(Zeuhl Jazz-fusion) Weidorje (ex-Magma) - Weidorje - 1978, MP3, 320 kbps

WEIDORJE, formed in 1977 by two ex-MAGMA members, Bernard Paganotti and Patrick Gauthier (also keyboardist for HELDON, a group that featured Richard Pinhas) is one of Zheul's children, probably the most faithful and the closest musically and spiritually to MAGMA. One can find a mythology close to MAGMA's one : "the wait of a flying saucer that would come one morning take us with its new values, sane and safe”.
WEIDORJE means "celestial wheel". This word appears for the very first time in MAGMA's album "Udu Wudu" in the form of a short track (4:30) composed by Paganotti and Blasquiz, the latter being the second master brain in MAGMA, along with Vander (Blasquiz achieved by the way WEIDORJE's cover art).
This tune foreshadows what WEIDORJE's music will be :
- same hypnotical power as MAGMA but more rock-based, more accessible at first listen even if by mistake (as was the case with MAGMA) the music was regarded as dark or even unhealthy despite the melodical beauty of the themes.
- incantatory repeats with a powerful bass and put very forward, brass and MAGMA-esque voices (although lyrics are not in Kobaian they are a kind of Zheul scat)
- polyrhythmicity in keyboard and guitar playing
For some people, WEIDORJE would be a follower to "Udu Wudu", Bernard Paganotti forming his band just after MAGMA released this album. First and only album released in 1978, "Weidorje", even if some new stuff was ready for a second album. But following difficulties to find a producer, WEIDORJE disbanded, although they were popular with the French audience. Initially constituted with three long tracks : "Elohim's Voyage", "Vilna" and "Booldemug" on the Ep released for Cobra, two new tracks "Rondeau" and "Kolinda" appeared on the CD reedition by Musea in 1992 (these two tracks were released live with a bad sound but the bass solo is wonderful, waving between jazz-fusion and Zheul accents).
Rooted heavily in the MAGMA school of progressive rock, WEIDORJE delivering blistering improvisational-like prog jams. WEIDORJE actually were a MAGMA offshoot as members of MAGMA joined to form this band later. Like MAGMA's music, WEIDORJE is heavily dominated by accentuated bass guitar solos accompanied by percuission, keyboards, trumpets and sax. Songs are long and have an extended jam feeling to them giving the band lots of time to change tempo and stretch the songs out to its maximium. This CD has been played to death in my CD player and fans of MAGMA should be placing their orders as we speak. CD packaging is also well done and typical of Musea does provide a nice history with photos of the band.
abulous album, by a 1 album band. Having roots in magma, the influence isnt large, it's life seize. Completely absorbing and continuing the Magma sound, with throbbing bass, wordless chanting vocals, wonderfull drums, repeating paterns and just hypnotising deep jazzy music.
Elohim's Voyage is a 16 minute bass dominated track, with fabulous drums and augmented with some brass and bells, stunning song. The second song "Vilna" is more melodic, with a lead part for the keyboard, not as intense as the first track, and I wouldn't have minded if it was three minutes shorter, a very good track nevertheless. The final song is called "Booldemug" focussed on the jazzy side of zeuhl music (Jazz being an intricate part of Zeuhl bands anyway), a great song.
The two bonus live tracks "Rondeau" and "Kolinda" are nice, but I rarely listen them, as I enjoy albums best as they are ment in the first place. But it's very nice to have those tracks added, as it's the only off-album material that's avalable from Weidorje
Generally a good album very much in Magma style, a bit simpler, certainly in the drum department. All fan's of Magma or Zeuhl music in general will already have this, for the others it can't hurt to try.( с ) .

Bernard Paganotti - bass, vocals
Patrick Gauthier - keyboards
Michel Ettori - guitar
Kirt Rust - drums
Alain Guillard - saxophone
Yvon Guillard - trumpet, vocals
Jean-Phillipe Goude - keyboards