Magma

Remastered and pressed on translucent blue vinyl. 2LP deluxe edition. One of the greatest live albums ever recorded is back on vinyl in deluxe form. Christian Vander and his cosmic warriors captured at the absolute peak of their powers - Taverne de l'Olympia, Paris, June 1-5, 1975. The Island Mobile studio rolling tape. Five nights of pure Zeuhl fury. This is the lineup. After the departure of Jannick Top and most of the original formation in late '74, Magma rose from the ashes with a rejuvenated, killer band. Bernard Paganotti laying down the most ferocious bass lines imaginable. The 19-year-old Didier Lockwood shredding his electric violin like a man possessed - his performance here is absolutely devastating. Klaus Blasquiz and Stella Vander leading the vocal assault. Benoît Widemann and Jean-Pol Asseline on keyboards. Gabriel Federow on guitar. A unit playing as one single organism.

The setlist? Untouchable. Köhntark parts one and two - the monumental Köhntarkösz material rearranged and reborn. The hypnotic announcement of Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré. And then Hhaï - nine minutes of mesmeric, trance-inducing power. This is their "Satisfaction" - imparable! Kobah, Lïhns, and the crushing 19-minute Mëkanïk Zaïn closing the ceremony.

Bizarrely one of the best-sounding live recordings of the mid-70s. The drums hit like cannonfire. The bass rumbles through your bones. The voices soar to other dimensions. As Bill Bruford once said: "Magma turned heads."

Now remastered and pressed on translucent blue vinyl. 2LP deluxe edition. Essential beyond essential.