Merci, finished in 1984, marks the end of the second seven-year cycle of a group who’d made nothing but live appearances since the completion of Attakh. No known studio recording by Magma exists between Attakh and Merci.
Merci, the most controversial of all Magma’s albums, has given rise to the widest range of totally contrasting and contradictory comments. Whilst neither the quality of the performance nor its originality and musical interest are being questioned, it does seem incongruous both to ardent fans and observant onlookers that this kind of musical project be proposed under Magma’s name. This is not the least of paradoxes – nor the only one – to have cropped up along Magma’s path. Music is interesting according to the label it goes under, and if Christian Vander’s main task was the producer’s role, forcing him to leave that of playing his music to others, Magma could and would not exist.
Merci is perhaps the album that has converted more listeners to Magma’s music than any other. If it seemed complicated for fans of the early days to move from ‘The Last Seven Minutes’ or ‘De Futura’ to ‘Call From The Dark’, Merci undeniably opened the way for novices to Magma so they could access Kontarkosz and Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh.