Letter from Francois Cahen - Rock et Folk No. 45 - October 1970

Letter of Magma

Dear Mr. Alessandrini,

In response to your article R & F août 70: I have often noticed the lack of information and many serious music critics. I feel almost like when you write on Magma, you've never listened to music. In addition, you make a work of destruction yet unnecessary, given our difficulties.

1st, Richard Raux, Christian Vander and myself did we ever shown in the free jazz. Jazz musicians, we played hard-bop, more derivative of Coltrane and Miles Davis as Archie Shepp. It is also from a radical critique of free-jazz (all he allowed mediocrity: Archie Shepp plays really with anyone now) that we decided to work on new music. This has required eight months of daily rehearsals, a music selection difficult on both their technical skills on their minds and their genuine desire to do something else. No matter what, but something felt really, because nothing is more odious than the lack of sincerity. This was not without difficulty.

2nd, Let's talk about the business side. I sincerely hope that Magma will become "commercial" common sense of the term because we do not want to work for an elite insider and only having an audience gives you the opportunity to express yourself. Each musician in the group reiterated full-time for eight months, but during this time earning a living. The group has refused to return the impresarios, "merchants of soup" fueling a market particularly rotten so since its inception, Magma has played 4 times in all and without any shadow of a "case" for (so you see that to play every night ...). The tracks are long (because they were well designed) which excludes any way radio. It is possible that if this situation lasted (which I do not believe) the band disappeared for lack of livelihood. So anyway, think a little about our compromise. Anyway, it occurs when you want to talk about oral paradoxically because I like your articles, though a little too focused on foreign securities.

So soon. Regards.

François Cahen (pianist of Magma)
241, rue Cler, Paris-7e,

PS I find particularly disgusting Slavik (I studied architecture at William Gillet), as well as I do not support Lelouch. A word to the wise.

Letters to the Editor, Rock & Folk # 45 - October 1970