Magma | Artist

Magma was a French progressive rock band founded 1969 in Paris by classically trained drummer Christian Vander. Vander's inspiration for the band came from a cataclysmic vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future. Their first album from 1970 tells the story of a group of people fleeing a doomed Earth to settle on the planet Kobaïan. Vander invented a Kobaïan language which is an integral part of the music of all Magma's work. Inspired by Vander, Magma invented the sub-genre of Avant-Prog rock called "Zeuhl", incorporating elements as diverse as choral orchestrations by Carl Orff, the avant-garde jazz sound of John Coltrane, and the fusion of symphonic and progressive rock elements. Magma released 17 consistently good studio albums plus many superb live albums. Standouts include Magma, Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh, Köhntarkösz, Üdü Ẁüdü, K.A, Ẁurdah Ïtah, and Magma Live from 1975. The Magma spinoff band Weidorje released one excellent album, plus Christian Vander and Laurent Thibault have released solo studio albums and soundtrack works.

Artist Website: magmamusic.org

Featured Albums: Magma

Related Artists: Christian Vander, Laurent Thibault, Gong, Eskaton, Weidorje