Magma
Udu Wudu

This is my first review and, fresh from a concert I saw a week ago, I've decided to start with this album by Magma. Besides, I've noticed that there is only one review of Magma, so I have to start filling this gap!

"Udu Wudu" was released in 1976, it is the fifth studio album by Magma and it is certainly one of the best. What makes this album unique is that it is the only record where Christian Vander is not the absolute leader of the group: in this album, bassist Jannick Top takes on a fundamental role. To understand the importance of this figure, suffice it to say that in '76 the group toured under the name VanderTop instead of Magma.
The album consists of six tracks, of which five are of medium length (between three and five minutes) and a suite, the legendary "De Futura" by Top, which occupied the entire B side of the vinyl. But let's proceed in order.

The first song is "Udu Wudu", a composition by Vander characterized by a call and response between Vander's solo vocals and the backing singers, all set against a background of bass and winds with very light and barely hinted drums. The second track is "Wejdorie", the only track not featuring Jannick Top. The composition is, in fact, by the other bassist Bernard Paganotti and the singer Klaus Blasquiz. The piece is based on Paganotti's extremely dark and obsessive bass over which the "usual" Magma choirs stand out.
The third track is "Troller Tanz", a Vander composition played by only Vander and Top, where the bass plays a central role again as a base for keyboards and synthesizers (at times, they remind me of "Ghostbusters") and Vander's singing in the second half. The fourth track is "Soleil D'Ork", a Top composition where, needless to say, his bass has a decidedly predominant role. The next track is "Zombies", another Vander composition characterized, like the previous two, by a rather fast rhythm where he and Top dominate, giving the piece an incredible drive on which the choirs and synths rest.

And so we come to the last track of the album, "De Futura", a 18-minute suite composed entirely by bassist Jannick Top and played by only Vander and Top with some interventions from singer Klaus Blasquiz for the choirs. What can I say, honestly, I find it very difficult to describe this track! Bass and drums naturally take the lead: Top's bass is a constant and eerie presence in the foreground throughout the track.
At some points, it seems like there's a guitar, but it is actually Top himself playing the bass filtered through an O.R.S. synthesizer. The rest is a massive presence of synthesizers creating that "alien" atmosphere, typical of this piece and this album, and a cavernous voice that seems to come directly from the underworld.

In conclusion, what can be said? It's an absolutely unmissable album! In my opinion, it is the most suitable album for those who want to start getting to know Magma.