I would like to hear from the people who read this blog.
Several Magma fans are currently in discussions with Stella and Seventh Records about making some rare Magma bootlegs available as digital downloads for the price of 8 Euros apiece (about $11, or 7 Quid). This may include the famous great audience recording of Toulouse 1972, featuring the only recorded performance of Dotz Hundin.
We all realize that Magma (and especially Christian Vander) are perfectionists when it comes to the quality of the performances that they want to release to the public. And, we all realize that these rare bootlegs might have both performances and sound that may not be up to the high standards that are set by Magma.
Nevertheless, I am sure that we would all like to be able to be given the chance to purchase these rare items. There are many hundreds of rare recordings in the Magma vaults, and they cannot be left to disintegrate over time.
As you all know, Stella and other members of Magma read this blog. Please voice your opinions, and let Stella and Seventh know that there is a market for these kinds of rarities.
Posts
Caballo de Feria - Diluvio
14 years ago
in flac format i'll buy toulouse 72!!!!
ReplyDelete(and others!!
Ghislain gzeuhl
I'd be more interested if recordings like this were made available as part of (or a sub-section of) the AKT series. I won't pay for a download, but I would buy CDs. Maybe something along the lines of the King Crimson Collectors Club releases, where it is known that the audio might not be of a particularly high standard but the performances are significant, and the CDs are made available through subscription/mailorder but not generally released?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI, as a musician and a scientist (both careers I pursue just because of love), have encountered several times people that don't pay tribute to the ideas and creations of others... and when one side is doing things based in love and not in a money-seeking journey, we as fans or followers (the other side) must act with the same selflessness and pay the deserved tribute to the artists.
I will be willing to pay for bootlegs I already have and of course for new bootlegs. Is the right thing to do.
For example, King Crimson does this all the time and I think is a great idea for fans and collectors like myself and for the band as well.
It's a win-win situation from my naïve point of view. I don't know how much effort (time/money) will require to set-up and maintain an online store-catalog for MAGMA bootlegs and if this effort will be consistent with the profit.
But I think is a great idea.
I would pay for Flac copies of unreleased shows from 73-74 and even 75-76. Im especially interested in hearing recordings of wurdah itah and KA from 73. Also I would like to see more from June to August, a time which in the Kohntarkosz booklet in the Magma boxset, Christian speaks of as extraordinary in terms of musical progression. Also, soundboards from recent years.
ReplyDeleteCory
As you know , there is many concerts who circulate in bootlegs ... 8 euros , ok at this price but JUST if they are VERY RARE ( the best will be never hear at this time ) or studio work , rehearsal ... ( sorry for my poor english )
ReplyDeleteKorrigan
Of course there is a market for this! I myself suggested the idea to seventh records a couple of years ago. They said they would transmit the message to whomever it may concern but never heard back from them. I think they could do what the band Pearl Jam do: record every live performance and sell them online for around 8euro. People will for sure want to own the soundboard recording of the concert they saw.
ReplyDeleteA vie, A mort, Et après.
I'd be very glad to see this happen. Of course, I'd prefer CD albums to digital downloads, though.
ReplyDeleteStill, good news.
Thanks,
Gabriel
I would love to get some of these. I've got most of their studio albums, and Live/Hhai is coming in the mail, so any extra live material would be massively appreciated. I'd rather have CD's, but I'm happy with MP3's or FLAC's if thats the only option. It would be awesome if a boxset of some of these live performances would be made; As long as they're still decent quality I'm happy to pay!
ReplyDeleteAlso, what Daniel said about the KC-type of release would be very cool.
-Joel
Interesting!
ReplyDeleteI also prefer CDs. Putting them as part of the AKT-series would be great.
Anyway, thanks for good news.
Leo
Personally, I would be very hesitant to pay for bootlegs. If it's going to be anything like the KC collector's club it's still a very good service, but I wouldn't pay for either.
ReplyDeletewell if that would be an easier task than to keep the AKT series alive.. well then switch to downloadable flac-files.. and i'll be there to fork out the necessary money to obtain more magma(than i can ever listen to)..but actually i doubt that christin would be keen on having lower quality releases around ( although i do not go along with that statement that the releases by magma (esp AKT) are of high quality standard.... some of the shows traders circulate can easily compete with several of the AKT cds.. my 2 cents...
ReplyDeleteI say yes to this, as long as the files are high quality FLAC files & NOT MP3s.
ReplyDeleteWould be nice to have some downloadable art work too.
Perhaps they could release every future concert like this. I have been to a few shows recently where you could officially buy the show on the way out, either on CD-r or USB key!
Cheers
StuArt
Would I buy more live Magma ? you bet !
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, downloadable flacs are preferable in terms of cost and sound quality, and also in order to keep a clear distinction between the "proper" Magma oeuvre on CDs (official albums and AKTs) and these proposed documentary releases, which may or may not meet all the desirable standards of quality.
However, it would be unwise to drown the main artistic statements in a flood of marginalia. Sadly, this is what is happening with DGM Live : I see more pragmatism than integrity in their plan of publishing every live document they have, just because the completists will buy anything - even when the performance sucks (btw the Pearl Jam model was "inspired" by Fripp's failed startup, Bootleg TV).
There is currently a demand for "getting everything" : some audients want to hear all the live recordings, all the outtakes, all the demos... they want to hear all the instruments equally loud in the mix (not much of a "mix", then), regardless of the intended meaning of an orchestration... - "give it all to me, right in the face". There is more to say on the ethos that informs this kind of demand, but I'm going off topic.
At this point, Magma has almost completed the peculiar shift from "n°1 public enemy" to "national treasure"... Therefore the interests of history (preservation, communication, tradition) will indeed become increasingly acute.
I would definitely buy official bootlegs - but would prefer CDs to Flacs (no MP3 please!!). A lot of bands are doing this nowadays very successfully, like King Crimson, Metallica (every concert for download), Grateful Dead etc. I can also image a subscription series: You pay for getting four albums per year for instance which are not for sale otherwise. In any cas:. Making more Magma stuff available is a VERY good idea! Just do it! :-)
ReplyDeleteSelected "bootlegs" from the vaults would be most welcome!
ReplyDeleteCertainly. I do like the idea of the King Crimson Collectors' Club releases, adn I know there is tons of relatively high quality Magma material to be had. Similar to how bands such as String Cheese and Phish are able to put new and old shows up for sale quickly, Magma has a big enough following to be able to profit from doing this. Since I am not a technophile, I would prefer CDs to Flacs, and would prefer MP3, making me the only one to do so, but that's because I can't figure out how to play Flacs anyway, luddite that I am. Since I don't download material off sites that post since the bands get no profit from it... So this is all to the good.
ReplyDeleteDana
I'm all for it. Access to interesting live stuff in exchange for a direct contribution to the artist = excellent! I think downloads would be better than CDs, simply because of the cost and effort involved with physical format. It's not worth the artist's while to manufacture umpteen CDs, esp. if the sound quality isn't magnificent. Only the major fans will want these anyway, so why fill up the Seventh stockroom? (Besides, I have to say, my hearing and playback equipment are not so amazing as to make me recoil from the inadequacies of downloaded music, even the dreaded mp3!!) ;-)
ReplyDeletewould be a great idea since there are famous and great shows but unreleased.... please be careful too with quality and remastering ... "brut de fonte" is an idea that few of them really like when it kills quality of listening .... but i'll be first to buy them !!
ReplyDeleteYes please!
ReplyDeleteAnd as Seventh may be reading, I am curious as to whether they ever considered pressing limited vinyl runs of KA / ER?
Personally I don't normally buy CDs, although of course for Magma I make an exception :) But I'd love to have these on LP format....
Good idea. I'd prefer cd's over downloads. Most likely I'd buy some rarities. However I'm a kind of person who doesn't need 15 different versions of Kohntarkosz or MDK. Even though I like those songs very much.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'd like to see is that Magma puts out a box of their official live recordings in a similar way as Studio Zünd box was done. It may include also some essential AKT releases.
And after that I'd like to have a box of rarities containing live and studio recordings, alternative versions etc.
Great idea! I too think these should be made available in FLAC, perhaps with PDF booklets. They could call it "AKT DIGITAL" or something to that extent. Very much looking forward to the result of this discussion...
ReplyDeleteI would buy CD's, yes, downloads no - unless its FLAC, and remember to make a cover available.
ReplyDeleteOUI , JE VEUX !
ReplyDeletemore than 9 000 % !
we're countin' on friends of Stella to convince her !
my best wishes for 2010 is this goal !
I'd buy CDs or downloads if the quality is "correct",it means: better than the last Akt,in bourges.but of course it will be a great pleasure to buy rare magma concerts!! Janyan
ReplyDelete200 % OK
ReplyDeleteje prefere des CDs, mais on peut aussi envisager du download , si c'est en FLAC : le prix proposé semble tout a fait correct
ReplyDeleteCDSs prefered, download accepted only if in FLAC : 8.00€ seem to be a good price
PATRICK
I think great music deserves good packaging and informative booklet, so I would choose CD or (if available) vynil, and I would be prepared to pay much, as I buy few records but only those I consider I would listen to and listen again. I don't really know what's in Seventh's vaults, but I guess some tapes must contain some wonderful music. As for a book_I 'd rather read the "Chanson de Roland" in a beautiful and lavish edition than on a worn paperback_ those few exceptional gigs deserve better than a download.
ReplyDeleteShidaifeng
I bought all the AKT and standard releases available on eMusic, and I do also own most of them on CD and/or vinyl, so yeah definitely I'd buy more if there was more !
ReplyDeleteHowever, for downloads, I think 8 euros is a bit expensive. Maybe 5 euros ? Or make them available on eMusic too so I can just use my usual music budget on them :)
Bonjour !
ReplyDeleteexcellente idée, il est vrai que je prefere un support réel comme le CD, mais a un prix raisonnable entre 5 et 8 € cela sempble tout à fait interessant et couperait la mauvaise herbe tel ceux qui revendent des boots sur ebay et autres sources (en Argentine entre autre)
Franck/aredurnö
Magma concerts is always warmly welcome, on LP, CD or as FLAC files for downloads, If they think of doing it like King Crimson does it at their DMG web-site, they should get someone who could make cd coverart for the concerts....
ReplyDeleteI hope this could happen, and i wish they would concentrate on live recordings that is not widely available elsewhere on the net....
Love from Norway, Zebehnn
CD or Download, I don't care... I'm willing to pay to hear any unreleased material :)
ReplyDeleteJe suis d'accord à 100 %!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTous les concerts sont enregistrés... il y a des trésors à découvrir... pouvoir acheter le concert auquel on a assisté, en souvenir et avec un son direct console de mixage... Très bonne idée.
Seriously, downloading FLACs would be a ridiculous strain on any server, why not just have 256/320kbps mp3s like most online muic places? It's a live concert anyway so what's the point?
ReplyDeleteMore live releases are a great idea, but CDs please not downloads. The King Crimson Collectors series is the way to go here - keeps the music special.
ReplyDeleteChris H
YEEEEEESSSSSSSZ !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'd pay 8 euro for flacs. I'd love to hear better quality recordings of the early shows or shows with song that were only played a few time.
ReplyDelete"Seriously, downloading FLACs would be a ridiculous strain on any server, why not just have 256/320kbps mp3s like most online muic places? It's a live concert anyway so what's the point?"
ReplyDeleteThe point is to preserve the lineage properly in a lossless format. If the quality is less than perfect to start with, this is even more reason not to destroy the dynamics further by means of mp3.
Another thought - There are many bootleg recordings in circulation and some are superb sound quality - I would be reluctant to pay for what I already had, unless it was a major sound quality upgrade. So I would suggest that they only release truly 'Rare' material. A quick trawl around the internet should show whats commonly about. I hope this happens.
ReplyDeleteSalute!
StuArt
FYI, from Fripp's Diary (jan 28th, 2010) : "DGM Live factoids… we have 951 loyal customers; 17 downloads are recouped" (i.e after four years of activity).
ReplyDeleteI would be very interested in purchasing good-quality flac or CD versions of Magma concerts.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I'm a big Retrospektiw fan...I'd love to hear the unedited concerts!
C'est bien sur une grande idée.
ReplyDeleteMais les bruts bruts de chez bruts non merci. Un minimum de sons audibles est pour moi requis et non pas un magma (hé oui) sonore infecte et tout cela juste pour dire celui-là je l'ai, non merci. Je suis collectionneur de concerts ,pirates jamais édités, de Miles Davis (+/- 300). Dans cette longue liste, il y a des concerts que j'achèterais les yeux fermés et d'autres pour lesquels je ne dépenserais pas un kopek.
it would be unwise to drown the main artistic statements in a flood of marginalia. Sadly, this is what is happening with DGM Live.
ReplyDeleteAre there any updates on this situation?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would buy every recording, FLAC or CD.
ReplyDeleteI would buy every recording, FLAC or CD
ReplyDeleteI would be interested. I collected a bunch of Magma bootlegs many years ago. As a musician, I think that the band should be paid for their efforts. I recall one bootleg (that I can't find now) that had a bunch of unreleased tracks (late 70's I think). I would love to get more stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteI would love to a a cd of magma live at nearest
ReplyDeleteI think the piece of music I am looking for is called ballet slave.