Customer Reviews

Udu Wudu

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow. Another amazing recording that dazzled me with wild daring and technical excellence (the other being Birds of Fire by The Mahavishnu Orchestra). The music on Udu Wudu (1976) is unlike anything I have ever heard - it is not quite prog or jazz rock, although elements of both can be heard along with Carl Orff and Bartok influences. This stuff is very heavy, with positively excellent drumming/percussion work from bandleader Christian Vander and incredible bass work from both Janik Top (who plays on five of the six tracks) and Bernard Paganotti (who plays on Weidorje only). The bass sound Janik Top gets is just awesome, heavily distorted with lots of octave swoops, although much of his bass work is in the lower register (there is one point where he hits a low B - I am not sure if his E string was tuned lower or used a 6-string bass). Scattered throughout the recording are "evil" sounding synthesizer and bass synthesizer parts, bizarre, almost menacing vocal arrangements sung in a fabricated language called Kobaian, and a pretty cool trumpet/sax arrangement written by bassist Janik Top (on the first piece only). Five of the six pieces on Udu Wudu range from 3-5 minutes in length although the centerpiece of the disc is the lengthy 17'37" De Futura. Evidently, De Futura relates the story of a voyage through time and it is only through time-travel that we can see the people of "Ork". Well, that is what the liner notes say at any rate. This is truly distinct music that has been termed "chamber progressive rock" and spawned a number of similar European bands including Univers Zero and Art Zoyd amongst others. If you like this recording as much as I do, grab the 1975 recording Magma Live - it is where I started exploring this extraordinary band and showcases their considerable abilities in a live setting (although it sounds like a studio work). Although earlier recordings such as Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh (1973) and Kohntarkhosz (1974) only seem to be available as very expensive Japanese Imports, they are praised by fans and are next on my list.

This is some serious stuff here. As anyone will tell you, Magma music can put you through some altered states of consciousness if you attend seriously to the vibe of the sound. The epic "De Futura" is of course the killer track here; Jannick Top's unbelievably heavy bass lines literally domiante the track. The previous tracks might have been the soundtrack for the concluding scene of Return of the Jedi--festive, sometimes joyous, always primal. Udu Wudu is not for the faint of heart.

I'll be brief. Magma was referred to me back when I was in high school (75-78). I finally picked up Ka - The band's 2004 release. Intrigued with Ka, I started searching for videos on YouTube. What I found was a title that was also on this 1976 album release so I thought I might like it. Magma is a dark, Gothic-classically influenced Jazz, hard rock sound with operatic sounding vocals. The sound is uniquely Magma. I am continually intrigued! I check on various web sites and I have not seen any plans for the band to play anywhere in the United States. I wish they would. Music of this caliber appeals to a small but very enthusiastic audience. This is an excellent spin! This is a good starter album if you want to check Magma out. Recommended!

3 1/2


Retains an entrancing atmosphere of creepy but fun ambition, if unable to seal the whole deal with an uneven package.

Magma is really like nothing I've ever heard before. Their music is really that original. Udu Wudu is the second Magma album I've picked up, and I would say it's an amazing recording. It's really hard to describe Magma to a new listener, except that you must be prepared to have your perceptions of music shifted. And, I would add it's very much worth the effort. 5 stars!

What a piece of St. Vitus dancing we've got here. Mad, really schizofrenic music, piano driven music and chorus as a mad Sufjan Stevens and then funk coming out from all early Zeuhl - jazz adventures - a spacey avant funk. Yeah, it's funk allright!! There is a strange kind of funk in their planet!! Listen to it and you will believe me.

But away from space funk, don't forget the other masterpieces:

Kontarkhoz, 1001 degrees or Mechanik Destruktiv Kommandoh

I had heard bits and pieces of this album live, but from the moment I stuck this CD into my player, I was floored. No lyric sheet (again!), but still a nice listen, and I'm becoming familiar enough with Kobaian to nearly be able to fake a sing-along...not that there are that many lyrics to sing along to. The "wordiest" track on here has to be "Udu Wudu" itself; I like the use of call-and-response, and it's a happy, upbeat song. "Weidorje" is a bit more ominous, but fun; "Troller Tanz" and its companion piece "Zombies" are actually the most menacing bits here, but that isn't saying much; the two tracks are more musically interesting than anything. (You couldn't use it as a soundtrack for, say, "Dawn of the Dead" and make it work...unless what you were aiming for was a good laugh!) "Soleil d'Ork" is a depiction of an Orkian sun-worship ritual, and if you remember from the album "Kohntarkosz" (in "Ork Alarm") how menacing the Orkians are supposed to be, it may seem puzzling that this track is as gentle as it is. Not so with "De Futura," which takes up where "Ork Alarm" left off; apparently, the Kobaians are surrounded by the Orkians, but despite their hard, metallic nature, the Orkians are invisible. The only solution to staving off the Orkians is for the Kobaians to travel back in time, because the Orkians' invisibility is produced by manipulating time in some fashion. Once in the past, the Orkians will be visible, and thus can be fought. (Unfortunately, the Kobaians probably -will- have to use the "Stoah"...)
"Behind the apparent harshness of this music, all is silence." ...Well, not quite. My copy of "Udu Wudu" has a seventh track, "Emehnteht-Re, extrait no. deux." It has a nice little snippet from "K.A III" in it, as well as some ethereal singing by Stella and her friends that produces an irresistible song worm! Most other versions of this CD won't have that track; however, it is available as an MP3 download right here on Amazon!
In short, this album is a definite keeper, and a must for any Magma fan.

Wagner, King Crimson, John Coltrane. Pizza, coffee ice cream, Starburst. All great, but not necessarily great mixed together.

I tried to like Magma, but it seems to me that their cult status and faux-etymological gimmicks are their main draw, rather than their music. Their studio work has dated poorly, and now comes off like a textbook of weirdy-beardy prog cliches gone super saiyan.