Magma: Logo #12

Interviewed by George Allen and Robert Pearson in 1995, Magma founder Christian Vander remarked on the logo he designed in September 1969, "When I created it, I never thought of (it as) a bird. The idea at the beginning was something like the dress of the Egyptians. It was supposed to be like a piece of cloth or articulated metal sheets that would mold over the body, over the ribcage. It was to be similar to breast-plate armor, but supple, not rigid." Contrary to popular belief, Vander was not the drummer in the forest in Jean-Luc Godard's "Week End." The Magma design is a modern example of a very ancient attitude: that a symbol's meaning borders on the mystical and it's something meant to be integrated into the life of the bearer. It's like a literal brand - or, as it appears on the tombstone that graces the cover of the 2004 Magma album "K.A (Köhntarkösz Anteria)", a totem that helps guide the individual even after death.