Magma

Kobaia and the invention of zeuhl

Magma was founded in Paris in 1969 by the self-taught drummer Christian Vander; the full early name was Univeria Zekt Magma Composedra Arguezdra. French Wikipedia credits Vander and the bassist Laurent Thibault, after casino tours with the singer Zabu and the organist Francis Moze. Vander, born February 21, 1948 in Nogent-sur-Marne, told the Arts Desk's Peter Culshaw that he was informally taught drums from age 11 by Elvin Jones, a friend of his mother's, and that Chet Baker gave him his first kit; he was devastated by John Coltrane's death in 1967 and names Coltrane as his greatest inspiration, along with Carl Orff. The albums form a space opera of concept albums in Kobaian, a constructed language of the fictional planet Kobaia; Vander said French was not expressive enough for the sound of the music in his head, and Ian MacDonald called Kobaian phonetic, not semantic.

Kobaïa came out on Philips in 1970, 1001 Centigrades in April 1971, which led to a Montreux Jazz Festival appearance, and The Unnamables in January 1972 as Univeria Zekt. Most members left in late 1972; Stella Vander and Jannick Top were recruited, and Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh followed on May 6, 1973. Their UK debut was at the Marquee on December 5, 1973. Wurdah Itah and Kohntarkosz came in 1974, Live/Hhaï in 1975 and Udu Wudu in 1976; the band briefly disbanded and reformed in 1977, with Attahk in 1978. Three tenth-anniversary nights at the Olympia in Paris, on June 9 to 11, 1980 (January per The Quietus), became Rétrospektïẁ in 1981. Vander ran Offering from 1983 to 1996, and Magma re-formed with 14 pieces in 1996, recording Theusz Hamtaahk at Le Trianon on May 13 and 14, 2000.

Later studio albums are K.A (2004), Émehntêhtt-Rê (2009), Félicité Thösz (2012), Rïah Sahïltaahk (2014), Slag Tanz (2015), Zëss (2019) and Kartëhl (September 30, 2022), the fifteenth. Zeuhl, a Kobaian word Vander glosses as celestial, is characterized by pumping bass, slow repetitive structures and polyphonic choral vocals; followers include Zao, Art Zoyd, Univers Zero and Koenji Hyakkei. The snooker player Steve Davis, who promoted Offering shows at London's Bloomsbury Theatre in January 1987, recommends the 1973 album as a starting point for newcomers. A 55th anniversary tour began at Cirque Royal in Brussels on March 5, 2025, and the documentary To Life, Death and Beyond came in 2017.