Magma - am I missing something?
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Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19211
Printed Date: February 23 2025 at 00:22
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Topic: Magma - am I missing something?
Posted By: Pafnutij
Subject: Magma - am I missing something?
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 08:27
OK, everyone talks about how challenging Magma is, so I checked out Mekanik destruktiv Kommandoh, which is apprently considered their best album. But does it represent them best? Because there's nothing challenging in there - it's one song stretched to 40 minutes, and the music is so simple i can figure out what they're playing without thinking. The cheesy teutonic language is also a source of annoyance, but that's another issue. So, what am I missing? 
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Replies:
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 08:54
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MDK is the Zeuhl UrText, and has been massively influential on bands from all over the world (just check out all the bands listed under the Zeuhl category for starters, along with a lot of RIO/Avant prog). It's also an album and a genre which seems to polarise most listeners, and obviously it hasn't really captured your imagination. If you really can figure out what they're playing without thinking I'd like to hear you play along with it on your main instrument! If you want to try something else by Magma, Live/Hhai is a good place to start - it features a superb version of Kontarkohsz, which is probably their most successful long piece, and also shows their jazz influences. ------------- '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 |
Posted By: MorgothSunshine
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:12
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Magma represents a quite interesting experience in prog history and very original but anyway they're overrated from the critics... ------------- For every truth even the contrary is true... 
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:31
Me think Magma no good ! 
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:33
Well said.... if he finds Vander to be an easy drummer, Lockwood to be a easy violinist, or Paganotti to be an easy bassist (not to mention Janik Top on MDK) then he is wasting his time posting here. He should be covorting with groupies and running his Benz into lakes. hahahha. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Syzygy wrote:Posted By: Pafnutij
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:40
meanie |
Posted By: Winter Wine
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:45
^  Yeah Micky, Quit bein' a bully!------------- My computer's broke |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:51
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sorry... must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Winter Wine
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:53
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Apologise! ------------- My computer's broke |
Posted By: akin
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:55
| I donīt know why people become affraid of missing something when they donīt like an acclaimed progressive band. Of course you are not missing anything. You didnīt like Magma, itīs your taste, so it is better to accept you donīt like Magma than to try to force yourself enjoying Magma just because some say Magma is superb. |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:58
I apologize for my post... (though I did mean it  ) 'getting it' and running down the quality of the music are two different things but I do apologize anyway. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Politician
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 09:59
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I think Magma in general and "Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh" in
particular illustrate the difference between music that is ostentatious and music that is virtuosic. There is indeed little if any show-off soloing in that album, but that is because the ensemble sound is so tight that there is no room for it, and the musicians are so accomplished that there is no need for it. "MDK" may have few of the conventional trappings of prog rock, but it's progressive music in its truest form: utterly original, exceptionally cleverly realised and, yes, astoundingly complex, particularly in the vocal parts. |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 10:01
if I didn't love my new Osanna signature I would have used that post for my signature... well said. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Pafnutij
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 10:57
C'mon, I didn't take that seriously However, I don't remember criticizing the musicians themselves. I don't doubt they're virtuosos and all that. I just found the reports about Magma being "challenging" music misleading when I listened to MDK. In terms of harmony, it's pretty simple stuff, and there isn't really any of all the weird 20th century classical avantgarde or jazz that was promised (it's not that I know much about that stuff, but I am interested). It appears to be some sort of "meditative" album where you just put it on and don't really think much about the music. In that sense, it's probably good. But I'll check out the live album Syzygy mentioned to see if it's anything different. |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 11:39
MDK has strong similiarities to music by Carl Orff or Bela Bartok. Now if you think their stuff is simple, fine. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 11:44
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I was never really impressed by MDK (I listened to it the other day with mixed results), but I liked Udu Wudu. Still, I categorize Magma as the leader in my "Meh" category of bands. ------------- 
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 11:45
 and definitely check out the live album the centerpiece is the live 'Kohntarkosz' which is my favorite of the 3 'books'. It's an essential live album in any well rounded prog collection, money well spent. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: February 19 2006 at 15:47
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Very well said. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
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Posted By: listennow801
Date Posted: February 20 2006 at 00:21
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... all the weird 20th century classical avantgarde or jazz that was promised (it's not that I know much about that stuff, but I am interested).... anything different. Try : KoenjiHyakkei's Angherr Shisspa - blew me away/floored w/ glee... ------------- 
Ratings of Lady Gnosis: http://www.gnosis2000.net/raterclaire.shtml |