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Zeuhl

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Zeuhl
Other namesCelestial Music
Stylistic originsJazz, Progressive Rock
Cultural originsLate 1960s - Early 1970s France

Zeuhl(pronounced ['zœl]; meaning "Celestial" ) is a subgenreofprogressive rock,established in 1969 by the French bandMagma.[1]The term comes from Kobaïan,[2]the fictional language created by Magma'sChristian Vanderand Klaus Blasquiz for Magma, in whichZeuhl Ẁortzmeans approximately "Celestial Force".[3][2]

Characteristics[edit]

The musical roots of zeuhl go back to pioneers of thefree jazzmovement such asJohn Coltraneand folkloristic echoes and influences fromCarl Orff's work.

Zeuhl is determined by several characteristicelements.Especially important are dominantrhythmfractions,usually in the form of a pumpingbass guitarand sometimes sluggish or flexibly playingdrum kits.Slow repetitive structures that serve to build ahypnoticatmosphere are just as prominent as solo passages of high technical finesse. Vocals are often widely present and can consist ofpolyphonicchoral movements, such as Carl Orff'sCarmina Burana,orsoloisticallyperformed passages with shrillintonation.Zeuhl bands also often have sologuitaristsorpianistthat usually have a more than accompanying function, especially to emphasize the repetitive patterns.

Dominique Leone,writing forPitchfork,says the style is: "about what you'd expect an alien rock opera to sound like: massed, chanted choral motifs, martial, repetitive percussion, sudden bursts of explosive improv and just as unexpected lapses into eerie, minimalist trance-rock." He has said that it means celestial[2]and that "Zeuhl music means vibratory music"[4]and that zeuhl is "L'esprit au travers de la matière "(The spirit through matter). That is Zeuhl. Zeuhl is also the sound which you can feel vibrating in your belly. Pronounce the word Zeuhl very slowly, and stress the letterzat the beginning, and you will feel your body vibrating. "[5]

Reception[edit]

Originally applied solely to the music of Magma, the term "zeuhl" was eventually used to describe the similar music produced by French bands beginning in the 1970s.[6]In addition to Magma, bands who are associated with the term include:Happy Family,[7]Kōenji Hyakkei,[8]andRuins[9]from Japan, and French bandZao.[10]

Some major representatives[edit]

French bands:

Japanese bands:

Other bands: (partly only distantly stylistically related to the Zeuhl)

Literature[edit]

  • Holm-Hudson, Kevin (2003)."Apocalyptic Otherness: Black Music and Extraterrestrial Identity in the Music of Magma".Popular Music and Society.26(4). Abingdon: Routledge: 481–495.doi:10.1080/0300776032000144931.ISSN0300-7766.S2CID194078761.Retrieved11 July2023.

References[edit]

  1. ^Jeff Wagner (2010).Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal.Bazillion Points Books. p. 242.ISBN978-0-9796163-3-4.
  2. ^abcPaul Stump (July 1995)."Different Drummer: Magma – interview with Christian Vander, page 3".The Wire.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-04.Retrieved2009-10-16.
  3. ^Culshaw, Peter (1 October 2009)."Magma interview for Celestial Mass".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved2009-10-16.
  4. ^Allan MacInnis (30 March 2015)."Immersing oneself in Magma: a Christian Vander interview".Big Takeover.Retrieved2018-05-17.
  5. ^John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg (Winter–Spring 2000)."Marching to the beat of a very different drummer".Progression, issue 34.Retrieved2018-05-17.
  6. ^Anderston, Chris (2010). "A many-headed beast: progressive rock as European meta-genre".Popular Music.29(10). Cambridge University Press: 417–435.doi:10.1017/S0261143010000450.JSTOR40926943.S2CID145065519.
  7. ^"Ye Gods: The Twenty Greatest Prog Rock Record Sleeves".The Quietus. 11 February 2018.Retrieved2018-05-17.
  8. ^Dominique Leone (11 March 2002)."Koenji-Hyakkei: NIVRAYM Album Review".Pitchfork.Retrieved2018-05-17.
  9. ^Leonard Pirce (14 January 2010)."Japanese noise-rock".The A.V. Club.Retrieved2018-05-17.
  10. ^Laurent Berger (14 April 2015)."Los Imprescindibles del Progresivo, Parte III: Cos - Viva Boma"(in Spanish). Rock the Best Music.Retrieved2018-05-17.

External links[edit]

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