all 20 of the records on the zeuhl page at progarchives are great
DUN - Eros: kind of a RIO/zeuhl hybrid disc, w/flute, long songs, good playing, not the greatest production. This was reissued a few years ago.
Magma - MDK: from 1973, probably their most famous record, but not my fave by a long shot. w/brass, much choral singing, repetitive. production isn't great on this disc, and I'd rather hear them play live anyway.
Magma - Udu Wudu: 1976, shying away from the repetitive, martial sounding stuff, though "De Futura" is pretty suffocating. Some of songs on side 1 veer pretty close to Offering-style "pop", and as a whole, record is pretty spotty. still, all fans must have
Magma - Kohntarkosz: 1974, one of the best (and I think underrated) Magma records, though version of title piece is probably best heard on the Live/Hhai set. Cyclical, occasionally fusion-y, great playing, hypnotic piece.
Happy Family - Toscco: Japanese band's 2nd record, from 1997. Not "zuehl" exactly, but very heavy. In the vein of Ruins, Bondage Fruit, but also very King Crimson-y.
Eskaton - 4 Visions: French band taking sound of Magma circa 1975 and running with it. Hi-NRG zeuhl!!
Vander/Magma - Wurdah Itah: 1974, credited to Vander as soundtrack to movie, but really part II of Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy. pound for pound, arguably, the most interesting Magma disc, and paired down band (was a quartet for this disc) makes everything nice and spartan and great.
Magma - KA: recent recording of piece Vander wrote circa MDK and Kohntarkosz. Really good. Only Vander and his wife Stella remain from the early days, but the sound is pure Magma.
Koenjihyakkei - II: 1997, led by Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins). For my money, this is the best record Yoshida's ever released with any project. First track = bow down to the gods of chaos.
Magma - 1001 Centigrades: 2nd Magma record, not really showcasing their classic style, but I also think it's an underrated record. Very jazz-rock, and the tunes not written by Vander are actually pretty cool, lots of counterpoint, polyrhythm.
Magma - Kobaia: debut double record, arguably the "weirdest" Magma record, but nothing at all like MDK. Again, very jazz-rock, though the singing is pretty bizarre.
Koenjihyakkei - Angherr Shisspa: most recent Koenjihyakkei disc, much more jazzy than others. After II, just about anything seems like a disappointment, but the playing is great, and the tunes are pretty cool, if not as chaotic as before.
Magma - Attahk: 1978, Magma does a) funk-fusion, b) gospel, c) disco, d) slow jams, e) combinations of all of that. Over the top, often silly, often great.
Eskaton - Ardeur: 2nd Eskaton record (I think). More of the same.
Happy Family - s/t: 1995 debut from Japanese band. Similar to second, but more metal, more raw.
Kultivator - Barndomens Stigar: great 1981 record by Swedish RIO/zuehlesque hybrid band. Great playing, perhaps similar to Eskaton.
Shub Niggurath - Les Morts Vont Vite: incredible 1986 record from French band playing uber doom zuehl, with metal and modern classical touches. Kind of a scary record. And by scary, I mean awesome and great.
haven't heard the 1983 Eskaton record
― Dominique, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 21:43 (eighteen years ago)