# magma, ruins, circle... zheul music anyone?



## deprofundis (Apr 25, 2014)

I love magma, i have trilogie at the Trianon teuz shamtaak. i seen a clip of magma live during there prime time, de futura is so intense, the drummers are possessed or in a trance either way it's quite something when i first lisen to em i was like woahh major force to reckon whit.

Music like this dosen exist anymore, sure they are countless zheul bands, some good some bad , one of them that is good is Ruins from japan.Unfortunetly some albums are mediocre refusal fossil was crap lets face it, but i like most of there records.

Circle from finland is neo zheul so they are different from the two other as it is a zheul band but also more adequately an experimental rock band, well not just rock but a lot of things.


----------



## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

deprofundis said:


> I love magma, i have trilogie at the Trianon teuz shamtaak. i seen a clip of magma live during there prime time, de futura is so intense, the drummers are possessed or in a trance either way it's quite something when i first lisen to em i was like woahh major force to reckon whit.
> 
> Music like this dosen exist anymore, sure they are countless zheul bands, some good some bad , one of them that is good is Ruins from japan.Unfortunetly some albums are mediocre refusal fossil was crap lets face it, but i like most of there records.
> 
> Circle from finland is neo zheul so they are different from the two other as it is a zheul band but also more adequately an experimental rock band, well not just rock but a lot of things.


I am a HUGE fan of Magma and other avant-garde forms of progressive music.

I completely disagree, however, that music like this does not exist anymore. There is tons of great, *new* avant-prog being release all the time by modern bands.

There is even a label dedicated to releasing new (and reissuing old) Zeuhl recordings

-http://www.soleilzeuhl.com/en/

One of the best Zeuhl bands from the 70's was Eskaton. Their frist release, 4 Visions, is considered by most fans of the genre as the best non-Magma Zheul release ever. I agree.






Here is a clip of a talented young Zheul band from Los Angeles playing a prog festival from last year


----------



## deprofundis (Apr 25, 2014)

thanx for sharing Simon Moon i got to check out eskaton


----------



## KnulpJose (May 19, 2014)

How does Zheul differences from Prog Rock? Or is it just Prog Rock but in Kobaian?  I mean, is it a difference in terms, region, language, etc... or something else? I think Magma might be the only Zheul band I've heard.


----------



## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

KnulpJose said:


> How does Zheul differences from Prog Rock? Or is it just Prog Rock but in Kobaian?  I mean, is it a difference in terms, region, language, etc... or something else? I think Magma might be the only Zheul band I've heard.


It's sub-genre of prog.

It doesn't require singing in Kobian. In fact the majority of Zeukl bands do not. The link I included above for Eskaton is sung in French. Some Zeuhl bands are instrumental.

Progarchives describes Zeuhl like this - The genre is a mixture of musical genres like Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Modernism and Fusion. Common elements: oppressive or discipline-conveying feel, marching themes, throbbing bass, an ethereal piano or Rhodes piano, and brass instruments.

There are quite a few bands that play in the style:

Dun - from France, where the style started. Has he least 'rock' sound of most Zeuhl. Kind of 'chamber rock'.

Potemkine - more on the fusion side, with wordless female vocals

Setna - not quite as heavy sounding as Magma. A bit of fusion and Canterbury (like National Health or Hatfield and the North) mixed in.

SHUB NIGGURATH - a bit darker with more dissonance than most.

Bondage Fruit - Japanese band that mixes in a bit of avant-garde jazz and Mahavishnu Orchestra.

HONEYELK - another French band on the jazzier, fusion side.

Zao - started by one of the early keyboardists from Magma. Another band with fusion influences. Lineups usually have incredible violist, Dider Lockwood and Yochk'o Seffer on soprano sax.

One Shot - side band by the current keyboardist and guitarist from Magma. Killer Zeuhl fusion.

Others are:

FRANÇOIS THOLLOT
Runaway Totem
Happy Family
Arkham
Setna


----------

