The information about the bands below is based on the entries in the invaluable “LA DISCOGRAPHIE DU ROCK FRANÇAIS” By Francis Grosse & Bernard Gueffier.
VERTO
The guitarist Jean-Pierre GRASSET’s electro-acoustic experimentations. A music of electric manipulations which is at times reminiscent of HELDON with a disturbing, anguished, aggressive sound.
1976 Alice (not on album)
1978 Réel 19.36 (Fléau)
PATRICK VIAN
The former guitarist of RED NOISE re-surfaced for a solitary experiment with synthesisers. A dense, rich, and varied album with a continuously changing atmosphere.
1977 Sarcelles 2 (not on album)
1978 Bruits et temps analogues (Egg)
JEAN-CLAUDE VINCENT
Jean-Claude VINCENT, alias Jean-Claude POGNANT, creator of the Crypto label, gave in to the temptation to record an album accompanied by the best musicians on his label. He sings and wrote the lyrics, but the music and arrangements are the work of Christian DECAMPS which explains the ANGE influence on this album.
1977 Lettre au passé (Crypto)
VISITORS
This album, produced by an old hand from the French rock scene, Jean-Pierre MASSIERA, offers a combination of jazz-rock, progressive rock and space rock with vocals in French. Two distinguished musicians guest on the album: Francis and Didier LOCKWOOD. It was the latter’s first recording and his violin contributes to the success of the album.
1974 Visitors (Decca)
VORTEX
This group comes from Lyon and has produced two original, superbly constructed progressive rock albums. Their second album is evocative of ART ZOYD 3, WEIDORJE and certain modern composers (STRAVINSKY, BARTOK) and can be classed in that category of totally original rock represented by groups such as UNIVERS ZERO and ART ZOYD 3.
2003 Vortex 1975-79 (Le Triton)
WAPASSOU
A different aspect of French progressive rock. Far removed from traditional trends and playing with an uncommon line-up (keyboards/guitar/violin), WAPASSOU created a very lyrical, very beautiful progressive music with an ethereal and floating atmosphere.
1974 Wapassou (Prodisc)
1976 Messe en ré mineur (Crypto)
1978 Salammbô (Crypto)
1979 Ludwig, un roi pour l’éternité (Crypto)
WEIDORJE
Founded by Bernard PAGANOTTI, WEIDORJE’s music stands at the intersection between MAGMA and HELDON – with obsessional, hypnotic rhythmic structures propelled along by Bernard PAGANOTTI’s bass. A music full of ferocious energy creates a very strong album which is indispensable to all MAGMA and HELDON fans.
1978 Weirdorje (Cobra)
BENOÎT WIDEMANN
MAGMA’s former keyboardist has recorded three albums under his own name.
1977 Stress (Ballon Noir)
1979 Tsunami (Ballon Noir)
WLUD
WLUD play purely instrumental progressive rock in the same vein as CAMEL.
1978 Carrycroch (Om)
1979 Second (Om)
ZABU
This singer, a member of MAGMA for a short while, has a superb blues voice which is featured on his first album with the aid of prestigious guests (Christian VANDER, Teddy LASRY, Francis MOZE etc).
1972 My Coffin’s Ready (Thélème)
ZAO
The group founded by François CAHEN and Jeff SEFFER, after they left MAGMA, play jazz-rock influenced in part by their legacy from MAGMA. other influences come from François CAHEN’s classical European origins and Jeff SEFFER’s heritage of Hungarian classical and popular music.
1973 Z=7L (Vertigo)
1975 Osiris (Disjuncta)
1975 Shekina (RCA)
1977 Typhareth (RCA)
ZED
ZED is a group founded by Bernard SZAJNER with some prestigious musicians including Klaus BLASQUIZ who make an original style of electronic music.
1979 Visions of Dune (IRC)
ZNR
Hector Zazou and Joseph Racaille were former members of the underground group BARRICADES who recorded two albums together. ZNR made two very different albums, their first Barricade 3 is widely regarded as a landmark and seminal album, while Traité De Mécanique Populaire developed a more reflective mixture of avant-classical and “café music” with strong influences from Eric Satie.
Solo un dia from Barricade 3
ZOO
A group formed around the same time as TRIANGLE and MARTIN CIRCUS. ZOO was formed by seasoned studio musicians. ZOO, like TRIANGLE, drifted between two kinds of music, a mixture of commercial and a more sophisticated, more progressive rock.
1969 Zoo (Riviera)
ZORGONES
A legendary record made in 1968 which foretells the creation of MAGMA. Even though its musical interest is limited, it gives us the opportunity to listen to Laurent THIBAULT’s first recording.
1969 Herr Doktor Reich (Mercury – single)
Synths, Sax & Situationists 