Jean Paul Prat-Masal and Zeuhl Music

[ProgUK]

Discovered this today (thanks burning_muscles) so blown away with it.
Not ever really delving into the Zeuhl sub genre, can you recommend other recordings like this?
I think i might have been missing out.
Many thanks!

[aith01]

Glad you are enjoying Masal, it is one of my favorites.

It is unique, among all the Zeuhl that I've heard or collected, in that it is remarkably "easy" to listen to (in my humble opinion) while still containing some very interesting and complex compositions. It's a great introduction to Zeuhl (or jazz-rock, for that matter).

As far as similar recommendations, the first one that springs to mind is Magma's Felicite Thosz (if you haven't heard it already). It's not as big sounding, as the band is smaller than the one on Masal, but it's a beautiful album.

Jean-Paul Prat has released two more recent albums, under the group name Masal. The titles are Galgal and Viens des Quatre Vents, both more leaning toward jazz-rock, but still quite nice.

What Zeulh recordings have you heard so far? I may be able to make other recommendations based on this.

Happy listening!

[GuitarGeek]

That's a GREAT album, definitely one of my favorites, sort of like a mix of zheul with a sort of Mike Oldfield pastoral feel in the quiet bits.

Assuming that you've heard Magma (and that could be a whole other thread right there, just discussing Magma themselves)

Other great zeuhl bands:

Weidorje: spin off from Magma, made one great album in the late 70's, reissued on Musea with two live bonus tracks. The band actually had enough material worked for a second album, but they broke up before it could be recorded. Besides the two bonus tracks, album Bebe Godzilla by their keyboardist Patrick Gauthier and the first Paga album by Bernard Paganotti feature pieces that I believe were intended for that second album (and in both cases, Gauthier and Paganotti more or less reconvened Weidorje to record the pieces for the respective solo records). Mostly instrumental, but with some wordless vocals here and there. If you like that monster zeuhl fuzz bass, Paganotti is pretty much the guv'nor as far as I'm concerned.

Eskaton: early 80's band, made 1 single and four albums (though the group broke up before the fourth album could be issued, though several tracks appear as bonus tracks on the CD reissues). The first album, 4 Visions features four extended compositions which are all fantastic. The second and third albums have shorter pieces (with Ardeur including new versions of two of the pieces that were on 4 Visions), and to me, they come off sort of as a new wave/post-punk version of zeuhl, if that makes any sense to you. There's some synths here, and dual female vocals, singing in French.

Happy Family: Japanese band who made two albums in the 90's then broke up, but have recently reconvened, though I can't remember if they've released anything new yet. Definitely the two albums they did in the 90's were fantastic, well worth hearing.

Jannick Top: Soleil D'Ork is the title of a compilation that Top put out some years back, including his two mid 70's singles, plus the demo of DeFutura, which has Richard Pinhas (!) sitting in on guitar, and a couple other miscellaneous tracks.

Utopic Sporadic Orchestra: effectively a big band version of Magma, convened for the world premiere of DeFutura, which took place at the Nancy jazz festival in 1975. The CD includes both the dress rehearsal from the day before plus the official premiere performance. There's also a couple other Magma related bonus tracks here that are worth. To my knowledge this is the only recording or performance this grouping ever did. It wasn't quite as intense as I thought it'd be, but if you love DeFutura, this well worth hearing.

I know I've got other zeuhl related things in my collection, but I'm drawing a blank on which other ones to tell you about, other than Honeyelk, and honestly, it's been so long since I've actually listened to that album, I don't even remember much about it. I'm sure others will help you fill in some of the gaps.

[ProgUK]

Thank you so much for these recommendations.

To me Masal sounds similar to a lot of work by Pekka Pohjola , whom i LOVE.

Embarrassed to say i do not own any Magma. What should i listen to first based on my love for the more melodic stuff?

[Conti]

Embarrassed to say i do not own any Magma. What should i listen to first based on my love for the more melodic stuff?

I envy you 😊

For the more melodic side of Magma I would go with any of the studio records they released since the 2000's. My favourite one is Kohntarkosz Anteria, best known as KA.

[aith01]

Thank you so much for these recommendations.

To me Masal sounds similar to a lot of work by Pekka Pohjola , whom i LOVE.

Embarrassed to say i do not own any Magma. What should i listen to first based on my love for the more melodic stuff?

I've never listened to anything by Pekka Pohjola, but have heard the name before. Perhaps I should check his music out.

If wanting to get into Magma, I second the opinion that their stuff in the 2000's is a good place to start. Felicite Thosz happens to be my favorite of these and it is perhaps their most accessible recording to date. But KA is also quite good, as is Emehntehtt-Re.

Once you've gotten more acquainted, you may be ready for MDK and Kohntarkosz.

[NogbadTheBad]

Welcome aboard the Zeuhl train, Masal is a great album and I think you're right on the Pekka reference. While all Chris' recommendations are excellent they are more from the dark heavy end of the spectrum.

There's some great young melodic zeuhl bands out there that may be your thing, check out Setna, Calliou, Scherzoo, Xing Sa. Of the older stuff look for Abus Dangereux, Potemkine (particularly Triton), Serge Bringolf, Yochko Seffer

Chris, theres a new Happy Family released on Cuneiform since their return, its excellent.

[Sputnik]

Discovered this today (thanks burning_muscles) so blown away with it.
Not ever really delving into the Zeuhl sub genre, can you recommend other recordings like this?
I think i might have been missing out.
Many thanks!

I'm not a huge Zeuhl fan, but I really like that Prat album and some other Zuehl albums that don't have, or have very little, of the chanting/singing that is a turnoff to me, and are less "repetitive" and have more compositional structure. So with this in mind, I'd recommend the following Zeuhl or Zeuhl-related stuff:

Dun - Eros
Eider Stellaire - S/T
Scherzoo - Any of their three
Weidorje - S/T
Abus Dangereux - Le Quatrieme Mouvement
Potemkine - Triton and Nicholas II
Rahmann - S/T

And...

Masal - Not the album but the band, which is Prat on piano with drums, bass and sax. Really nice stuff, either of their albums are worth chekcing out.

Bill

[ProgUK]

Thanks guys,

i actually own:

Abus Dangereux - Le Quatrieme Mouvement
Potemkine - Triton and Nicholas II
Rahmann - S/T

Great stuff. did not know they were considered Zeuhl!
Who knew!

Will def check out the other recommendations!

I agree with Sputnik that i would be looking for Zuehl albums that don't have, or have very little, of the chanting/singing! Dont get that at all!

Cheers!!!!

[ProgUK]

aith01, Pekka Pohjola is a musical genius with a wealth of amazing albums.
I would recommend them in this order:

Pekka Pohjola - Keesojen Lehto
Pekka Pohjola - Visitation
Pekka Pohjola - Space Waltz
Pekka Pohjola - Urban Tango
Pekka Pohjola - Pewit
Pekka Pohjola - Changing Waters
Pekka Pohjola - Harakka Bialoipokku
Pekka Pohjola - Views
Pekka Pohjola - The Group
Pekka Pohjola - Flight Of The Angel
Pekka Pohjola - Kätkävaaran lohikäärme
Pekka Pohjola - Pihkasilmä kaarnakorva
Pekka Pohjola - Jokamies

Great Live:
Pekka Pohjola - Heavy Jazz and Live In Japan

For completists:
UMO plays the music of PEKKA POHJOLA
Espoo Big Band - Yesterday's Games
Uni Sono - Uni Sono

[Dana5140]

Pekka is great but he is not Zeuhl.

Jannick is, of course, but no one mentioned Infernal Machine:

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

David, Magma may have invented the Zuehl style of Rock but for me, they aren't the best at it. I enjoy their album Udu Wudu and Attahk has some interesting passages, but most of the time Magma chase me away with the wailing screams and repetitive marching sound. There are times when I'm listening to Magma and it just sounds like someone banging the same 4 chords over and over and over and over on a Piano.

Bill's recommendations:
"Dun - Eros
Eider Stellaire - S/T
Scherzoo - Any of their three
Weidorje - S/T
Abus Dangereux - Le Quatrieme Mouvement
Potemkine - Triton and Nicholas II
Rahmann - S/T

And...

Masal - Not the album but the band, which is Prat on piano with drums, bass and sax. Really nice stuff, either of their albums are worth chekcing out."

are excellent (though I'm shocked that I have not heard Scherzoo yet)

[calyx]

I'm shocked that I have not heard Scherzoo yet.

Unlike the other bands cited, this is a recent/current band, so for this reason they haven't been in "zeuhl recommendations" list as long as the others !
Before Scherzoo, François Thollot, the band's leader/sometime drummer/sometime bassist/sometime everything else, had released albums under his own name, including one with the One Shot rhythm section (Bussonnet/Jeand'heur). Thankfully he has gone on to form longer-term line-ups. The first two Scherzoo albums had the same band playing. Their new CD, recently out on Soleil Zeuhl, has a completely different line-up with Thollot swtiching to bass (and studio keys) rather than drums, and is very strong indeed. The CD is rounded out with tracks from another Thollot project, Dissonata, in a more chamber rock vein. Thollot is a prolific and gifted composer, and as an instrumentalist, he has become rather proficient. I was quite impressed with his development as a drummer up to the first two Scherzoo CDs.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

thanx bro

I'll start with their latest then

[ProgUK]

just ordered:

Eider Stellaire - 1st

Scherzoo-2

Setna "Cycle 1”

Dün-Eros

Patrick Gauthier "Sure Les Flots Verticaux”

Weidorje - s/t

Eskaton-4-visions

Masal +2

Wasnt cheap!

Cheers everyone

[Scrotum Scissor]

Dun - Eros
Eider Stellaire - S/T
Scherzoo - Any of their three
Weidorje - S/T
Abus Dangereux - Le Quatrieme Mouvement
Potemkine - Triton and Nicholas II
Rahmann - S/T

GREAT "essential Zeuhl for beginners"-list, Bill! Kudos...

I'd dare add the overtly excellent Les Cycles de Thanatos by Vortex, Strave by Serge Bringolf and 4 Visions (or alternatively Ardeur) by Eskaton. These, together with a handful Magma and arguably the first Zao record, basically constitute the very *core* of French 70s (plus very early 80s) Zeuhl.

Some of the Zeuhl'ish RIO bands were notably more "difficult" (although both Dün and Vortex could be said to fit there), and modern (or contemporary) Zeuhl often displays influx of noise and post-punk antics which makes it a tad more challenging for many a newbie. I personally love all of it, of course...

[nosebone]

Patrick Gauthier - Bebe Godzilla

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Welcome aboard the Zeuhl train, Masal is a great album and I think you're right on the Pekka reference. While all Chris' recommendations are excellent they are more from the dark heavy end of the spectrum.

There's some great young melodic zeuhl bands out there that may be your thing, check out Setna, Calliou, Scherzoo, Xing Sa. Of the older stuff look for Abus Dangereux, Potemkine (particularly Triton), Serge Bringolf, Yochko Seffer

Chris, theres a new Happy Family released on Cuneiform since their return, its excellent.

Serge Bringolf, Xing Sa, and Setna were the three that sprang to mind immediately for me.

Excellent lists all around though.

[Sputnik]

Before Scherzoo, François Thollot, the band's leader/sometime drummer/sometime bassist/sometime everything else, had released albums under his own name, including one with the One Shot rhythm section (Bussonnet/Jeand'heur).

Yes, Contact, I have it spinning now. I didn't recommend it because I haven't had it that long and couldn't remember it that well. Now that it's spinning, it's a hands down recommendation, awesome album!

just ordered:

Eider Stellaire - 1st

Scherzoo-2

Setna "Cycle 1”

Dün-Eros

Patrick Gauthier "Sure Les Flots Verticaux”

Weidorje - s/t

Eskaton-4-visions

Masal +2

Wasnt cheap!

Cheers everyone

Score!! I don't have Sure Les Flots Verticaux, but I have Gauthier's Bebe Godzilla and like it, so I need to check this one out. I think you did really well and should enjoy all of these.

GREAT "essential Zeuhl for beginners"-list, Bill! Kudos...

Thanks! It's funny, I'm not big into Magma, but some of the Zeuhl stuff totally kills me. So I always give stuff described as Zeuhl a shot, and it's paid off.

I'd dare add the overtly excellent Les Cycles de Thanatos by Vortex, Strave by Serge Bringolf

I have Strave and Vision and like them both. Need to listen to them again, like the Thollot I got them fairly recently and haven't had time to really absorb them.

I had the Vortex 2/1, but it didn't knock me out and I let it go a while back.

Bill

[NogbadTheBad]

The Vortex stuff is excellent, well worth revisiting.

[Sputnik]

The Vortex stuff is excellent, well worth revisiting.

Mmmm, too late. It's gone. I liked parts of the first disc OK, but the second one, iirc, had this rather long sort of classical piece, which to me went nowhere. Then there was some other stuff that was to me just "OK." So overall, I just didn't find it that exciting. Hopefully whoever got my CD got more mileage from it than me, it just wasn't up my alley.

By the way, we just had rehearsal, and Rick noticed the Moving Gelatine Plates cover on my CD rack and said, "now I know where Ian gets his avatar!"

Bill

[Sputnik]

One last note, this Thollot Contact album is kicking my ass. My wife is totally digging it too!

Bill

[NogbadTheBad]

One last note, this Thollot Contact album is kicking my ass. My wife is totally digging it too!

Bill

Added to the to buy list

[Bake 1]

Lots of good stuff listed earlier, the Dun Eros really was a great one that not many heard when it was initially released. I get what you're saying about Pohjola, (and am not much good at fretting over what is or isn't Zeuhl). Remember liking the Lockwood, Vander, Top & Widemann / Fusion record a lot...someone turned me on to a cassette w/ this on one side and Masal on the other. YMMV... I know not all Magma fans liked the Fusion record.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

also David, the band Xaal had two albums of Zeuhl with Horns that I think you'd love