Emehntehtt-Re

Third in a series of three images based on a trilogy of albums by French progressive rock band Magma.

What I tried to do here is to create an image that would illustrate what the record is about while capturing its overall mood. And because drawing a series of illustrations of arcane and cryptic French albums was apparently too straightforward, I did it in the style of French science-fiction artist Philippe Druillet, who, in the 1970’s, did for visual arts what Magma did for music. It’s all perfectly clear in my head.

The third and final installment in the cycle, Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré was released in 2009, though parts of it have been recorded or played live since 1975. It is seen by some as Magma's masterpiece.

Both a sequel and a prequel to the other records, Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré is about the revelation experienced by the archaeologist Köhntarkösz in the tomb of the Egyptian king Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré. The album tells the story of the lost pharaoh and how he was murdered just as he was about to discover the secret of immortality.

You can hear an extract of Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré right here.

First part: K.A.
Second part: "Köhntarkösz"

Click here if you want to see other experiments.