Like every volcanic eruption, it all started with Magma. Magma dubbed their music zeuhl, which is Kobaiian for “celestial.” Their status in their homeland was enough to sow the seeds of a movement. In France they were huge in the ’70s, especially live. Their influence on that generation was massive.

Led by drummer/vocalist Christian Vander, Magma mixed jazz-rock fusion; choral vocals with a whiff of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana; scary, Stravinsky-savvy melodic themes; and hammerhead prog riffs bolstered by monster bass lines.

The musicians come and go within the group Magma, Bernard Paganotti in turn left the group in 1976 to form another group of Zeuhl, Weidorje (which means “Celestial Wheel”.) The more you listen to Weidorje, the more fun and interesting the music becomes. It must be some kind of witchcraft, looks like Sun Ra’s space ship.

This sound is fucking !! This bass is very cool. Bernard Paganotti or Janik Top? No difference.