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walrus333 View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 22 2006 at 21:46
Hey Ive noticed that Zeuhl doesnt get discussed much here besides a bit of Magam discussion. So this thread is dedicated to Zeuhl, any discussion on the subject matter anyone might hvae
To start off I have 5 Suns by Guapo, which I love is there earlier stuff worth tracking down. Also I was wondering if there is any modern Zeuhl, Guapo is all I can think of and I suppose they are not "Pure Zeuhl."
If anyone knows where I can get a copy of some Flute and Voice (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock) albums please PM me! Many thanks!
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Points: 13032 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 22 2006 at 21:54
Zeuhl is one or maybe the weirdest genre of prog, dark and beautiful at the same time, besides Magma i can talk a bit about Dûn and Ruins..
For me Dun - Eros is an excellent album which show us the complexity and particular Zeuhl sound, since opne week ago i have an albumn by Lagger Blues Machine, it sounds very early 70`s and for me not a clear example of Zeuhl...
That`s what i can say nowLOL

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Points: 537 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 22 2006 at 22:11
I've really been getting into Magma lately (listening to them nearly non-stop sometimes) and I've checked out the great Eros album as well. There are a lot of other Zeuhl bands listed here that I plan to look into shortly. Aside from Magma and Dun (obviously), who should I go for next?
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Points: 13032 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 22 2006 at 22:21
Im very interested of Happy Family - Tossco, because it`s rating in 9 entries... but being honest.. wait for Syzygy or some zeuhl specialist who can talk much better about it

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Points: 21342 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 22 2006 at 23:52
Originally posted by walrus333 walrus333 wrote:

Hey Ive noticed that Zeuhl doesnt get discussed much here besides a bit of Magam discussion. So this thread is dedicated to Zeuhl, any discussion on the subject matter anyone might hvae
To start off I have 5 Suns by Guapo, which I love is there earlier stuff worth tracking down. Also I was wondering if there is any modern Zeuhl, Guapo is all I can think of and I suppose they are not "Pure Zeuhl."

Here Guapo are not considered Zeuhl but Avant-Prog... whatever their label is here though, I don't really care, because Guapo is one of the most enjoyable and challenging groups out there.Smile
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Points: 92 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 05:11
Here are some zeuhl albums I highly recommend:
 
Magma- kohntarkosz, wurdah itah, mekanik kommandoh
 
Dun - Eros
 
Eskaton- 4 levels
 
Here are a few french bands that may not be zeuhl but are very dark and heavy;
 
Arachnoid- s/t dark, creepy prog with some nice guitar riffs and piano solos
 
Flamen Dialis- sounds like a soundtrack for a 70's horror film, but here is a better description: French underground band consisting of lots of keyboards, plus guitar, percussion/drums, a little bit of vocals and a touch of other instruments. Their music is often built upon layers of mellotrons, synthesizers and keyboards, and then overlaid with acoustic guitars and various other effects and instruments. I hear a cross between Heldon, circa Allez Teia (but not as spacey) and Brain-era Tangerine Dream, with elements from other French and even some Germany/Krautrock underground type bands as well.
 
Pulsar(strands of the future), and Shylock(Il De Fievre) are also woth checking out.
 
 
What is prog rock ?

It is music that does progress. Progressive music takes a riff, turns it inside out, plays it upside down and the other way around, and explores its potential.

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Points: 189 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 06:24
The earlier Guapo are much noisier than the current. They do have the Zeuhl influences, but real compositions began to appear only on Five Suns and Black Oni. The Guapo offshot Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses should be of more interest.
 
The Universal Totem Orchestra only album is a great mix of Zeuhl and Symphonic prog, it's very dinamic and really recommended.
 
The japanese scene is very interesting as well with Koenjihyakkei and Bondage Fruit, besides the well known Ruins.
 
Happy Family aren't totally Zeuhl, they are also influenced by King Crimson and other bands. You can check their samples at the cuneiform records site.
 
French Sotos and Zaar, while being not exactly Zeuhl, and more chamber rock sound like Univers Zero, do have Zeuhl influences, particulary in the first Sotos album, or the 27 minutes Wu from the second Sotos album.
 
A much less known band are Xaal, their album Second Ere is excellent instrumental Zeuhl. And another french band - Eskaton, make Zeuhl in the vein of Magma with operatic vocals and such.
 
Magma offshots like Zao or Weidorje are good as well.
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Syzygy View Drop Down
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Points: 7003 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 16:12
Originally posted by Cygnus X-2 Cygnus X-2 wrote:

Originally posted by walrus333 walrus333 wrote:

Hey Ive noticed that Zeuhl doesnt get discussed much here besides a bit of Magam discussion. So this thread is dedicated to Zeuhl, any discussion on the subject matter anyone might hvae
To start off I have 5 Suns by Guapo, which I love is there earlier stuff worth tracking down. Also I was wondering if there is any modern Zeuhl, Guapo is all I can think of and I suppose they are not "Pure Zeuhl."

Here Guapo are not considered Zeuhl but Avant-Prog... whatever their label is here though, I don't really care, because Guapo is one of the most enjoyable and challenging groups out there.Smile
 
Lots of interesting points raised so far. Guapo's last 2 albums are Zeuhl, but as others have pointed out their earlier albums (mostly unavailable) are more avant prog noise. They haven't updated their website for months, incidentally - don't know why they've been so quiet, but they're scheduled to appear at this year's NEARFest.
 
The most interesting contemporary Zeuhl (aside from Guapo) has come from Japan. Koenjihyakkei's Angherr Shisspa is an absolute masterpiece and like Guapo drags the genre into the 21st century with no compromise. Ruins are legends, start with Symphonica and take it from there, but be warned that their duo albums can be extremely challenging. Also featuring Yoshida is the excellent Daimonji, whose Improg album is one of the most enjoyable things I've heard in ages.
 
I'd also recommend two bands who appear here as RIO/Avant prog. Univers Zero have more of a chamber rock sound, and Heresie is a dark masterpiece which makes Magma sound like The Bee Gees at times. Art Zoyd`also had a strong Zeuhl influence - check out Phase IV and particularly the wonderful opening piece Etat D'Urgence.
 
 
'Like so many of you
I've got my doubts about how much to contribute
to the already rich among us...'

Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom


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Points: 6667 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 16:17

As stated by Syzygy, Ruins and Koenjihyakkei are indeed cool Zeuhl bands. They "use" the Magma sound, while giving it a very special, Japanese, crazy twist! Big smile

 

KOENJIHYAKKEI — Nivraym

Review by Syzygy (Chris Gleeson)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Zeuhl/RIO Specialist

4 stars Yoshida Tatsuya has never made any secret of his love for Zeuhl, and nowhere is this more obvious than on his work with Koenji Hyakkei, which he once said he intended to be the Japanese Magma. This album more than delivers on that promise, and is one of the most exciting and accessible projects he has ever been involved with.

Right from the outset this album will bring a smile to the face of any Zeuhl head - a bubbling bass line, nano second precise cymbal crashes and massed male and female vocals call to mind some of Magma's jazzier excursions, although on the title track there are a couple of diversions into Ruins style mayhem that Christian Vander would never include on a mainstream release. The vocals are in an invented language (not Kobaian, although it sounds similar) which further adds to the occasional feeling that this is an out take from a lost Magma session. This is not simply a rehashing of Magma's finest moments, however - there are enough original touches to let you know that Koenji Hyakkei are a band with their own ideas and agenda. Synthesisiers are used far more extensively than on most Magma releases, while the guitarst occasionally gets to cut loose with some downright dirty rock sounds where Vander (who often leaves guitar out altogether) would favour a cleaner, jazz oriented tone. More than anything else, what sets Koenji Hyakkei apart is their sheer sense of urgency. The longest track on this album, Lussesoggi Zomn, clocks in at just over 10 minutes, but feels like one of Magma's lengthier excursions compressed to about a quarter of its original length. They even manage to include an ever ascending scale ( a neat inversion of the ever descending scale in Kohntarkohsz). There's also a sense of fun (not humour, exactly, but the feeling that the musicians are cracking huge grins at each other as they trade lightspeed licks) that is often absent from the core Zeuhl acts.

This album is recommended to anyone into virtusoic playing and the wilder side of avant prog. The labyrinthine twists and turns, with sudden shifts in tempo and dynamics, will leave you slack jawed with astonishment, while any one of these 9 pieces will leave 2 or 3 fragments of melody reverberating around your skull for days after you've listened to it. This is by no means just for Zeuhl fans - open minded fans of just about any sub genre should find plenty to enjoy on here, between the highly symphonic keyboard sounds, the piledriving rhythms, the jazzy chord patterns and the general atmosphere of a group of highly skilled players doing exactly what they do best and loving every minute of it. Subarashii desu!

Fantastic review there Syzygy! I agree on all points! Clap
 
I personally like early Art Zoyd even better, but I think it's more Avant-Prog or Chamber Rock than Zeuhl...
 

ART ZOYD — Symphonie Pour Le Jour Où Brûleront Les Cités

Review by Joren (Joren van Ree)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Errors Editor & Rio/Avant Specialist

4 stars 4,5 stars really!

From the late sixties on, a French collective named Art Zoyd developed an original musical mix of avant-garde progressive rock, jazz and modern classical music. The first attempt of violinist Hourbette and bassist Zaboitzeff (the two constant elements in the band) to bring the world in touch with their music was through a single in 1969, but a second single and their first full-length record, entitled Symphonie Pour Le Jour Où Brûleront Les Cités, didn’t appear until 1976; the definitive mix was released in 1980, because the first issue had such poor sound quality. Art Zoyd were part of the RIO (Rock In Opposition) movement - which also included Henry Cow and Univers Zero - but since RIO was in fact only a temporary movement, most people now call their music Chamber Rock or, more generally, Avant-Progressive Rock.

Although on their debut album Art Zoyd already incorporated a lot of original elements in their sound that pointed at future developments, it is clear that they were heavily influenced by fellow Frenchmen Magma. Sometimes the group sounds so much like Magma here that it led some people to refer to Symphonie as a Zeuhl record. I agree that the vocals clearly pay debts to Magma and although Hourbette didn’t invent his own language (like Magma band-leader Christian Vander did), the vocalists don’t sing in any existing language either. It is true that some instrumental sections show Magma influences as well, but the instrumentation is where the comparison will eventually go wrong, for Art Zoyd don’t have a drummer. And that’s one of the things that clearly puts them aside from Zeuhl bands. It is probably the lack of a drummer, and the inclusion of wind and string instruments what landed them the tag ‘Chamber Rock’. But, don’t be fooled; despite the absence of a drumkit, Art Zoyd’s music can be very rhythmical, thanks to Zaboitzeff’s energetic bass playing and the often sharp and staccato string and wind arrangements.

Directly from the start of the album, it’s clear that the band is not trying to ‘ease the listener in’: this is some mindblowing stuff! Wild, pointy passages are alternated by quiet ones and the interplay between the strings and wind instruments is outstanding. The lively piano and bass playing is of exceptional quality as well, and the latter will certainly please Magma fans. Both the rhythms and melodies are compelling and the dissonance sounds very natural overall. At the end of Simulacres (the last part of the title track) the music climaxes, and the album continues in a more light-hearted, even humouristic way with Deux Images De La Cité Imbécile. The vocal gibberish on Les Fourmis reminds me of Can’s Tago Mago, and a few riffs bring Mike Oldfield to mind. Scènes De Carnaval is very quirky as well, and it contains some nice jazzrock/fusion.

In conclusion, Symphonie is an interesting part of Art Zoyd history, but above all it’s a beautiful album that can (and should) be greatly appreciated by both Avant-Prog and Zeuhl fans, while the latter might find later Art Zoyd works - which have no relation to the Zeuhl genre - a bit too “cold”. If you are new to the world of Avant-Prog, you might be better off trying Mariage Du Ciel Et L’Enfer or another eighties album from Art Zoyd’s discography, for those are more typical and represent both the band and the subgenre better. But if you’re already into this kind of music, make sure to get this gem! It is now only available on a double CD set, released in 1987 and accompanied by Art Zoyd’s second and third album and four bonus tracks (including the a-sides of the two singles I mentioned before). All this makes it a worthwhile purchase for all people who like challenging music!



Edited by Joren - May 23 2006 at 16:23
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Points: 9008 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 17:06
I only know Magma, Dun, Guapo and Univers zero Confused

So much to do

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Points: 4702 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 17:12
I've recently listened to the samples on the Zeuhl page here, and I love all of them, except... Magma. Go figure.
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Points: 3083 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 17:23

I really enjoy Magma and Dun already, and now I'm starting to get into Happy Family and Far Corner (who haven't yet been mentioned). Ruins' music is great, but I don't like it too much.
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Points: 2703 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 17:32
Apart from obvious Magma, I would recommend Weidorje (sole eponymous album)and Zao (Osiris, Shekina, Kawana). Just perfect!!!
 
Modern Zeuhl or zeuhl-ish band is Runaway Totem from Italy - their album Tep Zepi is highly recommended. 
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Points: 286 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 17:46
Lol, on a somewhat silly note is there any way to learn the Kobian Language? Like is it in the liner notes of Magma albums so you can figure it out or what? (I download my albums usually)
If anyone knows where I can get a copy of some Flute and Voice (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock) albums please PM me! Many thanks!
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Points: 7606 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 17:50
Arkham's eponymous record (the album in my avatar) is sort of zeuhl-related as they include members who will soon join Magma and Univers Zero. It's very poorly recorded though, and kind of a jam in places. but I thought I'd throw it out there with everything else.
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Points: 5109 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 18:24
    I am curious. I had never heard of Zeuhl before I found this site (other than as a demonic character in "Ghostbusters"). I also have never heard of any of the bands in this genre. What would you compare it to? My favorites are Genesis, KC, Yes, Marillion, Porcupine Tree, etc. Don't much care for bands like DT, and Tool. Would I like it?
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Points: 21342 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 23 2006 at 18:45
Originally posted by Syzygy Syzygy wrote:

Originally posted by Cygnus X-2 Cygnus X-2 wrote:

Originally posted by walrus333 walrus333 wrote:

Hey Ive noticed that Zeuhl doesnt get discussed much here besides a bit of Magam discussion. So this thread is dedicated to Zeuhl, any discussion on the subject matter anyone might hvae
To start off I have 5 Suns by Guapo, which I love is there earlier stuff worth tracking down. Also I was wondering if there is any modern Zeuhl, Guapo is all I can think of and I suppose they are not "Pure Zeuhl."

Here Guapo are not considered Zeuhl but Avant-Prog... whatever their label is here though, I don't really care, because Guapo is one of the most enjoyable and challenging groups out there.Smile
 
Lots of interesting points raised so far. Guapo's last 2 albums are Zeuhl, but as others have pointed out their earlier albums (mostly unavailable) are more avant prog noise. They haven't updated their website for months, incidentally - don't know why they've been so quiet, but they're scheduled to appear at this year's NEARFest.
 

I also had noticed that their site hasn't been updated in awhile. And after listening to Five Suns again, I must agree with you that they do have more of a Zeuhl edge on the later albums (I don't own any of their early albums unfortunately, but the samples I heard seems more Avant-Garde than Zeuhl).
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walrus333 View Drop Down
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Points: 286 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 24 2006 at 14:48
Is Lagger Blues Machine any good?
If anyone knows where I can get a copy of some Flute and Voice (Indo-Prog/Raga Rock) albums please PM me! Many thanks!
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Visitor13 View Drop Down
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Points: 4702 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 24 2006 at 15:35
Originally posted by bhikkhu bhikkhu wrote:

    I am curious. I had never heard of Zeuhl before I found this site (other than as a demonic character in "Ghostbusters"). I also have never heard of any of the bands in this genre. What would you compare it to? My favorites are Genesis, KC, Yes, Marillion, Porcupine Tree, etc. Don't much care for bands like DT, and Tool. Would I like it?
 
Check them out yourself, here's the page with the samples:
 
 
Some of that stuff is really, and I mean really, uncompromising. If you don't like it, please give it another chance. EnjoyThumbs Up!
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Points: 5109 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 24 2006 at 23:34
Originally posted by Visitor13 Visitor13 wrote:


Check them out yourself, here's the page with the samples:


    
Thanks for the tip. I checked it out, and it sounds pretty cool. So the next question would be, where to start?
    

Edited by bhikkhu - May 24 2006 at 23:36
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