MAGMA had to be created, if not by me, then by someone else. Christian Vander, July 1996.
It would be futile, at this point in time, to sing the praises of MAGMA; it has become a legend. In forming MAGMA in 1969, Christian VANDER initiated one of the richest creative efforts of the last 40 years. The group became successful in France very quickly and this fame soon spread abroad. One can ascribe this universality to the innate expressive force of MAGMA’s music and to the successive waves of exceptional personalities who brought so much to the endeavour…beginning with Christian VANDER, recognized worldwide as a ‘drum hero’ and as a composer of the utmost originality and expressive force. CHRISTIAN VANDER Christian VANDER was born on the 21st February 1948. From an early age his mother introduced him to the company of famous jazzmen such as Elvin JONES and Kenny CLARKE. Indeed, Chet BAKER gave him his first drum kit. He listened to all the greats of jazz and especially John Coltrane, whom he had the chance to meet was only once. He also listened to composers such as WAGNER, STRAVINSKY, BACH and many rhythm’n blues bands and singers. He formed his first group, the WURDALAKS, in 1966 and wrote his first themes at that time. Following the death in 1967 of John COLTRANE, which had a profound affect on him he left for Italy where he played in the clubs with jazz and ríníb groups. In 1969 he founded MAGMA. Between 1969 and 1984 about 50 players trod the boards with MAGMA, many of them destined to become musicians of great renown: Didier LOCKWOOD, Jannick TOP, Michel GRAILLIER…. MAGMA quickly gained an international reputation, notably following their appearance at the NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL in 1973, where the band was joined by the Brecker Brothers. At the present time a total of 25 MAGMA albums have been released. Since 1996 MAGMA has returned to the stage with a group of talented young musicians, playing the mythic work of the 70s repertoire, as well as new material, to an audience mainly comprised of young people. In 2005 is published K.A. The hypnotic tension, the explosive climaxes, the fantastic pyrotechnic drumming, the massive and intricate vocal arrangements, the gut-­‐wrenching bass lines and the classical pomposity fused with almost jungle-­strength R n’ B -­‐ all the hallmarks of Christian Vander’s special genius are found here intact. «Emëhntëhtt-­‐Ré» was released November 2009. Initiated in 1975, its composition beholds its whole fulfillment after more than three decades. It is the testimony of an unwaveringly timeless inspiration, of which the expectant present asserts itself beyond history. «Félicité Thösz» was released in June 2012. Already aired in concert and well-­attended by legions of the band’s fans, the piece is dominated by the celestial voice of Stella Vander and is a formidable mix of all the sonic colours which has made this cult band absolutely uncategorizable! A series of new and classic Magma titles has been scheduled for release every month from September 2014 to November 2015. A legendary French group if ever there was one, Magma has continued to influence the course of contemporary music since their debut in 1969. During this series of releases, Magma will also be on the road, performing numerous concerts in France as well as other countries where they have a strong fan base: South America, U.K, Germany, Scandinavia, Japan and the United States. Festivities kick off with 3 weeks of concerts at the Triton, just outside Paris, in November 2014 and will be brought to a close in one of the capital’s largest venues in the run-up to Christmas 2015, to coincide with the release of the live box set Konzert Zünd. The music of MAGMA is eternal.