Kosmik Radiation Radio - Jun 12, 2009 Playlist

June 12, 2009 Playlist

Magma was one of the most original "rock" groups of all time, inventing their own language to sing songs about the mythology of "planet Kobaia" and its inhabitants, against a backdrop of music that has more in common with Stravinsky and Coltrane than the Beatles or Zeppelin. They were apparently quite popular on the European continent (in fact still are), though the American music press gave them nothing but scathing reviews during their 70's heyday. Therefore they have remained an obscure cult band on these shores, but are highly recommended for curious ears looking to hear something "completely different." (In fact there is a whole musical movement in Europe called "Zeuhl" which is based on the pioneering work of Magma.) This is their first album which has Kobaian lyrics, but is closer to "jazz fusion" and "prog rock" than some of their later opuses, so might make a good place to start.
Keep your wig on tight, here's some extra-crazy videos! First, Magma on French TV in 1970, and next here's "De Futura" from a 1977 TV appearance (written by the remarkable bass-playing troll Jannick Topp, though he wasn't in the band for this performance.) And I think this next one is just about the craziest thing I've seen on youtube: a video illustrating misheard lyrics from Magma's "Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh" (it's worth watching the whole thing, and the music's great of course!)

(N) = New Release

Artist	Song	Album	Year (label)	Country
Tommy James & The Shondells	Cellophane Symphony	Cellophane Symphony	1969	USA
Argent	Music From The Spheres	Nexus	1974	UK
Redbone	Judgement Day / Without Reservation	Potlatch	1970	USA

Triumvirat	Panic On 5th Avenue	Old Loves Die Hard	1976	Germany
The Guess Who	Long Gone	Flavours	1975	Canada
Blood Sweat & Tears	Redemption	B. S. & T. 4	1971	USA

Jon (Anderson) & Vangelis	The Friends Of Mr. Cairo	The Friends Of Mr. Cairo	1981	UK/Greece
Isao Tomita	The Giant Pyramid And Its Ancient People	The Bermuda Triangle	1979	Japan
Richard Hayman	The Windmills of Your Mind	The Genuine Electric Latin Love Machine	1969	USA

Tortoise	High Class Slim Came Floatin' In	Beacons of Ancestorship (N)	2009 (Thrill Jockey)	USA
The Black Lips	Meltdown (hidden track)	200 Million Thousand (N)	2009 (Vice)	USA
Red Red Meat	Variations on Nadia's Theme	Bunny Gets Paid (N - "Deluxe Edition"reissue)	rec. 1995 (2009 Sub Pop)	USA
Black Moth Super Rainbow	Dark Bubbles	Eating Us (N)	2009 (Graveface)	USA
Rodriguez	Gommorah (A Nursery Rhyme)	Cold Fact (N - reissue)	rec. 1970 (2008 Light In The Attic)	USA
Meat Puppets	Nursery Rhyme	Sewn Together (N)	2009 (Megaforce)	USA

Can	Up The Bakerloo Line With Anne	The Peel Sessions	rec. 1973	Germany
Magma	Kobaia	Magma CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK	1970	France

Magma	Nau Ektila	Magma CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK	1970	France
Dzyan	Kabisrain	Time Machine	1973	Germany