GA: Is the emblem for Magma meant to depict a bird, say, or is it an abstract symbol?

When I created it, I never thought of a bird. I had an idea inside about a symbol or emblem, and just wrote it down on a piece of paper, sketched it. The idea at the beginning was something like the dress of the Egyptians. It was supposed to be like a piece of cloth or articulated metal sheets that would mold over the body, over the ribcage. It was to be similar to breastplate armor, but supple, not rigid.

GA: The name Magma itself, is that part of Kobaïan, or does it refer to molten lava, and is it reflective of the style or material of the band?

Yes, it refers directly to lava. Back in 1966, I had written a piece and I was already in a band with Bernard Paganotti, who became a bass player. Already, I was searching for the right word. The tune I wrote back then was called Nogma. I was looking for the word Magma, but didn't know it was what I was looking for. One day the band didn't have a name at the time, and they were standing in front of a fairly-well-known club in Paris. The club management told me If you dont have a name, you can't come and play tonight. So we went for coffee, at the coffee shop next door. I thought deeply, you know, and the word Magma, came out. At the same time, I founded Univeria Zekt. I wrote this down on the receipt from the coffee shop and kept it.

GA: Does the name Magma mean to reflect the qualities of flexibility and heat. Would those be adjectives or characteristics of your music that you value?

At the beginning, when I found the name, the name was bigger than me at the time, but it was inside of myself at the same time. I had to learn in time; I didnt know what it meant. And I kept on practicing to be at the same level as the name. And I am still practicing, to live up to the name and the evocation of the name