Style: Zeuhl, progressive rock, jazz fusion (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Magma, Gong, Thank You Scientist, John Coltrane
Country: United States
Release date: 16 February 2026

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Despite prog rock fans’ affinity for non-popular and complex forms of rock, Zeuhl—the genre the French band Magma started in 1970 as a combination of spiritual jazz, ecstatic chant, prog rock, and space opera sung in a made-up language—never really caught on. The subgenre is one of the first major lines separating general prog rock fans from the aficionados of weirdness. Its lack of popularity is a damn shame, too, because Zeuhl is among the most engaging and complex forms of rock music to exist. Magma gained a small cult following, but even so, not too many Zeuhl bands ever formed.¹ A fresh Zeuhl album coming out is always an occurrence to be celebrated—such is the case for the Mesoamerican-themed Corima’s first album in a decade, Hunab Ku. 

Ebulliently breaking the LA-based group’s hiatus, “Yok’hah” shows the spirit of Zeuhl is alive and well in 2026. The main thrust of the track is a three-part counterpoint melody by the bass (Ryan Kamiyamazaki), saxophone (Patrick Shiroishi), and violin (Andrea Calderón), with Calderón’s honeyed vocalizations peppering the track in classically Magma-esque rhythmic patterns. The energetic percussion performance of Sergio Sanchez Ravelo cannot be understated as he tastefully tears up the kit, his authoritative presence in part allowing Kamiyamazaki to take so many leads throughout. That main melodic trio, though, have chemistry as solid as Marie Curie’s, trading off a tangled web of melodies and solos throughout the record. Corima do slow down on occasion, like on “Inlilnaluk,” which gets Black Sabbath-y, allowing for a much needed breather. Another essential moment for the pacing of the overall record is the extended buildup of “Ho-Huitzilopochtli-Tlaloc,” and the momentum the track builds from the free-jazz sax solo halfway through into the ending allows for the closer, “Kultunlini,” to feature a frantic drum solo at the start without sounding forced.

I emphasized the flow between those final two tracks to prove a point, but the whole record functions as a single thirty-seven-minute suite, with the ups and downs of a coherent piece of music. In fact, with the warmth of production and natural intensity captured in the instrumental layering, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hunab Ku were recorded at least partially live-in-studio. The record has a deep jazziness in this regard—extending beyond the obvious jazz fusion influences of the guitar tones and sax—as the instrumentalists seem like they’re in constant conversation throughout a continuous piece of music that straddles the line between improv and pre-composed. That Corima could turn such a polyphonic, detailed recording into something that sounds organically improvisatory is a testament to their prowess as writers and performers.

Also benefiting from the production, Corima’s extreme attention to detail bleeds through Hunab Ku. The percussive flourishes are a delight, with the delicate patter contrasting well with the most energetic parts, as well as the occasional appearance of the tabla. And I would be remiss not to mention the glockenspiel, whose standout appearance as a jazz fusion star in “Ho-Huitzilopochtli-Tlaloc” is probably the best usage of the instrument I’ve ever heard. The pervasive Hindustani influence throughout the album also differentiates Corima from many other Zeuhl bands. Melismatic backing vocals from one of the three men who sing on the record clearly revere the Hindustani tradition, and the harmonium, tabla, and some of the melodies on Hunab Ku are also fresh additions. At the end of the day, we have a Californian band playing a style of music started in France based on the two-fold influence of European and African American music that became most popular in Japan, and infusing the style with Indian music elements. Modern Zeuhl is a wonderful blend of cultures. 

Corima’s dense yet lighthearted compositions inspire joy every time I listen, and even the more brooding sections feel like a celebration of music, acting as palette cleansers from the extremely melodic and polyphonic music. Unfortunately, the vocals can be too quiet in the mix, and I do think that a wider range of moods could be explored without derailing the composition. Even if the majority of bands don’t do overwhelmingly cheery music better, it’s a musical emotion that requires being interspliced by other moods more often. But despite that quibble, I’m happy as a clam to have more good Zeuhl to add to my collection.

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Recommended tracks: Manla, K’iik’, Ho-Huitzilopochtli-Tlaloc
You may also like: Koenjihyakkei, Eskaton, Dün, All Traps on Earth, Ruins
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Soleil Zeuhl

Corima is:
– Andrea Calderón (violin, vocals)
– Paco Casanova (keys, synths, organ, vocals)
– Patrick Shiroishi (saxophones, guitar, glockenspiel, vocals)
– Ryan Kamiyamazaki (bass)
– Gopala Bhakta (drums, tabla, harmonium, vocals)

1. Rateyourmusic has a total of 202 Zeuhl albums released ever, and Magma have 16 themselves. Alongside the birthplace France, Japan is the biggest exporter of the style. ↩︎