Zeuhl (“heavenly”, “cosmic”; pronounced “joel”, but in Russian it is often spelled and pronounced “soil” or “soil”) - a style of rock music, a progressive genre of progressive rock , invented by Christian Wang , the French band Magma .
| Zeuhl | |
|---|---|
| Direction | Rock |
| Origins | Progressive rock Jazz |
| Place and time of occurrence |  France, late 1960s |
| Heyday | 1970-1978 |
| Related | |
| Progressive Rock , Rock in Opposition | |
Initially, it was a peculiar form of fusion, or rather, so-called. "French Canterbury ", with a roll in the direction of avant-garde and free jazz . However, after the 1973 album “ Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh ”, Magma demonstrated a completely new way in progressive, based on rehearsing multi-voiced singing at a pace close to the Gothic marches. The mentioned album itself was strongly reminiscent of K. Orff ’s “ Carmine Buran ” [1] , as well as “The Weddings ” by I. Stravinsky , sung in the Kobai-language invented by Vander.
At the moment, there are two main areas in jöl, based on the work of Magma before and after 1973:
- Grim, expressive fusion with a bias in avant-garde jazz ( Eider Stellaire , Kultivator , Potemkine ) or experimental, rooted to RIO jazz (Dun, Archaia, Shub-Niggurath )
- Epic vocal cozul ( Eskaton , Koenji Hyakkei , Pseu , Weidorje ).
Magma itself for a long time left behind a leading position in both directions, however, by the new century, finally making a choice in favor of the vocal hypostasis.
Content
Special Features
- T. n. galloping bass.
- Cyclicity and repitivity, kinship with Kraut.
- Short quick musical phrases (as part of fusion jöl).
- Hypnotizing (often choral) vocalises.
- Powerful marching arrangements.
- Polyphony.
- Characteristic ("joel") sound of instruments.
- Texts in non-existent languages.
- Fantastic and apocalyptic themes.
History of the genre
1969-1978 - Magma
The early history of jel is entirely related to the name of Christian Wander , drummer of the band Magma . Equally enthusiastic about both jazz and progressive rock, Wander, after a number of less successful groups, creates Magma and records with her the eponymous double album that marked the beginning of the famous epic about the planet Kobaya, where the struggle between spirituality and technocracy developed.
In 1973, a landmark album “Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh” was recorded, which made a kind of revolution in progressive music. The same album was the first recording in the Theusz Hamthaak trilogy about a Kobai prophet named Neber Godatt, who brought cosmic knowledge to Earth.
In 1974-1978, Magma recorded his last albums of the classical period, after which Vander announced the dissolution of the group.
In the same period, the albums of groups that later evolved into representatives of other related genres - Art Zoyd ( chamber rock ), Zao (avant-garde fusion), etc. were recorded.
1979-1986 - France and Belgium
Already in the period of active activity of Magma, many musicians who passed through the group organized their projects, continuing the traditions established by Wander. In the early 1980s, these groups created recognized jel masterpieces. Among the leaders of this movement, first of all, Eskaton , Eider Stellaire , Dün , Weidorje, as well as the darkest group of avant-garde joel - Shub-Niggurath .
By the end of the 1980s, most groups cease to operate.
1990s - Japan
The revival of both the genre itself and its interest in it is largely connected with the work of the Japanese drummer Tatsuya Yoshida , the organizer of countless projects within the most diverse genres, the most famous of which were the Joel projects Ruins and Koenji Hyakkei . In them, Yoshida combined the recognizable style of the Magma of the time of 1973 with a more modern and expressive hard-core sound.
Among the other Japanese groups that are in the forefront of the revival of Zoyl, it is worth noting Bondage Fruit and Happy Family .
2000s - Return of Magma
The beginning of the new millennium was marked by the return of Magma to full-fledged creative and concert activity. The band recorded a series of albums, very warmly received by both critics and the public. There were also new groups practicing both the French and Japanese schools of Zoël, including such influential groups as Runaway Totem , Universal Totem Orchestra , Demi Semi Quaver , etc.
Notes
- ↑ When in 1972, Vander became acquainted with Orff's cantata “Carmina Burana”, he discovered its similarity with his work and thought that he would like to have such an orchestration in Magma http://www.therocktologist.com/interview-with-christian -vander.html
Links
- Zeuhl on progarchives.com
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140327221048/http://www.kultobozrevatel.ru/magma
- Alexander Radyuk. Civilization Kobaya. History of the Magma Group (VIP, No. 20 (61) of June 3, 2005)