K.A (KÖHNTARKÖSZ ANTERIA)

The first Album I heard from Magma, was M.D.K. At that time I found it intriguing and at the same time fascinating. I knew I was in the path to find something completly fabulous. M.D.K. is perhaps the most difficult album from Magma, the hardest to digest, but once I did, It took me to heaven.

Then, I read about the history of Magma and Christian Vander, the concept of Kobaïa, the lyrics, the mixture of Jazz, symphony, opera, etc., and I could understand the greatness of this band.

So, talking about K.A. this album made almost 35 years after magnificent albums with a new line-up, Vander shows that Magma is still alive and still producing timeless albums and execute the missing link between M.D.K. and Kohntarkösh, taking advantage of the new era of technology and released Kohntarkösh Anteria.

After all my reverence for this band, let me introduce the songs.

K.A. consists of 3 songs, let's say K.A. is just one big suite, divide into three parts, and all of them played perfectly harmonious and bringing together all that Magma represents.

K.A. I kicks in immediately with the operistic style. This track is really powerful, in the background, Vander plays his drums and the band come together making it all perfect, The thing I must enjoy are the voices, although I still trying to learn Kobaïan, I love to sing the song trying to match the words at least fonetically. Really enjoyable track.

K.A. II Still follows the same path of K.A. I, but there are here more tempo changes and you can hear the male and female voices singing separately, so you can hear them clearly and enjoy them, the first 9 minutes the songs is quick, heavy, mdk-style, the after the 9 minutes the tempo goes slow and gives you a breathe and let you enjoy the piano and the voices, once again I have the feeling of hearing Carmina Burana but heavier, really awesome! I just love it! the song keeps up letting the voices being the stars here. a great link for what it comes next.

K.A. III I don't know how to express about this track. I have the thrills just to remember the sounds of this song. K.A. III is THE song! Here is Magma at its best! This is the song that let me see that Magma is really from another planet! (from Kobaïa I supposed..) Oh my goodness, How the hell can they do something so beatiful and powerfull and so energetic with so many changes? It just that this song has no waste! Starts with a bang of the drums of Vander, then you hear the most progressive sophisticated heavy sound of your life. You hear in the fist 8 minutes of this song the synths -here the synths are the stars along with Vander's drumming- taking you in a flight to the Planet Kobaïa, for real, it is so trippy. Vander shows us that he might be old (after 35 years, you have to get older) but his spirit is still alive and young and shows us one of the most beautiful drumming I ever heard, plus the technical and all, I FEEL that drumming! Vander plays them with passion and that's what I love of his music, the drums are in the background (or the synths? I don't know!) the keyboard is played also incredible and to complement, the voices singing oohh Koba-ïaaa! minute 4:50 is everything, the keyboard is so magic and space with Vander playing the drums so incredible and keeps in that route for mixing up in a way that I cannot describe the sensations I feel when I hear, it's just perfect, simply beautiful, what a keyboard! what drums!! at 7:30 the synth and drums are truly progressive and shows what we love about this genre. complicated signatures but being played with passion, in other words, creating art.. then after 8 minutes,(don't think it's over, instead I suggest you to fasten your seatbelts!) the voices comes together and sing tremendous, and starts to go in cresendo, so, really get tight to the ground because the next thing it's a tour de force sponsored by Magma, at minute 10:20 Vander is still showing why he is the man, playing creatively and faster than ever and all the song goes in that direction including the voices, at minute 12 the tempo changes to show us that it's jazz time! I cannot but tap my feet and smile, here i have to point out that the thing I love it's the bass that keeps all together and I can hear it clearly and I just enjoy it! The voices still singing in Kobaïan creating a great atmosphere! Then once again, like it wasn't enough another tempo change, at 15 minute everything goes faster for a few seconds the return to the original sound that we were hearing before, then once again the voices go faster and after that is just a snowball going down. The drumming is still powerfull, the voices singing in chorus Hallellujah! I don't know what it's happening but I can guess hearing the music! The breathtaking sound still playing, minute 18 Hallellujah is going really faster than ever, if you haven't lost your mind until this point, keep listening because the music still flowing insanely and with power. Then an abrupt change shows at 19:30 and Hallellujah slows down, now everything is more relaxing, but let me repeat you, Vander's drumming is at its best! sounding awesome and hallellujah being sung in vibrato Haa-llee--lluu-jaah! fading out ending the song.

Yes, maybe it is not very objective, but this album moves me and I cannot rate it but with 5 stars. A must for Magma fans and even for any prog fan.

P.S. You should watch on youtube a liitle french girl singing the first two minutes of K.A I. She's learning Kobaïn! Awesome!

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