ZEUHL

It took an offer from Cuneiform Records boss Steve Feigenbaum to participate in Cuneiform's 40th anniversary celebrations to ignite that spark. The spark became "4037" a 21plus minute Ep with four tracks all written by a different band member. The "40" stands for Cuneiform Records 40th anniversary, while the "37" is how many years that HAPPY FAMILY have been in existence. I do understand that there is a full length album on the way, but this small package is dynamite. Very heavy and bass led for the most part. And you angular guitar fans will be happy. I mentioned earlier the keyboards, and the electric piano on here is great! Some organ as well but plenty of the electric piano.

I'll be honest that opening keyboard melody on "Pygmalion" that is repeated does not sound like HAPPY FAMILY. Thankfully I had nothing to worry about but this is different. Electric piano a minute in goes off. So much depth and power until that spacey calm 2 minutes in that is joined by angular guitar lines. Piano ends it. "Hypocrisy" was written by the bass player and that is no surprise once you hear this. Those first 2 minutes are incredible then the guitar lights it up followed by the keyboards. Crushing bass throughout.

"The Flying Man" was written by the keyboardist. And we get some stomping piano early along with bass. Angular sounds then a calm with piano leading. It kicks in hard before 4 minutes before turning angular again. "Itchu" is the drummer's track and the most experimental. Gotta love the opening bass line. And later before 1 1/2 minutes. Keyboards lead for a while and the drumming is off the wall. A difficult avant sounding piece.

This is such a consistent band. Every recording they have put out is of the highest quality. Whether you like them or not is another story, but here's another one that keeps up their standards. A solid 4 stars.

The relative ease with which Magma seem to be able to create an epic atmosphere which is both highly energetic and seemingly varied is something that has kept them on the forefront of what avant-garde rock is all about. The twenty year pause did not seem to affect them, since their return shows a band that is very mature and knows exactly what to do, the transition into a new musical age though had been a rather steep one when it comes to their general aesthetic. Without losing their aforementioned epic sound, it seems as though the warmth and straightforwardness of their early material is replaced by a colder much more calculated sound which can be disheartening at times. Regardless of that K.A. is still a strong addition to their lengthy discography and a fine entry point precisely as an effect of that modern sound.

4.0

1. "Merci Jacky" (7:20) opens with a Smooth Jazz-like feeling before Jaco Pastorius-like bass joins the percussion and steady one-chord electric piano motif. Key change at 0:50 continues the one-chord foundation approach while Gérard Prévost and Michel Séguin continue to impress (especially the former). 2:00 the reins are handed over to "Faton" for a solo that could come from lighter J-R Fusion players like Donald Fagen, Michael Omartian, or Greg Phillinganese. chord progression sequence in the fourth minute leads into a much more developed motif (though it feels the same because the drum and percussion lines are much unchanged) but trombone and saxophone now join in while the keyboard/synth and bass lines are now more sophisticated, melodic, and, frankly, interesting. Fuzz synth mirrors bass play for a score of seconds before circus-like sounds and chord progression take us into the dismantling finish. Nice, fun and light. Good opener. (13.25/15)

2. "Typhareth (Beauté)" (12:44) I love the presence, prominence of trombone coming from unconventional trombonist Hamid Belhocine. The flanged bass (with its great solo in the eleventh minute) is cool, too--especially due to the loving support that Faton's hypnotic keyboards play below him. This is a very easy-going, gentle and melodic tune which lulls the mind into perhaps failing to notice all of the lovely subtleties going on in the soil and underbrush. Truly a lovely song. (23.75/25)

3. "Troupeau De Bisons Sous Un Crane" (3:32) Hand claps and congas! A light, fun, and upbeat tune that seems to reflect a carefree, fearless Cajun-like attitude. Nice! A little Weather Report feel to this--and so nice to hear a lower- register saxophone for a change! (8.875/10)

4. "Binah / Comprehension Feminine" (5:04) dreamy ethereal combination of piano, flute, and EBERHARD WEBER-like flanged electric bass start this one out as cymbals and metal percussives add to the effect while flutes, percussives, change, trombone enters. At 3:00 there feels like a shift in temperament: as if the sun has come out and there's a reassurance that everything will be okay. But then it goes back to the more dreamy, less settling motif for the final minute. Nice! Interesting! Creative. (8.875/10)

5. "Les Temps Changent" (8:44) keyboard, congas, and café chatter open this for about 30 seconds before bass, drums and horn section enter to move the song forward--but slowly, with lots of stutter steps and shifting, twisting dance moves--before finally letting Faton lead us into the pedestrian lanes of the cobblestone shopping area of la vieille ville. As we walk the troupe gets more stylish, more swaggy and cocky with its self-assured, attention-getting footwork and audaciousness. I love it: These were the Seventies! This is a perfect representation of the Black-positive attitudes that styles, clothing, and music were expressing at the time--and François Debricon's expressive tenor saxophone solo in the seventh minute is the perfect cherry on top! This is followed by an ensemble finale which feels as if it were choreographed by Mandy Moore for a street scene in La La Land. (18/20)

Total Time: 37:24

Like reviewer/friend John Davies, I find much more hiding in this music than what might appear at first listen: besides eminently-impressive musicianship from all involved, there are plenty of compositional and improvisational intricacies that might be masked by the easy-on-the-ears melodic sensibilities that François offers the listener.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Third-moving-into-Fourth Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion. Very engaging and upbeat while being deceptively intricate and sophisticated.

The bass is the most notable instrument heard on this album, with consistent funky basslines on each composition. The drums are equally as impressive, too. The synergy of the two instruments give this album so much atmosphere and depth, tying this album its spacey vibe and hypnotic sound.

I absolutely loved how they stacked sound on top of sound in such a well-composed manner, always building with each sonic inclusion, never settling. It makes everything feel so open, and nothing is left out. And yet some of the sounds on here, like the rumbling oscillating bass lines, create such an ominous chaotic atmosphere, that this record manages a dichotomy of moods that makes for great listening. The opera vocals are another wonderful addition that add to the epic nature of the release. And the drums on this thing are unrelenting, taking some interesting rhythms from the great Bitches Brew to draw together frantic raves that work wonderfully in tandem with the constantly speeding bass to support some of the most original keyboard riffs I've heard on a Zeuhl record. And t he staccato nature of a lot of these riffs build a delightful tension that add even more energy to the already charismatic performances on this record.

To nitpick, sometimes the attempts at vocal harmony, be it fore- and backing vocals or keyboard and lead, come off as sort of sloppily thrown together, and become a little too much given what all is usually going on when they attempt it. Also I wasn't a huge fan of some of the brighter guitar licks that pop up arbitrarily on "Ecoute" that come off as unorganized and don't match the otherwise dark, claustrophobic nature of the track. Other than those minor gripes, this was a spectacular release with some VERY impressive builds that lead to even MORE impressive climaxes. 5.0 Quintessential to the Zheul subgenre.

My personal favorite song on the album is that nine-minute track I mentioned up above, with the title of L'Arche Des Mutations. It's creepy, experimental, and has an overall ambitious and interesting vibe that stays on track for the entire song. It manages to stay unique and different in musical form when compared to the rest of the album, even though it stays in the band's established sound for the record. The other songs, however, can get a little dry and move into more subtle, cult-like noise. By that I mean it seems like the band ran out of ideas and just copied the same recipe for a couple of passages. I also find the overall ambient aspects of every song just not really good or memorable. With that being said, there are still some more songs that I found intriguing. Specifically songs like Soleil Noir, La Roue, and Le Grand Secret. And while the track Sur Les Traces Du Vieux Roy falls close to that bland section I previously mentioned, I will give it credit because of the unique guitar style that, while probably not directly influencing King Crimson and Robert Fripp, would go on to represent what they would play in the Eighties.

In conclusion, this band would've never had the potential to be a top band in my eyes. Their unique approach to music as a whole, and often with a lackluster performance in some songs, would make it difficult for them to even come out with any recorded music in general. They had some sweet spots sprinkled over this album, but for me it just isn't enough to bring my rating anywhere over 3/5.

There are some absolute classic Zeuhl albums that were released in the first half of the eighties. By 1989 though not many were left standing. MAGMA would release an alternate version of "MDK", while this new band MUSIQUE NOISE sort of came out of nowhere. Okay they are from France and the biggest complaints you will read about them is that they sound like a carbon copy of MAGMA. And while this is true, it is specifically the vocals that are MAGMA 101. The music not as much. But they nailed the vocals. A male singer who is amazing, and he's from RIALZU who released a classic Zeuhl album in 1978. He's playing sax here as well. We get two classically trained female singers, who like the male vocalist absolutely nail the MAGMA vocal lines. It is really surprising how much this sounds like MAGMA vocally.

What makes this sound different from MAGMA is the lack of a Zeuhl rhythm. The bass just isn't given that role of being fuzzed out and upfront. Besides the RIALZU member, we get two original ESKATON members here on keyboards and drums. This is a legit Zeuhl album all the way. This is not a new style of music for this band. So yes there's a bit of a conflict because I will admit lowering many ratings for albums that seem like a copy of another band. Originality counts for something. But there's also been many like this one where I just have to acknowledge that this is an amazing record.

And again to be fair, the instrumental part of this equation is where they bring in their own ideas. These ideas by the way are even more original on those 4 bonus tracks meant for that second album. A different flavour, and an exciting prospect as it could have been a classic. And again, it would have been "out of time" as it were for that Zeuhl style in the early 90's. They set this re-issue album up with the four bonus tracks fitting between the original final two tracks. So you can't skip them? Or to make it seem more natural perhaps as an album . They clearly were proud of what they had composed and recorded, more original sounding. It's just too bad that second record didn't happen. Now I noticed this band did finally release album number two in 2016! With the same core lineup, which slipped past me at the time and it's probably long gone. But it would be cool to hear that one to see where they went musically compared to the demo tracks and the original MAGMA inspired album.

The male vocals on the demo tracks are more adventerous and prominent, while one of the females is gone, and the other has a reduced role. Again that second release would have had a different flavour for sure, and that being much less MAGMA sounding. Sax and electric piano lead the way instrumentally on this record. For what it's worth they brought in a second sax player for what would have been that second record. A jazzier sound for sure.

This is an incredibly well done recording with some credible Zeuhl participants, and there's no way I'm not giving this 4 stars. I really dig this one despite the MAGMA inspired vocals. And it's 1989! Yes, a bleak time for my music.

While I know many may find these sounds to be a bit too weird, I think that is the charm Magma rightfully holds. They may not be as weird as, say, Art Zoyd or even their Japanese little brother of Ruins, but Magma owns their refined avant- gardeness with pride. They care not for conventions of rock or jazz music, nor do they care for if they will ever appear on a radio ever. The only thing they care about is making the weirdest, most trippy experiences possible, and also to refine them into more interesting sounds which I respect songs do not need to have radio play to be good.

This is evident as to how this record came out after their second record of 1001 Degrés Centigrades, which, while still zeuhl, was a lot more based in jazz fusion and a more traditional rock flow. However, MDK explores a sound that fits way better into the vision of what zeuhl should be, a more orchestral, brass based version of what they did before. It all evolves into something that I think firmly is within its own thing, and I fully believe it works perfectly. This is a once in a lifetime record, since everything just fits together with zero hang ups or different expectations. You aren't gonna get jazz fusion, at least not in a traditional sense, nor a traditional prog rock, or jazz rock experience. You are gonna get ZEUHL. MDK is zeuhl in its purest state. It is the absolute zero in this amazing and weird musical genre, the basis if you will.

It is not a surprise that Vander is proud of this record, as he practically remakes it whenever he can in live shows, his own records, and or even releasing an older version of the music in the 90s. I'd be too if I made something this good. While I do think the live albums are a discussion for another day, MDK in a live setting works just as well as the studio version. The versions of MDK on Retrospektïw, Magma Reims 1976, and Trilogie Au Trianon are my favorites, maybe I might consider them masterpieces in their own rights too. My personal favorite is the one from Retrospektïw, as it has this bass solo from Bernard Paganotti that has a bit of a call back to De Futura, another s-tier Magma track. Not only that, but it also has that amazing opening that feels so dramatic and heavy, that it turns MDK into not only a musical expression for me, but a full blown epic.

I could go on all day, though I think I'd be scraping the bottom of the barrel for my love on this record if I continued any further. Where all kinds of bands made me fully fall in love with progressive rock music, , me personally a lot of jazz fusion bands are where my love of the different, more avant-sides of the progressive rock house fully bloomed into a point of no return. Of course, I fully believe everyone should at least listen to this album once, as it is just amazing. I love Magma with my whole heart, and I doubt that other bands can encase what Magma contributed to the Zheul sub-genre This is album is great I love it I can see the talent from the whole group and thier other efforts, but its not my daily listen so to say. 4.99 stars

The debut album (recorded in 2016, released in 2017) was a quartet work with no keyboards featured, the relatively short, tight tracks basically pretty close to guitar-heavy psychedelic space rock. For this 61-minute Dai Kaht II (recorded in 2018) the line-up was expanded by the keyboards and sound fx man Roope Pelkonen, who had recorded the debut. In addition, Kemppainen handles several instruments, and the choir personmel has four more members (from both sexes).

The number of tracks is again eight, but most of them averagely longer than on the debut. The compositions have more twists and turns, and there are much more instrumental sections where the Magma imitation (that concerns the vocals in particular, and they are often painfully martial) becomes less obvious. One can occasionally sense some Yes-like symphonic prog. Due to the keyboards the general sound is also richer. This album indeed has more epic feel, and with the help of the English subtitles one can try and form some kind of a storyline full of battle, despair and moments of relief.

The longest and perhaps the best piece 'Moa Orgata (Eye of God)' contains also English lyrics, and the album ends with a shorter mixed-language song that is part sort of down to earth, part cathartic with some Yes feeling. Don't know how the puritan Zeuhl fans take this, eh, tribute if you like, but I consider it a well done artistic success.