What a Concert - May 30, 1975

Our good friend, Andy Bole, contributed this photo of a ticket to a concert from May 30, 1975.

Magma, Gong, Hawkwind and Henry Cow on the same bill !!! Incredible.

This concert is not listed in the Ork Alarm tour guide. Does anyone have more information about this? Memo?

Magma in Germany, November 17, 1975

It looks like this is a concert that Ork Alarm missed.

Thanks to Hanwaker, Ace Detective, for the image.

On DIME - Magma - Grenoble - May 17, 1975

The Kohntarkosz Blog (http://kohntarkosz.blogspot.com) is happy to bring you, for the first time ever :

The French Gentleman Tapes - Volume 6

MAGMA

GRENOBLE, France
Palais des Sports
17 may 1975
Festival (with Mahjun, Mama Béa Tekielski, Henry Cow)

01 Intro (1:44)
02 Köhntarkösz (34:52)
03 Emëhntëht-Rê (announcement) (7:20) >
04 Ptah (22:35)
05 Hhai (14:32)
06 Intro (1:29)
07 Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh (43:33)

Total : 2h06

Christian Vander (dr, voc)
Klaus Blasquiz (voc)
Stella Vander (voc)
Gabriel Federow (g)
Didier Lockwood (v)
Jean-Pol Asseline (k)
Benoît Widemann (k)
Bernard Paganotti (b)

AUD > reel-to-reel (mono, 1st gen.) > wav > flac

On DIME - Utopic Sporadic Orchestra - Nancy - 1975-10-17 (FM - Unreleased Piece)

 The Kohntarkosz Blog (http://kohntarkosz.blogspot.com) is happy to bring you, for the first time ever :

The French Gentleman Tapes - Volume 4


UTOPIC SPORADIC ORCHESTRA

NANCY, France
17 Oct 1975
Festival Nancy Jazz Pulsations

1) Andranomadio (22:24)  (Unreleased)

FM > reel-to-reel (1st gen mono) > wav > flac


Magmasystems Notes:

This is a piece from the famous USO concert that WAS NOT released on CD anywhere. The only CD of USO that has been released is this one:

http://www.discogs.com/Utopic-Sporadic-Orchestra-Nancy-75/release/1956301

and the tune on this torrent, "Andranomadio", was not included on this CD.


This is the first time that these recordings have been released. The original reels came from "A French Gentleman" who stumbled upon the various Magma blogs and who, as it turned out, had seen Magma several times in the 1970's. The gentleman not only had some assorted photographs, but had recorded various concerts. These tapes made their way to a well known DIME contributor who wishes to remain anonymous at this time. This person spent quite a bit of time digitizing the music and trying to clean up the sound. Some of these efforts were successful, some were not so ... as will be apparent in some later releases. I have dubbed these recordings "The French Gentlemen Tapes", and after about two years, I have been given permission to share these through time. Much thanks go to the Gentleman, as well as Trahnsferheur.

If you want to find out more about Utopic Sporadic Orchestra:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0BjmQvN9xk

Akoustikus Photo of the Day - Magma 1975

Video - Magma - Toulouse - September 23/24, 1975

This is some of the amazing footage that was recently discovered in the vaults of INA. It's only a little over 1 minute long. This shows some rehearsal/concert footage from the Magma concert in Toulouse, Sept 24, 1975. Plus some interviews with people on the street. A translations into English would certainly be welcome :-)

Hopefully, Seventh Records can procure the concert footage from INA and release it under the AKT label. The audio portion of the concert was already released on AKT IV. The video would make it complete !

Thanks to GZeuhl for the video capture.

Jannick Top - Utopic Sporadic Orchestra - nancy, 1975

Courtesy of Gerard Nguyen

Magma - Taverne De L'Olympia - Paris, June 1 to 5, 1975

More photos from Jean Jacques Le Moëllic, courtesy of Robert.

These are from the same series of concerts that the Magma Live album was recorded at.

Muzak No. 5 - 1975

Thanks to Gianmaria once again, who is starting to send us articles from italian magazines.

This one is from Muzak No. 5 (1975). Magma is mentioned in an article on French bands.

Magma - Covent Garden, Dortmund, Germany - November 7, 1975

Another photo from Alex Kraus.

C & S Vander, Blasquiz, Federow, Paganotti, Gauthier, Widemann, Lockwood
Recognizable pieces played included: MDK, Ptäh, Theusz Hamtaahk and Hhaï.

1975 - Oor Magazine No. 23 - Review of Magma Live

1975 - Oor Magazine No. 23 - Dutch article on Magma

1975 - Rock et Folk No. 103

This article is about various drummers. Google Translation below.


BIO: Christian Vander was born in Magma on Stoh Iwa. The son of a French pianist we will not disclose the name, he grew up in an environment of American jazz musicians who come to her parents. Little is remembered of Christian performing strange dances around the room, the tunes of Stravinsky. At five years, he plays the tambourine furiously. At thirteen, he began his musical studies. A year later, Vander initiates Elvin Jones on drums, he learns to free his wrists and shoulders, Vander plays with Gracham Monchur III, Chick Corea and Dave Holland. He venerates Coltrane. Fascinated by astronomy and Egyptology, he realizes one day that he bumps into a physical blocking by continuing to play jazz, even and especially free.The spirit must take over potential harm. All ideas he has, he will interpret other musicians, the battery becomes a stand. "What I want to express, I hear around me, so I have only chanting. "In 70 is the release of the double album" Magma "embryo of an adventure that began to gnaw Europe and New York splash, causing hatred, delusion, enthusiasm, but it is never true indifference. Working both the kobaïen (a "universal language"), drums and unpredictable destinies of Magma, it is significant that Vander is the only French drummer can appear in this anthology, between Williams and Baker, at the top.

STYLE: Prodigious drummer, loving his instrument enough to spend all his energy to create for him a case he deems worthy of him, Vander has a pulse frenzied, fierce, copy protected (in the form or spirit), exploded in the directions The most unexpected and constantly rising, whatever the altitude from which it departed.

Also, be tormented, restless mind, it is clear that Vander thought his game, he pours his drums hatred vis-à-vis the world. " "When I put a peach on a cymbal, I feel like killing the person in front of me." Magma's music is not, contrary to popular belief, improvised. It changes because Vander "seeks immortality and works to perfection.

EQUIPMENT: Gretsch drums. 2 toms mediums. 3 floor toms. 1 Charleston. 1 bass drum. 1 snare. 9 Zildjian cymbals. Sticks Ringshot A.

RECORDS: Magma helped create from scratch a concert tour in France. Go see Vander onstage LIVE.

Magma - Extra April 1975 - Roundhouse, London

Thanks to Akoustikus once again for the scans. Here is the Google Translation (take it for what it's worth) :

MAGMA London
London Magmania

Sunday, February 23, Magma crown his UK tour at the Roundhouse in London. At each concert, the British public has made a triumphant welcome to Christian Vander and his new band. The Roundhouse will be no exception. In this superb circus has long been devoted to music, 2000 people express their approval at the end of each song, cheering the solos Vander and standing long recall group at the end of the set.

In part, Ash Ra Tempel was very well received. The group is now a duo after the departure of John Strawn (still present at their last concert at Wagram), Manuel Gottsching and Lutz Ullbrich each hold a guitar and are backed by prerecorded tapes. "Two, work is much more difficult but much more exciting. When you're with a group, if one stops to take a moment, it's not really serious. Now it is possible. If one of us stops, everything is finished. This will require more concentration. But ultimately, this higher concentration is ultimately beneficial for the music, "Lutz said in substance after the set of Ash Ra Tempel. Their latest album, announces a new color for the musical duo, hopefully they will continue together and do not give way once more to this dance of separation / dissolution appears to be a major feature of German groups, After them, a appointed Batiato playing with electronic gadgets is soon repackage.

The roadies are finalizing equipment Magma. This concert is of course important for the group. Unfortunately for the musicians, a series of incidents is troubling him. First is the snare, then Charleston Vander having problems, then a microphone to his voice that does not work, finally the thread connecting her to a baffle of pianos is cut. Fortunately, the public does not see anything, except perhaps replacing the Charleston Vander while executing one of the most intense moments of his solo. At the end of the concert, it was a little tired of these setbacks which had devolved some musicians. For them this was not the best concert of the tour. For the public, deprived of this comparator, it was a great show.

Giorgio Gomelski, group manager for several years after having served, among others, the Stones in their infancy and Julie Driscoll has done things. Outside the Roundhouse, the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio recording the concert, a prelude perhaps to a live album of Magma.

The new Magma

Vander dissolved the previous group to form a new, two months ago, around the nucleus it is with his wife Stella and Klaus, the singer. The new musicians are great musicians, very young, still unknown. And the violinist, who is 18 years young virtuoso who has already jammed with people like McLaughlin. The group therefore includes eight members: Christian Klaus (voice and percussion), Stella (vocals), two musicians on keyboards, a bassist, a guitarist and violinist whose contribution to the band's sound is far from negligible.

Onstage, the band is dressed in black, some musicians have the logo of Magma, not all. The new formation, with only a little over a month of rehearsals, is already one of the best bands that have surrounded since early Vander of Magma. The next album will certainly witness.

Magma remains faithful to, esoteric world that is nevertheless a mirror of ours. The voice of Klaus and Stella are always written in Kobaïen, language that has been accused of all evils: gimmick, easy French powerless before the phonetic structure and bracing their language ... It is so easy to mock or to condemn than to try to understand! The Kobaïen Vander and his patience in preparing, enriching it with new words, new sounds that each express a meaning which can find its equivalent in any language. Nougaro affirms belief that his songs will be considered one days at the Sorbonne, I would not be surprised if the same adventure (or misadventure) arrived at Kobaïen. It is not impossible that linguists are addressing one days on the expressionist language based on the evocative power of certain sounds and the tone in which they are uttered. The most surprising is that more listening and watching Klaus sing, we can understand what he says. Single company - or almost, I advise fans to listen to a disc by Luciano Berio in which his wife, Cathy Berberian interprets a special song, "Face", year during which it makes the voice the various possible expressions of a face joy, laughter, pain, hate ... - which is both the challenge factor Horse and research scholars of the esoteric to the Great Work.

Magical Mystery Tour

This exceeds the company or rather darkness is as obscurantist as the times in which we live. Magma is not going to bleat at the feet of Jesus (who is Jesus? The latest news, this is a brand of jeans!). If the group often plays loud music, full of hatred, is to return us our image as a world of violence and hate. This picture of reality combines with that of the essence of reality, a reality higher than the emotions is more likely to perceive that the intellect. Hence the kobaïen, language of pure emotion. Where the music composed by Vander, lyrical, powerful, profound.

Initiation only show, the music takes the audience, hypnotizes. But again, the word initiation should not be misled. This music introduces us first to ourselves, not some muddy metaphysics. At bottom of each lies the Great Work that digs the music of Magma. The alchemy of music somehow.

The grave of musicians, this invitation to the mystery or magic they seem to be the attitude scenic Klaus and Stella playing their votes to hold speeches / invocations to themselves and the public, their movements broken, syncopated take us back to our tragic reality of clowns. Klaus when he plays the drums as much to offer worship to the eye than the ear: he wields as sacred objects, maintains them with a physical, treats them as totems, such that they really are, since they are the intermediary between the public and the music / revelation. It is also the case when Christian takes a drum solo. He listens, talks to her, punishes a game more violent when it did not meet his expectations (and when the Charleston and have dropped the microphone).

Violence and aggression in the music of Magma is never free: the volume is, for example, maintained at a reasonable power, it is not the volume of noise that must rise to the public reaction. Similarly, the violent passages in the chorus crescendos and aggressive are not the only tone: we hear during the concert a bit slow to be included in the next album and where Vander keeps the electric piano. A wonder (this is called "rain").

King Vander

Music subtle. Music confluence like "Return to Forever", of "Mabavishnu" and many others that incorporates elements of various genres of the past Jazzist Christian is evident in his solos, the harmonies of classical music of the early the twenty-first century (Stravinsky, among others) permeate compositions, the last beat of rock supporting the scaffolding. They said that the music of Magma was pretentious. Not true, especially with the new group. It was probably confused a few moments of focus are mainly the result of the game scene Klaus with the general tone of the music that is often full of humility.

As for Christian Vander, drummer, is a marvel of subtlety and intelligence. He has a rare quality, he puts the music before his instrument. Thus the group's repertoire includes several passages without battery. He knows how to give way to other musicians when necessary, and this gives the music of a variety of colors extremely varied.

Billy Cobham said of Vander it was one of three best drummers in the world after him. Modesty is matched only by that of his game but what he says is true Vander.He gave us a solo extraordinary London, first with only the drums, and with cymbals, with the last while. He is perfectly sound instrument, do not let away by the exhilaration of virtuosity. Thus he finds a particularly violent to snare a cymbal crash of a rare delicacy. The most moving moment was the solo cymbals Vander literally singing his drums playing different sounds on the cymbals with one hand while he maintains a steady pulse on the other. Why not say is probably the first time I fully appreciated a drum solo and I do not feel trapped by a stylist hollow. I dream of a meeting Vander / Stanley Clarke ...

Magma is at present the best French group. This is certainly one of the ten best bands in the world. The world begins to notice. France Will it be the last to know?

Etienne Blondet
Extra n° 53 - Avril 1975

Magma - NME Article - November 1975

Thanks to Akoustikus for the scan.

Best Magazine December 1975 - Magma Tour Ad

Utopic Sporadic Orchestra 1975 (from Willy)

Magma - Grenoble 1975

Another rare tape has been unearthed from our favorite French Gentleman. As with the recording from Chateavallon 1972, the gentleman prefers to have very limited distribution of this concert. He would love to see some of the other collectors of Zeuhl start to share some of the hidden treasures that they have.

Here are the liner notes for this concert:


MAGMA

GRENOBLE, France
Palais des Sports
17 may 1975
Festival (with Mahjun, Mama Béa Tekielski, Henry Cow)

01 Intro (1:44)
02 Köhntarkösz (34:52)
03 Emëhntëht-Rê (announcement) (7:20) >
04 Ptah (22:35)
05 Hhai (14:32)
06 Intro (1:29)
07 Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh (43:33)

Total : 2h06

Christian Vander (dr, voc)
Klaus Blasquiz (voc)
Stella Vander (voc)
Gabriel Federow (g)
Didier Lockwood (v)
Jean-Pol Asseline (k)
Benoît Widemann (k)
Bernard Paganotti (b)

AUD > reel-to-reel (mono, 1st gen.) > wav > flac

Magma - New Victoria Theatre, London - Oct 25, 1975

Steve Davis contributed these photographs. The line-up for this gig was Christian & Stella Vander, Klaus Blasquiz, Gabriel Federow, Bernard Paganotti, Beniot Widemann, Didier Lockwood, and Patrick Gauthier.

Utopic Sporadic Orchestra, 1975

Reprinted with the permission of Gerard Nguyen, All Right Reserved.