Magma - Wurdah Itah. CD. (Nova / Pinnacle - REXIX) The French band's uncompromising and relentlessly oblique soundtrack to the uncompromising and relentlessly oblique Yvan LaGrange film adaptation of 'Tristan Y Iseult'. Originally released in 1974 and unavailable on CD until 2005.

Magma - Udu Wudu. CD. (Snapper - SNAP160CD) One of the ultimate progressive rock groups from Europe (France to be exact) released this album in 1976. It's a more accesable jazz rock album than their earlier instense releases and includes the 17 minute epic 'De Futura' which is a magical and enchanting voyage through time.The CD is housed in eye catching digi pak.

Magma - Theusz Hamtaahk Trilogie. 3-CD Box Set. (Nova / Pinnacle - AXXV111) Three CD box set recorded in Paris on the band's 30th anniversary. As you can imagine, the discs represent the full four hour performance, and capture fully the intensity and strangeness that is Magma live.

Magma - Retrospektiw 3. CD. (Nova / Pinnacle - REXXV) Live recording from 1980 celebrating the first ten years of this totally unique and mind-blowing French band led by drummer Christian Vander and featuring top jazz violinist Didier Lockwood. We would love to give you more information, but unfortunately it's in Kobaian. . .

Magma - Retrospectiw I-II. Dble CD. (Nova / Pinnacle - REXX VI) Double live album featuring the other two June 1980 Olympia recordings from this fascinating, uncompromising and somewhat scary French band. More details to follow.

Magma - Kohntarkosz. CD. (Nova / Pinnacle - REXVIII) A slight detour from the Stentorian 'klang' of their three previous albums, 'Kohntarkosz' took Vander & Co.off down a more conventional (by their standards) prog route, somewhat akin to the works of their contemporaries Yes and Gentle Giant- although there was no way the 29-minute title track was ever going to get played on the radio!! Elsewhere they took their love of genuine free jazz improvisation and used it in a way that the previous albums' reliance on almost neo-operatic compositional structures had not allowed them to do, although it had always obviously been there. Standout track this time is the solemnly beautiful "Coltrane Sundia" which ends the album on a far more relaxed note than the band were previously used to.

Magma - Hhai Live. Dble CD. (Nova / Pinnacle - REXX) Storming live set from French jazz-prog loons recorded at the Tavern de l'Olympia in June 1975. Includes a 31-minute workout of 'Kohntakh'.

Magma - 1,001 Degrees Centigrade. CD. (Nova / Pinnacle - REXVI) OK, we all know prog rock is meant to be off the wall by nature- or at least it was then, until it became increasingly conservative from the 80s onwards- but Christian Vander and Magma were xtreme even by those criteria. For sheer unashamed artsiness and complexity, they took not just the biscuit but the entire cupboard- and albums like this were only half the story. Three tracks with an average length of twenty minutes each, recorded by a French band singing in their own invented language 'Kobaian' (somewhere between Slim Gaillard's 'voot' and Enochian invocations, for a reference point), featuring sax, violin, discordant guitar and all manner of unidentifiable percussions- put it this way, it makes 'Trout Mask Replica' sound like 'Hotel California' by comparison, and should be heard immediately. Truly classic prog.

Magma - M.D.K. (Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh). CD. (Nova / Pinnacle - REXVII) For many the ultimate Magma album, a chanting, thrumming, screeching cacophony of free jazz squalls, Stockhausian grindings and Zappaist lunacy (albeit without the toilet humour- but seeing as the lyrics are all in Kobaian, who would know?) The album consists of one 38-minute piece of music that stretches the talents of all nine members, but particularly drummer/leader Christian Vander, violinist Didier Lockwood, vocalist/percussionist Klaus Basquiz and bassist Janick Top, to the limit of their abilities. Some have said it sounds like music made in the furthest reaches of a Wagnerian hell, but to us that's a selling point. So extreme that after one listen you'll want to play it again just to make sure you understood it.

Magma - Attahk. CD. (Snapper - SNAP200CD) In many ways the ultimate progressive-rock group, Magma never enjoyed the commercial success that their unique brand of cosmic music deserved. Released in 1978, this album is one of their most popular, vibrant and accessible. With the emphasis on rhythm and rumbling bass, driven along by the drumming talents of Christian Vander. Including the explosive opening track, 'The Last Seven Minutes', and some amazing H.R. Giger artwork, this is something of a masterpiece.

Magma - Live. CD. (Snapper / Charly - SNAP008CD) Live Paris show from '75, originally released as a double LP. One of the ultimate progressive rock groups from Europe, this live document is superb. As always they are singing in their own invented language 'Kobaian' (somewhere between Slim Gaillard's 'voot' and Enochian invocations, for a reference point.); to say that this group is kinda specialist is an understatement. Only five tracks, but this is understandable when you see that "Kohntark" is thirty two minutes long! Full track listing: "Kohntark", "Kobah", "Lihns", "Hhai" and "Mekanik Zane."

Magma - Mythes Et Legendes Vol. 2. DVD. (Nova / Pinnacle - VD5) Live performance from the Paris Club, May 2005. A real treat for long term fans, this DVD documents the second week of theri month long run at the venue where they completely changed the set list every week and brought together some ex members to play with the band one last time. The highlight has to be getting Christian Vender and Jannick Top back together; Stella Vander, Antoine Paganotti, imko Paganotti, Phillipe Bussonnet also make appearance. Unmissable. DVD PAL / Region 0 / main feature 138 / PCM stereo.Beautiful book style packaging rounds off the set.

Magma - Uber Kommandoh. Dble CD. (Atom Music - ATOM2015) A 14 track 2 CD set from the internationally known French Jazz-Rock group Magma. The 14 tracks from this collection have been selected from, Udu Wudu, their Seventh album which was originally released in 1976, Attahk, their Eighth album which was originally released in 1977, Live, which was recorded at The Taverne De L'Olypia in Paris in June 1975.

Magma - Mythes Et Legendes Vol. 3. DVD. (Nova / Pinnacle - VD6) The epic continues with the third volume which lays it out with Kohntarkosz, the 1973 masterpiece which was a decisive turning point in the development of the Vander odyssey. The DVD takes us up to 1979, with extracts from the album Attahk, given masterful interpretations here by a line-up comprised of the present-day core members of the group and the third star guest, Benoit Widemann, who, as always, plays his Mini-Moog brilliantly

© Delerium Music 2008. Web Site written and maintained by Matt Platts for Paragon Digital. Please see www.vatloophole.co.uk for information on why we closed down.