Zeuhl: Progressive Jazz Madness/ BWAAAH!?!?!?!?

In progressive rock music, one of the most understated genres is zeuhl. While some have called this oddly outlandish music transcendent and magical, many progressive listeners cannot comprehend exactly what it is trying to achieve. And thus the debate begins: is zeuhl really a jazz-inspired music phenomena or do these musicians have no idea what the fuck is going on?

First things first. Zeuhl is classified as a blend of genres of progressive rock and jazz alike. Links to fusion, avantgarde, RIO (rock in opposition), neoclassicism, jazz, choral music and even music as far off as funk and soul have been connected to its collective entity. More bizarre than that, the themes of authoritarianism, surrealism and science fiction writings encompass its literary aspects. Musically, it can be recognized for its homage to the early works of John Coltrane and Igor Stravinsky, an intense bass presence, songs sung in the constructed language Kobaïan , a dominant piano and vibraphone, and chanted.

I believe I speak for a lot of people when I say, "What the FUCK does that mean!?!?!??!"

In a completely unjust attempt at describing zeuhl, imagine a slightly up tempo drum riff and a throbbing bass line. As this moves forward, throw a variably motile piano concerto over it all and plug a guitar player in the back, working a solid groove on a delicate riff. Once there, imagine variable female and male vocals chanting in a far off language. Throw between 2 and 15 minutes of solos and improvisation in the middle, similar to any jazz piece, and top it all off with a grandiose conclusion. On average, zeuhl will appear as such.

Where the origins of zeuhl music begin, so too does Magma. Formed in 1969, Magma is the most influential body in the genre. The band is headed by classically trained drummer, Christian Vander, his wife Stella and continuously varying cast of musicians (notably vocalist Klaus Blasquiz, bassist Jannick Top, string player and composer Didier Lockwood and former Gong bass player Francis Moze).

Vander's music is written entirely in his own invented language, Kobaïan. Through the use of this language only, Vander tells a tale of refugees fleeing Earth, condemned to destruction. to settle on the planet Kobaïa. Eventually, these people settle and discover that they are not alone on this distant planet. Each of Magma's 9 studio works recount the lives of the Kobaïan people and the trials they must face. Much of Vander's language has been translated, but there remain aspects yet to be revealed.

With an expressive nature to its avantgarde music, Magma drew many fans and contemporaries. Between 1973 and 1984, bands such as Eskaton, Zao, Univers Zero and Art Zoyd have drawn from Magma's works, some singing in Kobaïan but none capturing Magma's initial essence exactly. As this period drew to a close, many of the members of Magma delved further into their solo projects, leaving their genre-defining super group behind. Christian and Stella Vander together formed the Christian Vander Quartet along with the jazz offshoot Offering throughout much of the 80s and occasionally performed around France with Magma during that period.

That being said, a new wave of zeuhl music was about to take shape. In 1985, Japanese drummer Tatsuya Yoshida discovered Vander and Magma and became entrenched in zeuhl. A progressive rock musician and composer himself, Yoshida, along with several bass players, created Ruins. Ruins developed a unique style, singing traditionally in Kobaian, but also riffing and free styling further than any zeuhl band thus far. Along with Ruins, Yoshida formed Koenjihyakkei: a similar zeuhl-based band, with less chaos and more progressive styling.

This was the beginning of zeuhl's second wave. Japanese avantgarde prog bands turned towards zeuhl and freestyle jazz as a source for inspiration, creating unique sounds in the process. Ruins and Koenji begat avantgarde quartet Happy Family, Yoshida band YBO2 and more recent zeuhl-inspired creation Bondage Fruit. The Japanese underground is growing slowly on the zeuhl genre, but one thing is certain: Vander's mastery survives.

The intricacies of music know no bounds in the zeuhl genre. A diverse variety of musicians, classically trained and not, have taken liberties and created some of the most intriguing music imaginable. No matter how it is perceived, that fact is undeniable.

Metric's Fantasies...and every Canadian indie's as well

Overall: 7.6/10
Sound: 7
Quality: 7
Lyrics: 9
Impression: 7
Production: 8
Tilt: 7.6

Two artists are looking for direction. One has poetic license running through her veins. The other is a Brit studying at the Juliard School of Music. How they met in Toronto and started collaborating, I'll never know. But that's not even the most incredible thing about Metric. Classically-trained musicians delving into mid-80's synth pop in the 2000's music era seemed bizarre, unorthodox and completely taboo. Oh yeah, and it was amazing too.

The band's latest effort, Fantasies, is an example from the already vast repertoire of Metric diversity. From the opening drum beats on Help I'm Alive, you can tell what you're in for: a rich soundscape, brim with synthesizers, potent drums and driving guitars. Emily Haines provides the cherry on the indie rock sundae with a voice to die for, brim with as much vivacious expression as intriguing contempt. Yet as you peruse through Sick Muse and Satellite Mind, you notice something: Metric is evolving. Where once there was almost a pretentious attitude that made listening to the band an abrasive ordeal, Metric has seemingly returned to a natural state in which they can thrive. They are people once again: performers and no longer drum machines.

Headlining this work is Emily Haines' lyricism. While deeply routed in romance and sexuality, like much of Metric's previous work, Haines broadens her horizons, delving into anxiety and depression, the nature and definition of success, obsession and idol worship in 21st century society. One thing I deeply respect about the way Haines performs is the reduced nature of her voice. Listening to a catchy powerhouse track like Gimme Sympathy, Haines' voice almost feels like a backing track compared to the piano/guitar combination; as much as she's speaking for the music, the music is speaking first. However, she shines most in songs like Collect Call: this woman feels fragile singing, "I know it's a lie, I want it to be true/The rest of the ride is riding on you," and those emotions easily reflect on the listener.

Musically, the album spawns from the same formula seen on Old World Underground and Live It Out. A guitar or piano backdrop commences a synth-filled orchestration of sonic intensity on tracks like Gimme Sympathy, Gold Gun Girls and Stadium Love. While this traditional Metric signature gives the band its unique and personable sound, it becomes a little dry and overdone by the time you reach track 7 (that was the biggest vice of 2005's Live It Out). What differentiates Fantasies is the maturity brought to the table: songs like Help I'm Alive, Twilight Galaxy and Collect Call make the journey seem less arduous with a mellow spin to accompany. The variation gives the listener gaps to anticipate the next high rise, which is unique to the album and separates it from the rest of the Metric catalogue.

While the listener flows down this album like a new wave river, they reach the end and are confused to get off. While Stadium Love comes off conclusive, the entire album concludes in around a half hour easily: much less than enough time to get into the groove. As soon as that final track finishes, the listener immediately feels like they missed something; that doesn't go away on the second listen either. Metric, to me, has always been like chocolate: immediately satisfying but that feeling is quickly replaced with self-doubt. It took me two or three listens to really see the high aspects of this album as it all went by so quickly and with such instant gratification (I was whistling Gimme Sympathy right at the end...that's about it). Not to say the music is empty, it's far from it. Instantly though, you won't get much from it and that's a problem.

In its entirety, Metric treads new terrain with Fantasies. Haines' lyricism is no longer completely lost in translation and the depth in the musical expansion has grown exponentially. The band is real now and they've accepted that role with open arms. More profound soundscapes would be recommended for the band to reach its vast potential, but until then, it's fans will be more than happy with letting loose and grooving out to songs like Poster of a Girl and Succexy. It's been said that the most difficult music to make is prolific pop: music that, when given 3 minutes, sends both a catchy beat and an excellent message. Thus far, Metric has shown Canada and the rest of the world exactly that.