Jazz fusion, RiO, & Zeulh music

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jonetsu
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Jazz fusion, RiO, & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

RiO stands for "Rock in Opposition" which is also the name of a yearly festival.

Magma's story line is loosely built around a mythical planet called Kobaïa. Magma is starting in 2020 its 51 years in existence.

Recorded 'from home' a few days ago, a Magma piece from their album 'Merci" released originally in 1984. Composer, drummer and singer Christian Vander directs.

Interesting aspect, the original line 'the night we died' was replaced by 'we are alive'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDwckN-05YQ
Last edited by jonetsu on Fri May 15, 2020 1:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Jazz fusion & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

Played live last month and directly recorded to vinyl, "Zombies", a piece by Magma. With guest Chassol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLT7THq7MKw
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Re: Jazz fusion & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

Chassol, mentioned above for the Magma piece, is a French musician. The English description is:

Pianist, composer, arranger and musical director for the likes of Phoenix and Sebastien Tellier, the charismatic and talented Christophe Chassol gave birth to an unclassifiable artistic piece. His compositions articulate voices, music, sounds, images onto new audiovisual objects.
The result has a name : "ultrascore". His aim : Harmonizing reality.


He plays with samples and audio, adding instruments. And so his 1-hour movie uses video and audio from Indian performers to which he added instruments. The first 2 minutes is a black screen with a spoken voice that's also transformed and makes the introduction to the work.

I translated quickly the spoken text:

He told me that he saw Indian music like two horizontal lines.
The first one, generally played by a tempura, symbolized the bass.
It was a flux, a tone, a root that defined the harmonic anchor point.
The second line represented the melody and it's meander paths.
It was born from the first, passing over it, under it, as if it was magnetized to the first one.
He told me that he wanted to play his favorite chords like mountains that resembled North American Indians.


"Indiamore" by Chassol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0euvHEnSw8

(Be aware that youtube can insert audio ads, so maybe a good way to listen to the piece w/o disturbances is to download it)
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Re: Jazz fusion & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

"K.A." is a relatively recent piece by Magma. It's a 22-minute piece that has a lot of nice jazzy/rock passages and carries over the Magma essence.

Magma uses sounds of their own invention for sung words. Hence lyrics can look like:

Kobalilëh dëhn dëhn sé Donvaï Ïẁaah süẁaï
Doẁï Doẁëri döh sé Doẁëri döh sé
Ïẁaah süẁaï Doẁï
Kobalilëh dëhn dëhn sé Donvaï Ïẁaah süẁaï
Doẁï Doẁëri döh sé Doẁëri döh sé
Ïẁaah süẁaï
Doẁï löhn sᴧë

Ërdö
Doẁëri sün dö ẁëhr
Eẁen dëh šlakëhndᴧë
Ẁïrr ünt
Da Feltëš komëštah
Dëh ẁlasïk Kobaïa
Ëẁa bradiaah sündᴧë


"K.A." also has some representations of progressive rock. This is the studio version (no video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIzdJjCHsmI
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Re: Jazz fusion & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

"HORTZ FUR DEHN STEKEHN WEST", a multitrack acappella version of a part of Magma's "Mëkanïk Destruktiẁ Kommandöh".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI6qqvngQUU

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The full 49-minute version, live, Paris 2000. Choir, brass, a full band, a large audience.

This moment tells the story of a Central European people
That once revolted against their tyrant
Was walking on the palace
And the chanting from this people was so beautiful
That they dispersed into space
Dowëri wissëhndoh woraï


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoZIXPvHPoY
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Re: Jazz fusion, RiO, & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

Christian Vander's (Magma composer, drummer, vocals, piano) and violinist Didier Lockwood (R.I.P.) in a rendition of "My Favorite Things"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOT3yuTk3_4
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Re: Jazz fusion, RiO, & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

At 72 composer and drummer Christian Vander does not sing so high nowadays. Although there was a time where he could.

This is a piece in memory of Otis Redding, from the 80s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_OQNptgv7g
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Re: Jazz fusion, RiO, & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

Christian Vander, 70 at the time of this live recording, composer, drummer, voice and piano is on voice only on this sumptuous piece.

Being human.

"ËHN DEÏSS" - Magma, Jazz à Vienne, Vienna 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU3hjZ8fStQ
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Re: Jazz fusion, RiO, & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

A few days ago were released a series of three videos of a Magma concert that was held on March the 8th 2020 in Perpignan, France. This sports the new Magma formation. After 50 years of existence, the band now has three additional vocalists while two keyboardists completes the drum, bass and guitar core. The bass is played by the son of the original Magma bass player, which goes to show how long the band is playing.

The videos were made using three cameras and for the small technical means being used comes out as very good in both video and sound. The editing of the three cameras is great, focusing often on players.

Magma has seen many changes through the years, and each formation had its charms. This new formation adds lush arrangements thanks to the extra voicings with both the new vocalists and the two keyboards.

This is "Wurdah Itah":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlqP-1eYEo8

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Re: Jazz fusion, RiO, & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

When there's time I like to listen again to the Magma concert of earlier this year in Perpignan, France. The 'featured' (because of the camera work) keyboardist is actually a drummer. This is the final part of "Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh" which was initially composed in 1973 The middle break has taken different forms in the band's 50 years of existence. In recent years it's a voice solo by drummer and composer Christan Vander that occupies that space, and this one is pretty good. It embodies the basic 'scream' and emotion towards the 'void' of infinity.

Again, the configuration of this year's Magma refreshed the music played by the band. 6 persons at the vocals brings a widening while the omnipresent Rhodes played by drummer Simon Goubert provides the harmonic backdrop in a way that suits the Rhodes piano very well. Christian Vander now past 70 years of age, has a softer drum play that blends very well while allowing a full band expression. Vander is a life-long admirer of John Coltrane and Otis Redding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4yx5bwBkvY


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Re: Jazz fusion, RiO, & Zeulh music

Post by jonetsu »

Within the "Les victoires du jazz 2020 | music awards" here's a rather original setting for the piece titled "Zombies", a large inside pool. There's a short interview in French with Christian and Stella Vander.

Magma was created in 1969. Christian Vander is 72 years old today. Magma is in its 51st year. Highlights of the interview are:

Christian Vander: Music is not worked upon when one arrives at the instrument. One does not become a drummer or a saxophone player when one arrives at the instrument. It is practised without interruption. One walks, touches, puts, it is part of music. Which makes it the same state all the time. We could give an imagery, like walking like a lynx. One walks and touches and is a lynx. One cannot say that one is suddenly a lynx. One is a lynx all day long. And one walks that way.

Stella Vander: What's nice is that we have fans from all ages. Not only people of our age. There are a lot of young people, everywhere in the world. We are very surprised when we arrive in countries where there are young people, 18, 19 years old, carrying our albums. We do not know how this happens. To see all those young people waiting for our music has motivated us to go through our repertoire.

Christian Vander, Magma's composer, does not compose new pieces often. Quite rarely actually. As he says:

Christian Vander: We never got bored. It's never the same. If it was always the same I'd be the first one to be bored. We always are searching for something else inside the pieces we play.

"Zombies" starts at 2:40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0GniNNSLAw

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