Artist: Magma
Label: Seventh Records
Release: 1998
Rating: 4.4/5
Magma had already returned to the stage in the nineties, but there was still no sign they’d put out anything new. Then, just when fans figured Magma was done for good, the band came back. And with a single, their first and, so far, only one! After the album Merci from 1981, the band went quiet for quite a long time. Sure, Offering filled the gap, but it wasn’t the same. Magma is something special. Whenever he writes under the Magma name, Christian Vander seems to turn into a completely different person.
Magma’s lineup has changed drastically since the seventies and early eighties. Then again, it was never exactly rock-solid anyway. Christian Vander has always loved surrounding himself with the best jazz musicians France has to offer. Only Christian and his wife Stella are constants in a band that has been through so many changes I can’t even list them all. Everyone else is new to Magma, though they’re far from newcomers to the music business. Just listen to their playing and their professionalism.
The first song was written by new bassist Philippe Bussonnet. It might be built more on jazz than Magma fans are used to, but all the typical elements are definitely there. The track features some gorgeous operatic vocal parts from Bertrand Cardiet and the female singers, which bring back memories of the band’s golden era in the mid-seventies. The second song came from the pen of Christian Vander. You can tell he has more experience than Bussonnet and knows exactly what kind of music suits a lineup like this. The melodies are magical once again, and toward the end you can even hear some parts that were later used on Kohntarkosz Anteria. Vander also shows here that his voice has only gotten better over the years, despite him being a passionate smoker. He no longer uses the screeching techniques of old; what we hear is simply an outstanding singer delivering beautiful melodies. In terms of operatic style, he can definitely hold his own against Bertrand Cartier.
The music on the album is executed with incredible polish. Both songs are compositions with almost no improvisation whatsoever, which is nothing unusual for this band, even though at its core it was a jazz outfit. Every musician shines in their own department, but the one who stands out most is of course the boss himself, Christian Vander, with his dynamic and versatile jazz drumming and superb voice.
I find this EP quite important, since it’s Magma’s only studio recording since 1981 that contains new compositions. Vander’s head is simply so full of old material that he has no time to think about anything new. Emehnteht Re, Zess, Theusz Hamtaahk and a few more still haven’t been recorded in the studio. Floe Essi/Ektah shows Magma in a slightly different light – with more jazz leanings than before. Their music would probably sound a lot like this today if they had decided to focus solely on writing new songs. An excellent record for all the Magma fanatics out there!
Lineup
James MacGaw – guitar
Emanuel Borghi – Fender Rhodes piano
Stella Vander – vocals
Isabelle Feuillebois – vocals
Bertrand Cardiet – vocals (Floe Essi)
Philippe Bussonnet – bass
Christian Vander – drums, vocals (Ektah), keyboards
Production
Francis Linon
Track list
1. Floe Essi (“La fille de la mer”) 2:58
2. Ektah (“Le Heros”) 5:52
Album length: 8:50
