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.