Magma (band)
Magma were a French progressive rock band founded in 1969 by classically-trained drummer Christian Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. Over the course of several albums, Vander sought to tell the story of a group of people fleeing a doomed Earth to settle on the planet Kobaia. Later, conflict arises when the Kobaians — descendants of the original colonists — encounter other Earth refugees. The most novel aspect of Magma's albums was that Vander actually invented an indigenous Kobaian language, in which all the lyrics were sung.Musically adventurous and imaginative, Magma made extensive use of the choral format, their album Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh being particularly reminiscent of the classical composer Carl Orff.
Later work by Magma was highly influenced by jazz saxophone player John Coltrane.
So many musicians played with Magma over the years, who then went on to form their own solo projects and/or spinoff acts, that the term Zeuhl was created to refer to these bands and the French jazz fusion/symphonic rock scene that grew around them.
Discography:
Excluding numerous latter-day compilationsExternal link:
