CHRISTIAN VANDER - BABA YAGA LA SORCIERE - 1995

Recorded on October, 15th, 1995 at the Espace Lumire in Epinay-sur-Seine, during the second concert celebrating Magma's 25th birthday, BABA YAGA LA SORCIŽRE is a surprising adaptation of the mythical MEKANIK DESTRUKTIW KOMMANDOH, sung by an impressive choir of young children and played by an instrument ensemble of teenagers, helped for the occasion by five confirmed musicians. After going over the surprising aspect of the whole thing, it must be admitted, though the kobaian incantations have been erased to let children's voices be heard, that the work of Christian Vander has managed to keep all of its power and magic. This also happened thanks to Gaston Tavel, manager of the project and director of the association VACANCES MUSICALES SANS FRONTIŽRES, which proves alongside that it is possible, contrary to what is usually shown by the surrounding culture for children, to realise shows with children, which have a truly creative quality.


n 1995, Christian Vander celebrated the 25th anniversary of the founding of his seminal prog rock band Magma by rewriting their classic album Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh so that it could be performed by children. On 'Baba Yaga La Sorcière', the single track that was released from the youngster's concert, their voices are joyous and strange. Sometimes you can hear a kid lose his place—predictable, really. When they get to the mini-chorus of "baba yaga! baba yaga!" though, they lock into place in an ecstatic moment of release. Ricardo Villalobos, on his newest 12-inch released on his personal Sei Es Drum imprint, takes approximately the first minute of this concert, re-edits it, adds a hi-hat and basically calls it a day.

Luckily Villalobos admits to all of this on the label of the record. Otherwise, you might guess that he took Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' piano line (which 'Baba Yaga La Sorcière' eerily sounds exactly like) and added a children's choir. Yet it hardly matters either way. The track is a good one, and a great tool for DJs. With no bass drum and no development over its seventeen minute length, you could seamlessly blend it into anything to euphoric effect. Or if the crowd is in the right mood, they’ll probably even rapturously welcome 'Enfants (Chants)' without any accompaniment at all for long stretches. The only question that remains is will DJs want to play something so obviously identifiable with a certain producer?

'Enfants (Tambours)', which takes up the whole of the flip, is a ten-minute percussion workout in typical Villalobosian style. The bass is simultaneously tight and elastic; the melody, derived solely from the percussion and bassline, endlessly goes up and down without a concern in the world. Again, it's a DJ tool, but this time with little to hold a listener's interest on its own. This one is for the A-side only. If you dare playing it out, that is.
http://www.residentadvisor.net