Thanks to a very kind Magma fan, here are images of the interview in Reflechir & Agir No. 41.
Since these a images, I cannot put this into Google Translator. Perhaps some kind fan can translate this interview into English.
Since these a images, I cannot put this into Google Translator. Perhaps some kind fan can translate this interview into English.
Posts
Nice interview. Nothing surprising if you have already read other interviews. Cool to see some people talk of Magma, even if it's in a rightw-ing publication.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I didn't know : Vander does know enough about "rock identitaire" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_identitaire_fran%C3%A7ais) to say that "It lacks an european music" when asked what he thinks of it. I don't know what that means. Vander talks about rap too :
"If it really was a dangerous music, it wouldn't be on radio. It's a music nobody is afraid of. Magma must be dangerous because it isn't on radio". Haha ! ^_^
Good to know it's mainly about music. I don't think that eagle sculpture in the photo is very fortunate, but seeing as how Magma's art design has always contained such imagery, I can live with it.
ReplyDeleteI thought I would translate the more controversial passages. I haven't edited them, except for changing the word "scene" to "stage" where appropriate.
ReplyDeleteChristian Vander, Magma the sorcerer shaman, R & A has received in his house ["in" -F] Haute-Marne. Return on an exceptional journey and a truly European music and europeïnne [Google Translate didn't get this word. However, as far as I can tell from googling, "europeïnne" is a right-wing term -F]
You were often bored with rumors about Magma Nazi group?
Hula [French slang expression? -F], very quickly yes. Many rumors ... There are a lot of festivals where we never play. It was Tricard Strasbours on for ten years ... I remember a concert in Bordeuax before 7000. This cunt Jerome Savary had come with a demo with him, yelling "fascist" and ... tending the arm! They were throwing bottles of wine on the stage. I did not move and I continued to play and told me that it did not reach me. And our roadie, Loulou, tacked guys trying to get on stage. Y'avait guys who went over my battery (laughs) It was very violent. What was funny is that, between two pieces, I went to talk to a guy who stretched out his arm in front of me first. And I said to him: "What you, what do you want?" And the guy said, "No, no, I'm with you!" (laughs)
Nothing TOO unfortunate here, except for the journalist describing the music of Magma as "europeïnne," and the fan with the outstretched arm. I guess the former was always a given to some extent, though; Kobaïa always seemed to represent an utopic society that contains the best elements of Europe, really. The language reinforces this, in my opinion. As for the story about the fan, Vander can't really be held responsible there, can he?
Charles Manson heard a rally to murder in "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles; let's let the tools (my own personal view of this sub-culture) hear what they want.
Personally, I will continue to enjoy Magma's music for what I hear in it. Not all the crap I can't hear.
"Personally, I will continue to enjoy Magma's music for what I hear in it. Not all the crap I can't hear."
ReplyDelete:-) Me too.
"Europaïenne", or "européenne + païenne", can be translated as "Europagan". Now we can see how historically it can be considered as a right-of-the-right-wing term.
ReplyDeletePersonally, the eagle sculpture in the photo and the term "europaïenne" are too unfortunate for me, so I will burn all my magma albums and probably commit suicide unless Christian Vander makes a clear statement saying he is a communist like all of us.
ReplyDeleteAnother proof of Christian Vander's nazism: in the interview he quotes Stefan George , who was a german writer, and by "german" I mean nazi. Only someone with strong nazi beliefs would quote such an obscure nazi writer.
ReplyDeleteS.George died in 1933 and there is no prooves that he supported nazi's ideology.
DeleteGeorge left Germany in '33 to live in the south of Suisse. Allthough Goebbels wanted him to be a "Poet of the Reich", he remained quiet untill his death in that same year.
DeleteChristian Vander like provocation and you fall in it...
ReplyDeletenot anonymous, aredurno from a zeuhl forum
Lot of comments on Manu's FB site on this...
ReplyDeletearedurno: Oh, come on. The man is quite clearly stating his opinion in magazine that seems completely serious, no matter how its subject matter may offend us.
ReplyDeleteYou honestly think he would try to deliberately provoke us with this after all the stuff with Manu back in 2009? I'm sure it hurt Seventh's sales (I recall someone mentioning that a lot of record stores suddenly pulled Magma albums from their shelves), and Stella probably ripped him a new asshole, just like she alledgedly did when the Goebbels-quote made the headlines.
In my view, the evidence of Vander's beliefs are now there for all to see, from his own mouth, no less. The question is how you're going to act upon that. Are you going to enjoy the music for its other values, or are you going to stop listening altogether? I think either way is acceptable. However, trying to convince yourself, and everyone else, that Vander is just making all this stuff up to "provoke" is - in my opinion - completely deluded and moronic.
Finally, I'm not completely sure whether the "Anonymous" comments above yours were written by you as well. However, whoever the author of those comments are, your "LALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU"-attitude blows my mind. You're making light of something that deserves to be taken seriously. You come across as an arse, and I would argue that such mocking encourages passivity towards extreme right wing beliefs. At least take a stand, man.
I'd like to point the fact that when asked about his taste in comic books, Christian Vander says he likes Hergé... the creator of Tintin being well known for his nazism, this answer is outrageous.
ReplyDeleteQED.
Wow. Hergé was never a nazi. While several early Tintin comics feature what you might call casual racism (acceptable humour back then), Hergé grew to be proud of portraying other nationalities as correctly as possible and in "Coke En Stock", he has Captain Haddock insult slavers. Do your homework.
ReplyDeleteFYI, I do not like extreme right wing politics myself. I am shocked, and I was shocked in 2009 as well. However, I will continue to oppose misinformation and stupidity in this debate and I'm sadly seeing a lot of both.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard of something called irony?
ReplyDeleteObviously, but I do not find it particularly suitable for such a topic being debated among non-native English speakers. Message and intent are muddled up enough already.
DeleteI have extreme right wing opinions , and I love Magma. Knowing that my two passions are actually combined really makes my day.
ReplyDeleteI can certainly agree with that sentiment on some level (I'm of the extreme right persuasion as well), but I have many reservations.
DeleteAs stated in another comment--I sincerely doubt Magma is using their music for what amounts essentially to Vander's opinions; notwithstanding him being the composer, putting his opinions into music of a band would be a very cowardly thing to do, as well as extremely counterproductive.
Even if the music was echoing opinions that I support, I would be very disappointed to learn that this was the case, as it would detract much from the value of the music, and I think Vander is much too passionate an artist--even if he is a "crazy old man"--to let his music be defiled thus. So far there have been no indications that Vander's compositions are in any way a conduit to promote his way of thinking; even if it does depict an (according to many) arguably utopian society with a particular mindset, the music itself is limited entirely to fictionalized depictions and glimpses, rather than being an indoctrinatory set of messages.
I think in the end this boils down to me saying: I don't think this is the case, and I would be very disappointed if it was. Thankfully, however, what evidence we DO readily have, points much to the opposite.
A quick answer to Frederik
ReplyDelete1-in my mind this is my first comment in this blog, or the last one is very old and I allways sign my messages , as that one
2-this actual subject don't really interest me. I think there is provocation from CV
3-if he was like some things he is, do you think he was married with a Jewish ? Do you think he could have a real fascination for a black musician as J Coltrane ?
these 2 proofs are very enough for me
you want more ? he has played in a communist festival in 1971, one of Magma's musician is rabbin now...
last, under a nazism regim, do you think Magma or C Vander should be protected, I don't thik so, too revolutioneer, uncontrolable
please, accecp my bad English but I think you understand my position and my language, even if you don't share my mind
aredurno
PS : I have never reed or hear any right wing comment by C Vander, never. Maybe he use some points form right to left wings. Finaly like many humans.
Best his speak about music, not for political opinions, specialy for any extrem right or left
aredurno:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, your English is fine - I certainly understand you! I'll move on to your three main points now.
1. Alright, in that case, I apologise. And I notice the anonymous person(s) in question has shut up anyway ;)
2. A provocation, maybe. But considering the outcry it's generating, I don't feel it's just something you can hush away or shrug your shoulders at.
3. Ironically, I read a story recently (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/ernst-hess-hitler_n_1653547.html) about Hitler personally stepping out to save a Jewish WWI veteran he knew from his own concentration camps. I've also heard anecdotes about KKK members being perfectly good friends with black people. This kind of doublethink does exist, and Vander is will be just as susceptible to it as everyone else.
The only direct right wing comments from Vander I can think about would be his comments on hippies and the Third World in that old interview. He's good at dodging this, but with the 2009-scandal still fresh in the minds of most fans, his decision to talk to R&A can bsically only be interpreted one way. Whether or not you let that bother you is something else, though...