Yochk'o Seffer - Yog 3: Yochk'o Seffer Big-Band

T'was a big band that let out their sound. It happened to be recorded, perhaps by arrangement.

oops?

Yochk'o Seffer - Yog 2: Sefira

Zao man part 2. YOG YOG.

ojfsojsfjos

Yochk'o Seffer - Yog 1: Pitchipoy

This guy looks real cool, huh? Turns out he is! Zao man extraordinaire. The saxophone and high-end vocals on Osiris and other Zao albums. This is Jeff "Yochk'o" Seffer returning to a more Zao sound after about a decade and a half of fussing around after Zao (fussing much worth the listen let's say) (one day I share with you maybes?). Now let it fill the air. Set the magnets to unleash vibrations and turn your organs towards the sounds which recreate those made by this man, his saxophone, and the ones who lent their time to his vision.

let us pave the way to nothing. . .  [Updated 2015 Feb 25]

Magma - Archiẁ I & II

This is a extra material released on Studio Zünd boxed set.
Contents: Soundtrack stuff... Alternate version of classic Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh (M.D.K.).... first album demos.....some others.......
Now no more Magma for a while, Unless I am convinced by you peoples/androids/robots, whatever you are.. . .. ..

320 kilobytes per second.

Archiẁ I / Zünd 1
1.1 La Foule
1.2 Blues de v.
1.3 Fête Foraine
1.4 Pascale
1.5 Ourania
1.6 Kalimouna
1.7 Africa Anteria
1.8 Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh

Archiẁ II / Zünd 2
2.1 Kobaïa
2.2 Aïna
2.3 Malaria
2.4 Sckxyss
2.5 Auraë
2.6 Thaud Zaïa
2.7 Naü Ektila
2.8 Mûh (final)
2.9 Eliphas Lev

985794382572 348327 nc829384238422x 248249823

Zao - Shekina

Third Zao album. The band completes the string section and has a full quartet on this album. This isn't always apparent, but comes out here and there. There is a nice extended section with just the quartet on Zohar. This album is on par with Osiris, but has low moments like Yen-Lang and Zita that make it not quite as good. Fewer vocals on this one and only Yochk'o Seffer sings. This has my favorite cover art of theirs

1. Joyl
2. Yen-Lang
3. Zohar
4. Metatron
5. Zita
6. Bakus

ZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAOZAO

Zao - Z=7L

First album. Female vocals. A bit less Jazz than Osiris. 1973.

1. Marochsek
2. Ataturc
3. Ronach
4. Atart
5. La Soupe
6. Satanyia

Z=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7LZ=7L

Zao - Osiris

This is absolutely essential listening. Zao were the best band of France's Zuehl scene, some marks better than Magma, I would say. That being a pure musical enjoyability level anyway. Like most bands of the scene Zao has two Magma transplants, being Yochk'o Seffer and Francois Cahen.
One further Magma comparison comes from the emblematic album cover art approach, however, once again Zao succeeds in out doing Magma.

This is the best album. It's pretty much all here. Yochk'o Seffer's excellent saxophone and vocals, Francois Cahen's Keyboards, dynamic sensibility, electric violin, Joel Dugrenot's baritone vocals, worthy musicianship from all members, present and contributing bass, exciting drumming, interesting arrangements, melodies, rhythms, and textures (tonalities/sounds), chaos, harmony, vocals in a language no one knows or understands if in any language at all, et cetera, and et cetera.

As far as the language goes, I always figured it allowed the vocals to be an extension of melody and let the voice act purely as an instrument without meaning outside of it's sonorous qualities. This is important; we don't get non-musical concepts infiltrating our musical experience. Too often there is nothing to say anyway, and what would a one have to say over something like this?

Generally this is high energy music, but there are plenty of low down times, such as the majority of Isis and all of La Rhune. Yog is the stand out and Shardaz is another great number.

One non-album track is provided you. Montreal. It's decent and is one of those sustained melody tracks that goes on little under 12 minutes. That sounds like La Rhune, actually. The difference is La Rhune is about a 1/3 as long and has less of a concentration on keyboard performance. Montreal is softer and more light-hearted than the album's initial closer. Female vocals on this one. I have wondered for sometime if the vocalist here is the same as the one from Zao's first, Z=7L, no clue on that however.

Beware: this is the same version that's been floating out there for some time and has a bass heavy mix and an error about 2 and 1/2 minuets in to Isis. I have offered you the best I can.

1. Shardaz
2. Isis
3. Reinna
4. Yog
5. La Rhune
6. Montreal

P.S. No Magma hate here. Wait and you shall receive. . .
P.P.S. I heard Zao long before I ever got into Magma, perhaps this provides some indication of my preference? I feel quite objective about all this.

UPDATE 2015-Feb-20 [superior non-skip/error 320k upload]:
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO