10. MagmaKA (Köhntarkösz Anteria)
This is an interesting one, because it’s a rare example of an artist being able to come back after ten years away, in middle age, and make a record that stands up against anything they’ve done. To be honest, the keyboard section in part two is pretty naff, but part one and part three of this record is some of the most righteous music I’ve heard.
Christian Vander’s music is unique. He creates all these different cycles and polyrhythms, and on top of that I’ve never, ever seen a drummer that can do what he does. Watching him play, it’s like he can compress and expand the very nature of time itself. The vocals are doing one cycle, other vocals are doing another cycle, the keyboards and bass are doing something else. Vander’s drumming just plays in and out of all of them. It just seems to access some kind of higher consciousness, listening to that stuff opens up some part of the brain that makes you start thinking about things like god, even as an atheist.
My wife and I saw them play during this period, in this tiny little club. We were sat about seven feet from the drum kit. I had this overwhelming feeling that, no matter what’s going on in the world right now, nothing is better than what is happening in this little room. This is the best fucking thing that’s existing in the entire world right now. I don’t think I’ve ever been in the presence of something so exhilarating before.
