6. “Ẁohldünt Mᴧëm Dëẁëlëss” (3:29)

B1. “Ẁaïnsaht !!!” (2:30)
B2. “Ẁlasïk Steuhn Kobaïa” (2:46)
B3. “Sëhnntëht Dros Ẁurdah Süms” (3:24)
B4. “C’est la vie qui les a menés là!” (4:58)
B5. “Ëk Sün da Zëss” (2:16)
B6. “De Zeuhl Ündazïr” (3:40)

Sessions occurred on 4, 5, and 8 April 1974 with Christian Vander producing.

The album was first issued on Barclay as a solo soundtrack and reissued by Egg Records in 1989 as a Magma release, featuring the band logo on the cover.

Ẁurdah Ïtah emphasizes the power of a minimal ensemble, blending intense piano, driving bass, polyrhythmic drums, and layered Kobaïan vocals into a ritualistic and concentrated Zeuhl experience.

Köhntarkösz

Magma released their fifth album, Köhntarkösz, on September 10, 1974, on Vertigo and A&M.

The album presents the second part of Christian Vander’s Köhntarkösz trilogy, framed by the later K.A. (Köhntarkösz Anteria) and Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê. The music shifts from the militant momentum of Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh to a slower, more ritualistic form of Zeuhl built on ominous dynamics, solemn choral voicings, and extended instrumental passages.

The lineup features drummer–vocalist Christian Vander, bassist–cellist Jannick Top, guitarist Brian Godding, keyboardists Gérard Bikialo (Yamaha organ) and Michel Graillier (piano, clavinet), and singers Klaus Blasquiz and Stella Vander.

Vander wrote three of the four tracks, including the two-part title suite and the closing elegy “Coltrane Sündïa,” while Top contributed “Ork Alarm.”

The two-part “Köhntarkösz” suite unfolds over 31 minutes in a gradual ascent from sparse organ drones and mantra-like vocal patterns to surging rhythmic interplay between bass, drums, and layered choral lines. “Ork Alarm,” driven by Top’s bowed cello and tense vocal intonations, contrasts with the epic’s breadth through its chamber-like austerity. “Coltrane Sündïa,” a quiet tribute to John Coltrane, closes the album with piano and guitar in meditative unison.

A1. “Köhntarkösz (Part I)” (15:22)
A2. “Ork Alarm” (5:28)

B1. “Köhntarkösz (Part II)” (15:55)
B2. “Coltrane Sündïa” [Coltrane Rest in Peace] (4:11)

Sessions occurred at Bastide de Pierrefeu in Valbonne with producer Giorgio Gomelsky and engineer Simon Heyworth, assisted by The Manor Mobile.

Vertigo issued the single “Mëkanïk Machine” (b/w “Köhntarkösz”) in 1974 to coincide with the album’s release.

Köhntarkösz artwork was designed and directed by Fabio Nicoli, with photography by Malcolm Robertson.

Live/Hhaï

On December 12, 1975, Magma released the double-album Live/Hhaï.

The album captures Magma in a June 1–5, 1975 Paris residency at the Taverne de l’Olympia, presenting live versions of key works alongside previously unrecorded material. It documents the band’s signature Zeuhl approach: operatic, hypnotic vocal lines in invented language, angular rhythmic shifts, and intense interplay between violin, bass, and percussion. The set bridges their early Kobaïan material with pieces that would later appear in studio form, offering an expansive, immersive live experience.

Vocalists Klaus Blasquiz and Stella Vander lead the ensemble, supported by Didier Lockwood (violin), Gabriel Federow (guitar), Benoit Widemann (keyboards), Jean-Pol Asseline (keyboards), Bernard Paganotti (bass), and Christian Vander (drums, vocals).

Christian Vander composed all pieces. Live/Hhaï presents seven tracks: three are live renditions of prior studio works, two are reworked versions of existing material, and two were previously unreleased. Secondary writing credits appear on the reworked tracks, with “Kobah” originating from the 1970 debut Kobaïa.

The music divides into expansive epics and shorter interludes. “Köhntark (Parts One and Two)” opens with a pastoral melody that escalates into a frenzied climax, blending violin, bass, and drums. “Ëmëhntëht-Rê (Announcement)” introduces a solemn vocal motif and extended instrumental passages. “Hhaï” and “Lïhns” are live premieres, juxtaposing restrained vocal lines with driving instrumental sections. “Kobah” transforms early Kobaïa material into a jazzy, chant-infused piece. “Da Zeuhl Wortz Mekanïk” and “Mëkanïk Zaïn” reinterpret sections of Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh, featuring virtuosic violin solos, complex bass patterns, and layered vocals. The overall set emphasizes rhythmically intricate passages, minor chord tension, and alien tonalities.

A1. “Köhntark (Part One)” (15:45) — live version of material later incorporated into Köhntarkösz; original studio counterpart appears on Köhntarkösz (1974)
A2. “Köhntark (Part Two)” (16:14) — continuation of Part One
A3. “Ëmëhntëht-Rê (Announcement)” (8:10) — previously unreleased live premiere, later integrated into Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré

B1. “Hhaï” (9:20) — previously unreleased live premiere
B2. “Kobah” (6:36) — reworking of “Kobaïa” from Magma (1970)
B3. “Lïhns” (4:55) — previously unreleased live track
B4. “Da Zeuhl Wortz Mekanïk” (6:14) — derived from Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh (1973)
B5. “Mëkanïk Zaïn” (18:57) — continuation of MDK material, substituting for “Nebëhr Gudahtt”/“Mekanïk Kommandöh”

Sessions occurred at Taverne de l’Olympia in Paris, with Giorgio Gomelski producing and Frank Owens engineering. Christian Vander contributed inside design; Klaus Blasquiz created ideograms and the cover design.

The album has been reissued multiple times: Utopia (1975), Tomato (1978), Seventh (1989, 2009), Victor (2001), and Charly (1996, 2001), including a two-CD remixed edition with bonus tracks.

Üdü Ẁüdü

Magma released their sixth studio album, Üdü Ẁüdü, on September 10, 1976, on Utopia (France), RCA (Germany), and Tomato (North America).

The album marked a shift from the cosmic solemnity of Köhntarkösz toward a more compact, rhythm-forward form of Zeuhl with dense interplay between bass, drums, and electronics. Christian Vander and Jannick Top shared compositional duties on a set that fuses jazz-rock precision with choral and percussive tension.

Vander handled drums, percussion, keyboards, and lead vocals alongside bassist–cellist Jannick Top, who added synthesizers and fret-cello. The lineup included singers Klaus Blasquiz and Stella Vander, keyboardists Patrick Gauthier and Michel Graillier, bassist Bernard Paganotti, trumpeter Pierre Dutour, and saxophonist–flautist Alain Hatot.

Vander wrote four numbers, including the title track and “Zombies (Ghost Dance),” while Top contributed “Soleil d’Ork” and the 18-minute finale “De Futura.” Paganotti co-wrote “Weidorje” with Blasquiz, foreshadowing their subsequent spinoff band of that name.

Side one unfolds as a sequence of compact pieces that test new rhythmic and textural ground. “Üdü Ẁüdü” opens the album with layered female vocals and buoyant brass over a syncopated rhythm, while “Weidorje” blends heavy bass patterns with solemn choral exchanges. “Tröller Tanz (Troll’s Dance)” places Vander’s piano against Top’s bowed cello in chamber-like counterpoint. “Soleil d’Ork” builds around a repetitive, trance-inducing bass figure colored by flute and synth. “Zombies (Ghost Dance)” deepens the tone with dissonant harmonies and terse rhythmic phrasing. Side two consists of Top’s “De Futura,” an extended bass-driven epic that evolves from slow ritual intensity to manic propulsion with overlapping chants and mechanical drumming.

A1. “Üdü Ẁüdü” (4:10)
A2. “Weidorje” (4:30)
A3. “Tröller Tanz (Troll’s Dance)” (3:40)
A4. “Soleil d’Ork (Ork’s Sun)” (3:50)
A5. “Zombies (Ghost Dance)” (4:20)

B1. “De Futura” (17:40)

— Bonus track on CD —
“Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê (Extrait No. 2)” (3:12)

Sessions occurred during May–June 1976 at Studio de Milan in Paris with producer Giorgio Gomelsky and engineers Jean Peal Malek, Alain Français, and Gilles Grenier.

Üdü Ẁüdü first appeared with a provisional sleeve due to unfinished artwork. Klaus Blasquiz’s completed cover, used on later issues, depicts abstract geometric forms rendered in muted tones.

Following the album, Paganotti and Gauthier departed to form Weidorje, developing the sound introduced on their namesake track. Top later re-recorded “Soleil d’Ork” and “De Futura” for his 2001 solo album Soleil d’Ork. “De Futura” was later sampled by industrial hip-hop group Death Grips on “Known for It” from their 2011 mixtape Exmilitary.

Inédits

In 1977, Magma released Inédits, a collection of unreleased 1972–75 recordings.

The album presents early experiments with Zeuhl structures, foreshadowing material later developed for the 2004 studio album K.A. (Köhntarkosz Anteria). The recordings emphasize intense rhythmic repetition, minor chord tension, and improvisatory instrumental interplay, highlighting both soloistic display and ensemble precision.

Vocalist Klaus Blasquiz leads with René Garber on vocals and contrabass clarinet for select tracks. Trumpet is performed by Louis Toesca, saxophones by Teddy Lasry and Jeff Seffer, violin by Didier Lockwood, and guitars by Gabriel Federow, Claude Olmos, and Marc Fosset. Keyboards are handled by Jean-Luc Manderlier, Michel Grailler, Benoît Widemann, Jean-Pol Asseline, François Cahen, and Gérard Bikialo. Bassists include Francis Moze, Jean-Pierre Lembert, Jannick Top, and Bernard Paganotti. Christian Vander performs drums and vocals throughout.

Christian Vander composed four of the six tracks; Jannick Top co-wrote “Soẁiloï + KMX – EXII – Opus 3” and “KMX – BXII – Opus 7.” No covers appear on the album.

The recordings divide into dynamic improvisations and structured Zeuhl motifs. “Soẁiloï + KMX – EXII – Opus 3” opens with cosmic electric keys and extended bass solos from Jannick Top, blending jazz-inflected Zeuhl variations. “KMX – BXII – Opus 7” emphasizes interplay between keyboard and rhythm sections. “Om Zanka” navigates 7/8 time with Vander’s drums counterpointing Benoît Widemann’s keys, culminating in choral Kobaïan vocal passages over Lockwood’s violin. “Gamma” and “Gamma Anteria” explore early compositional sketches that anticipate later K.A. material, while “Terrien Si Je t’ai Convoqué” features structured minor chord progressions supporting Blasquiz’s vocal lines.

A1. “Soẁiloï + KMX – EXII – Opus 3” (13:45) — co-written by Christian Vander and Jannick Top; early 1974 recording
A2. “KMX – BXII – Opus 7” (6:13) — written by Jannick Top; recorded 26 September 1974, Gibus Club, Paris
A3. “Om Zanka” (5:30) — Christian Vander; recorded 21 January 1975, Répétition Drancy

B1. “Gamma” (4:00) — Christian Vander; recorded June 1973, Orry-la-Vile
B2. “Terrien Si Je t’ai Convoqué” (4:10) — Christian Vander; recorded June 1972
B3. “Gamma Anteria” (7:45) — Christian Vander; recorded 15 February 1973, Studio Aquarium, Paris

Sessions occurred at various Paris-area locations between 1972 and 1975, including Studio Aquarium and live club settings, with Christian Vander producing.

Inédits was first released on Tapioca, later reissued on LTM and Seventh.

Attahk

Magma released their seventh studio album, Attahk, on March 5, 1978, on Eurodisc (France), Ariola (Spain, Germany), and Tomato (North America).

After a brief hiatus following Üdü Ẁüdü, Magma reconvened with a revamped lineup and a new musical direction that folded funk, R&B, and gospel into their zeuhl foundation. The album presents a brisker, rhythm-driven sound shaped by intricate vocal interplay, thick keyboard textures, and a dance-oriented pace that contrasted with the monumental austerity of their prior works.

Christian Vander wrote all seven songs and handled drums, piano, percussion, and most lead vocals. Bassist Guy Delacroix played dual roles as “Earth” and “Air” bassist, often overdubbing to create the illusion of twin low-end lines. Keyboardist Benoît Widemann alternated between acoustic piano, Rhodes, Minimoog, and Oberheim synths. The lineup also included lead and choral vocals by Klaus Blasquiz, René Garber, Stella Vander, and Lisa Bois, with brass support from trumpeter Tony Russo and trombonist Jacques Bolognesi.

The music divides into sharply contrasted moods. “The Last Seven Minutes (1970–1977, Phase I)” opens the album with a pounding funk rhythm and call-and-response vocals that surge into frenetic zeuhl chants. “Spiritual (Negro Song)” veers into gospel, featuring exuberant handclaps and overlapping choral lines. “Rindë (Eastern Song)” offers a tranquil piano-led interlude sung by Stella Vander. “Liriïk Necronomicus Kahnt” revives the band’s rhythmic intensity with swirling bass and echoing keyboards. The second half spans the dark, heavily percussive “Maahnt (The Wizard’s Fight Versus the Devil),” the atmospheric love song “Dondaï (To an Eternal Love),” and the climactic “Nono (1978, Phase II),” which reprises the opener’s propulsive drive.

A1. “The Last Seven Minutes (1970–1977, Phase I)” (7:35)
A2. “Spiritual (Negro Song)” (3:17)
A3. “Rindë (Eastern Song)” (3:07)
A4. “Liriïk Necronomicus Kahnt (In Which Our Heroes Ürgon & Ğorğo Meet)” (4:59)

B1. “Maahnt (The Wizard’s Fight Versus the Devil)” (5:29)
B2. “Dondaï (To an Eternal Love)” (7:59)
B3. “Nono (1978, Phase II)” (6:17)

Sessions occurred at Studio des Dames in Paris with producer Laurent Thibault, who also engineered the recordings with assistant Michel Marie.

Attahk features cover artwork by Swiss surrealist H. R. Giger, whose biomechanical portrait evokes the record’s hybrid of organic rhythm and futuristic tone.

Merci

Magma released their eighth studio album, Merci, on May 4, 1985, on Jaro (Germany) and Label Du Bon Independant (France).

The album marked a stylistic departure from the band’s prior Zeuhl works, embracing soul, jazz-funk, and gospel textures within compact song forms sung in Kobaïan, French, and English. It served as Christian Vander’s farewell to Magma’s first era, preceding the vocal-centered direction of his next project, Offering.

Vander handled vocals, piano, celeste, keyboards, and percussion alongside singer Stella Vander and guest vocalists Guy Khalifa, Liza Deluxe, and Alex Ferrand. The sessions featured multiple brass and reed players (including trumpeters Philippe Slominski and Christian Martinez and saxophonists Michel Goldberg and Paul Bayle), keyboardists Benoît Widemann, Simon Goubert, and Patrick Gauthier, bassist Marc Éliard, guitarist Jean-Luc Chevalier, and drummer François Laizeau.

Vander wrote five of the seven songs and co-wrote two (“Call from the Dark (Ooh Ooh Baby)” and “I Must Return”) with lyricists Julie and Ricky Dassin. Saxophonist René Garber contributed the eleven-minute “Eliphas Levi.”

Side one introduces the album’s R&B direction. “Call from the Dark (Ooh Ooh Baby)” opens with electronic percussion, choral refrains, and brass fanfares, combining programmed rhythm with gospel inflection. “Otis” and its brief reprise “Otis (Ending)” pay tribute to Otis Redding through a mix of French vocals, sustained horns, and layered choral tension. “Do the Music” places Vander’s rhythmic sense in a funk–disco framework, driven by chantlike phrasing and propulsive bass patterns. Side two opens with “I Must Return,” an exuberant gospel piece with alternating vocal leads and radiant brass sections. “Eliphas Levi” extends across minimal piano, percussion, and hypnotic choral drones in a meditative style that foreshadowed Vander’s work with Offering. The closing “The Night We Died” revisits the melodic theme of “I Must Return” as a sparse piano ballad sung in Kobaïan.

A1. “Call from the Dark (Ooh Ooh Baby)” (7:20) — co-written by Julie and Ricky Dassin
A2. “Otis” (5:20)
A3. “Do the Music” (4:25)
A4. “Otis (Ending)” (1:32)

B1. “I Must Return” (6:32) — co-written by Julie and Ricky Dassin
B2. “Eliphas Levi” (11:15) — written by René Garber
B3. “The Night We Died” (3:40)

Sessions occurred between June 1982 and October 1984 at Studio de Milan in Paris with Christian Vander producing.

The cover features a stylized group portrait framed by geometric patterns, symbolizing the ensemble’s final collective phase before disbanding.

Merci was Magma’s last album before a twenty-year hiatus that ended with K.A (Köhntarkösz Anteria) in 2004. “Eliphas Levi” and “The Night We Died” presaged the choral and devotional focus of Vander’s subsequent Offering albums.

Members

1970: Christian Vander (drums, vocals, piano, electric piano), Laurent Thibault (electric bass), Zabu (vocals), Jean-Jacques Ferry (guitar), Erik Goger (guitar), René Garber (bass clarinet, vocals), Claude Engel (guitar, flute, vocals), Eddie Rabin (keyboards), Guy Marco (trumpet), René Morizur (saxophone), Klaus Blasquiz (vocals, percussion), François Faton Cahen (piano, electric piano), Paco Charlery (trumpet, percussion), Richard Raux (saxophone, flute), Jacques Vidal (string bass), Teddy Lasry (saxophone, flute), Yochk’o Seffer (saxophone, bass clarinet, flute)

1971: Vander, Thibault, Blasquiz, Engel, Cahen, Lasry, Seffer, Louis Toesca (trumpet)

1972: Vander, Francis Moze (electric bass, string bass, keyboards), Blasquiz, Cahen, Lasry, Seffer, Toesca, Jean-Luc Manderlier (piano, organ), Daniel Denis (drums), Jean-Pierre Lembert (bass), Michel Graillier (piano, keyboards), Gérard Bikialo (piano, keyboards), Marc Fosset (guitar), Stella Vander (vocals)

1973: Vander, Moze, Blasquiz, Manderlier, Graillier, Bikialo, Garber, Jannick Top (bass), Claude Olmos (guitar)

1974: Vander, Blasquiz, Stella Vander, Graillier, Bikialo, Top, Olmos

1975: Vander, Blasquiz, Stella Vander, Bernard Paganotti (bass), Jean-Paul Asseline (keyboards), Benoît Widemann (keyboards), Gabriel Federow (guitar), Didier Lockwood (violin), Patrick Gauthier (keyboards)

1976: Vander, Blasquiz, Stella Vander, Top, Paganotti, Asseline, Widemann, Federow, Lockwood, Gauthier, Clément Bailly (drums, keyboards), Guy Delacroix (bass), Jean de Antoni (guitar), Florence Bertaux (vocals)

1978: Vander, Blasquiz, Garber, Delacroix, Widemann, Jean-Luc Chevalier (guitar, bass), André Hervé (keyboards), Michel Hervé (bass), Lisa Deluxe (vocals)

Discography: