Offering I - II
1-1 Offering (Part 1) 7:57
Electric Piano [Rhodes], Piano – Simon Goubert
Flute [Flûte] – Guy "Zu" Khalifa
Piano, Electric Piano, Drums, Tambourine – Christian Vander
Soloist, Vocals – Stella Vander
Trombone – Jacques Bolognesi
Trumpet – Christian Martinez
1-2 Earth 10:29
Bass – Jean-Marc Jafet
Drums – Marc Delouya
Percussion – Pierre Marcault
Piano, Chorus – Simon Goubert
Soloist, Vocals, Electric Piano – Christian Vander
Vocals, Flute, Electric Piano – Guy "Zu" Khalifa
1-3 Joïa 18:00
Caxixi, Maracas, Chorus – Stella Vander
Percussion – Pierre Marcault
Piano, Electric Piano – Simon Goubert
Soloist, Vocals, Tambourine, Bells – Christian Vander
Vocals, Flute, Electric Piano – Guy "Zu" Khalifa
1-4 C'est Pour Nous 8:05
Percussion – Pierre Marcault
Soloist, Vocals, Chorus – Stella Vander
Soloist, Vocals, Piano – Christian Vander
Trombone – Jacques Bolognesi
Trumpet – Christian Martinez
1-5 Love In The Darkness 10:39
Electric Piano – Simon Goubert
Piano, Soloist, Vocals, Chorus – Christian Vander
1-6 Tilim M'Dohm 2:34
Chorus, Percussion – Christian Vander
Electric Piano – Simon Goubert
Piano – Guy "Zu" Khalifa
Soloist, Vocals, Chorus – Stella Vander
1-7 Mazur Kujiawiak Oberek (Triptyque) 4:56
Piano – Guy "Zu" Khalifa
1-8 Solitude 4:07
Chorus – Guy "Zu" Khalifa, Stella Vander
Piano, Soloist, Vocals – Christian Vander
1-9 Ügüma Mà Mëlìmëh Gïnġeh 3:44
Piano – Simon Goubert
Soloist, Vocals, Other – Christian Vander
Offering III
2-1 Another Day 44:03
Contrabass – Philippe Dardelle
Drums – Jean-Claude Buire
Keyboards – Pierre-Michel Sivadier
Piano – Emmanuel Borghi
Soloist, Vocals, Vocals, Percussion – Stella Vander
Soloist, Vocals Solo, Vocals, Percussion, Flute, Drums – Christian Vander
Vocals – Guy Khalifa, Isabelle Feuillebois
Offering IV
3-1 Out Of This World 32:25
Contrabass – Frederic Briet
Drums – Christian Vander
Flute – Guy Khalifa
Piano – Simon Goubert
Saxophone – René Garber
Vocals – Stella Vander
3-2 Offering (Part 2) 2:07
Piano, Drums, Percussion, Electric Piano – Christian Vander
Vocals – Stella Vander
3-3 Ehn Deïss 5:10
Chorus – Alex Ferrand, Isabelle Feuillebois
Chorus, Electric Piano – Simon Goubert
Contrabass – Frederic Briet
Percussion – Pierre Marcault
Vocals, Chorus – Stella Vander
Vocals, Chorus, Flute – Guy Khalifa
Vocals, Piano – Christian Vander
Offering A Fiïèh
4-1 Hymne Kobaïen 4:30
Keyboards – Christian Vander
4-2 Cosmos 5:20
Keyboards – Pierre Michel Sivadier
Percussion – Jean Claude Buire, Marc Delouya, Pierre Marcault
Piano – Emmanuel Borghi
Vocals
– Christian Vander, Isabelle Feuillebois, Stella Vander
4-3 A Fiïèh 10:26
Drums – Jean Claude Buire
Keyboards – Pierre Michel Sivadier
Percussion – Marc Delouya, Pierre Marcault
Piano – Emmanuel Borghi
Vocals – Christian Vander, Isabelle Feuillebois, Julie Vander, Stella Vander
4-4 La Marche Celeste 5:28
Contrabass – Philippe Dardelle
Piano, Keyboards, Glockenspiel, Vocals – Christian Vander Vocals – Addie Deat, Alex Ferrand, Benedicte Ragu, Isabelle Feuillebois, Jean Christophe Gamet, Jean François Deat, Julie Vander, Stella Vander
4-5 Magnifi 3:43
Voice [Femmes: 1er Groupe Gauche] – Stella, Valérie, Virginie
Voice [Femmes: 2ème Groupe Droite] – Isabelle*, Stella
Voice [Hommes: 1ère Voix, 2ème Voix], Piano, Keyboards – Christian Vander
4-6 Purificatem (Accord Des Instruments) 4:17
Alto Saxophone – Alex Ferrand
Contrabass – Philippe Dardelle
Drums – Marc Delouya
Keyboards – Pierre Michel Sivadier
Percussion – Ogun
Piano, Vocals – Christian Vander
4-7 Purificatem 26:20
Alto Saxophone – Alex Ferrand
Contrabass – Philippe Dardelle
Drums – Marc Delouya
Keyboards – Pierre Michel Sivadier
Percussion – Ogun
Piano, Vocals – Christian Vander
Offering came to the world as one of Christian Vander's post Magma projects, functioning throughout the later half of the 80s up till the early 90s Offering ventures into territory where only Magma's 'Merci' dared the tread. While the 70s Magma revolved around a more classical interpretation, Offering shows Vander's fascination with Coltrane's acoustic inspired Jazz blossom into full realization. Offering is sited by many as Christian Vander's most praised post-Magma project.
Offering takes a step aside from Magma's tight formulas, introducing compositions of a much looser, improvisational design. Vander's drumming expertises sadly take to the bench, while focusing more specifically on vocal experimentations alongside his wife Stella. We hear an evolution of the soul-scat vocals utilized throughout Magma's 1984 album 'Merci'. Offering went on to record 3 albums, which hold many draw backs for most listeners. Much of the time the musical insights become quite unfocused and produces a patchy final product
Their latest recording 'A Fiieh' is their most concise document; bring in a full line-up including the likes of Isabelle Feullebois, Philippe Dardelle and Emmanuel Borghi. The usually suspect are augmented by four other percussionist, four vocalist and one Keyboardist. The style becomes dark, minimalist and even a little more symphonic. While the epic 'Purificatem' reverts back into the familiar vibe of the two prior albums.
Boasting as one of Vander's most accomplished post-Magma projects, this will appease Christian Vander fans, but could still facilitate your average listener's enjoyment.
A four disc boxset of all original Offering albums, remastered, plus a 32mn bonus track: "Out Of This World". This boxset nowadays is the only way to purchase Offering's studio albums.