CHRISTIAN VANDER

As you'd expect of an album of kids songs, the instrumentals are pretty stripped back and simple, but at times still manage an eerie feel (such as J'ai du bon tabac and Le Ballet des Sorcieres). Vocals are provided by three Vanders (Christian plus wife Stella and daughter Julie) and Isabelle Feuillebois. I'm told the CD comes with a big booklet of lyrics and illustrations to go with.

Les oies sauvages is a short instrumental of high pitch wind instruments (piccolo at a guess, my picking of instruments is poor) which is the first that interests me on the album. Many around this track are nice but simple interplay of the vocals over a basic piano bed. Others, as mentioned above, are a bit eerie, and are probably meant for the children of Kobaia rather than Earth! One of those, is the 8 minute track Ronde de Nuit (Night Watch), which is a very interesting one. The female vocalists do an excellent job together creating the atmosphere worthy of the title, a group of women sneaking around in the shadows unseen - crystal balls, witches broomsticks etc. - and has a piano melody that is quite reminiscent of the Hall of the Mountain King at times.

From there I did switch off at times as it gets quite samey, although Chanson Des Oeufs has a beauty to it despite translating to english simply as 'Egg Song'. I woke up again with the final track Dodo L'enfant Do. Back on a Kobaian theme, very slow deep chords to start with - the track as a whole wouldn't be out of place in 70s Magma.

Some bits worth a mention.... but I'd still call it for "collectors only" of Vander's eclectic repertoire.

One of Christian Vander's many side projects. If you're looking for Zeuhl or Jazz move along. Here, Vander narrates the story of Christopher Columbus, with accompanying background composition entirely performed on synths and programmed by wife Stella. Programmed in are an assortment of orchestral instruments, without percussion, and always to create a background atmosphere for the narration. Weirdly in the second track towards the end, presumably its supposed to sound like being at sea but it actually sounds more like he's been abducted. Maybe a Kobaian link after all.

As a non-French speaker, there's not a lot for me to work with here. Being self-released too, it feels very much like a pet project not to be taken as a serious fully fledged solo album. It shows. Definitely one for fans only, but it would be wrong of me to say its poor.

The long track 'Love Is' sees Vander playing a minimal modal piano and singing in a breathy and restrained falsetto with nods to Magma in the scatty gibberish vocals. Sands is a great short piano piece which breaks into the title track, with the two Vanders singing in English in a style that makes you think of something like the Phantom of the Opera. Must admit form here, things get a bit boring. Christian Vander singing in similar style, although aiming a bit more for Matt Monro, sings a couple of love songs over a solo piano. Both are pretty much the the same. XMC then introduces a few more instruments including drums, ripping off the pink panther theme tune with a bit of shrieking.

Recommend Love Is, and To Love, but the rest is a little forgettable.

The early 20 plus minutes are vocal expressions and percussions and it's kind of haunting at times. It's almost silent 42 minutes in due to either a session or a refill me thinks. Some life with beats and bass clarinet 45 minutes in. The bass clarinet sure can get annoying with Garber's style at times. Just relentless and samey. It gets loud with organ, bass clarinet and vocals a couple of different times before we get back to that earlier sound before 55 minutes that is percussion and vocal expressions and quite haunting. Different sounds come and go late before it becomes vocals and percussion again to the end.

I actually liked this. They certainly were an inspiring band at this time even with improvs.

This extended improvisation is something that not everyone is going to appreciate. It's is Magma's most raw and violent display of expression, with no clear line defined musically, neither melodically nor rhythmically. But I find it interesting and appealing, if you are particularly fond of improvisational jazz. Especially one where screams, B horror movies' howling and lots of percussive jamming are most prominent; then you'll really like this. It is a very experimental piece. The bass clarinet, which I thought was a sax at first, also contributes towards the cacophonous and quasi atonally dissonant atmosphere that this 70 minute percussive madness has to offer. Towards the last half hour, the organ starts to play a larger role in the background thread of music, that helps keep together the concatenation of drums and percussion, along with the howls, hollers and bellows that appear every now and then. The ending section is an interesting (or curious) repetitive, mantra-like sounds and rhythms that ends on a rhythmic drummed crescendo that fades out really quickly.

It is a wonderful piece, in its crazy improvisational anything-goes sense. It is different and daring. A challenge to listen to, and not one that may give out its rewards the moment you finish it. it is quite a journey, and I like imagining Christian Vader and Co. as they were performing the jam. How fun it must have been to do this kind of thing, and have people listen to you.

In conclusion, this is definitely not the place to start listening to Magma or any of the artists related to this. It is something different. And should be listened as that. Good, but non-essential seems appropriate, since it is a unique piece of musical history, but it isn't "prog" in the idealized sense that this site promotes. As with anything though, musical taste and open mindedness will determine everything. Enjoy the ride. I know I did.

Se recomienda escucharlo mientras se toma mate. (Drinking a good mate while listening to it, helps).

Sub-genre:Zeuhl (vocal and trance feel fit, though no bass and little percussion)
For Fans of: Magma, Choral Music
Vocal Style: True to Zeuhl, primarily female, with Christian Vander's strong operatic presence.
Guitar Style: none
Keyboard Style: Piano, Rhodes and synth string arrangements
Percussion Style: Little, mostly programmed with some natural tambourine.
Bass Style: Programmed background sequences
Other Instruments: None
You are not likely to enjoy this album if: you do not appreciate modern classical or you are expecting traditional Zeuhl fare and a jazz/rock combo.

Summary: First of all, there is no mistaking that this is a Christian Vander composition. While the familiar overdriven bass, jazzy percussion and trademark imaginary language we have become accustomed to with Zeuhl are not there, Vander's dark brooding vocal arrangements and celestial motif is well intact. Broad operatic choral passages paint a very full and majestic landscape true to form for Christian and his wife Stella. While no specific piece is a direct Magma arrangement, the textures are eerily familiar; and I use the word "eerily" in the broadest and most literal sense. Les Cygnes Et Les Corbeaux is broken up into 27 mostly sub 3 minute movements which flow together seamlessly. At times Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire comes to mind, but the music is more accessible; just plain dark rather than obliquely dissonant.

Final Score: I could actually see this piece being appreciated by some listeners, particularly classical listeners, who did not otherwise like Magma or Zeuhl in general. This is a very fine work that should be explored. 4 stars.