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Biography
Citations missing|date=May 2008Cleanup|date=June 2009Infobox musical artist | name = Zodiac| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = group_or_band| birth_name =| alias = Zodiaks| origin = Riga , Latvia | genre = Electronic music Space disco | years_active = 1980–1992| label =| associated_acts =| website =| current_members =| past_members = Zodiac (Zodiak, lang-ru|?????´?, lang-lv|Zodiaks) was a space disco music band that existed in the 1980s in Latvia , then a part of Soviet Union . The band was extremely popular in the Soviet Union and has been credited by critics as the Soviet answer to the France|French band Space (electronic band)|Space who were popular at the time.
Biography
Zodiac was formed by Janis Lusens, then studying musical composition|composition at the Latvian State Conservatory in Riga (now Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music ). The other four members of the group were also students of various faculties of the same conservatory.
Zodiac's first vinyl record Disco Alliance (Russian: ????? ??????, Latvian: Disko alianse) was released in 1980 on the Monopoly|monopolist Melodiya Record label|label , during the band members' studentship. A significant part of the group's success was that the album was produced by Aleksandrs Griva , Who|date=May 2008 also the father of band member Zane Griva. The music featured a lot of then-unusual synthesizer|synthesized sounds and effects together with more conventional euro disco elements.
The second album Music in the Universe (lang-ru|?????? ?? ?????????) released two years later was much inspired by a meeting with cosmonaut s in the Star City, Moscow and their tales about space flights. The music of the second album was much more rock music|rock -influenced than the first.
During that time the band also performed the music of Viktor Vlasov (composer)|Viktor Vlasov for the films Zhenskiye radosti i pechali (''Woman's Joys and Sorrows , 1982) and Ekipazh mashiny boevoy ( The Tank Crew , 1983), the soundtrack s for the both films were released on a vinyl record Music from the Films (lang-ru|?????? ?? ???????????) in 1985. The music of the group was also used in the documentary film about the cosmonaut artist Aleksei Leonov Zvyozdnaya palitra ( Star Palette , 1982).
The album In memoriam was composed and produced by Janis Lusens alone and released in 1989. The album was dedicated to the ancient and modern cultural and natural heritage of Latvia . The sounding of the album turned from disco to light techno music|techno / synth pop while gaining a lot of european classical music|classical music influences as well as the influence of Jean Michel Jarre 's ambient music|ambient works.
The last album "Clouds" was released in 1991 by RiTonis (former Melodiya ). It contains a hit song of early 1990s in Latvia "My favourite flowers".
Disco Alliance and Music in the Universe were released together on compact disc by Mikrofona Ieraksti (which represents EMI in the Baltic states ).
In the early 2000s, the Russian electronic duo PPK (group)|PPK recorded a remix of Zodiac's composition "Zodiac" from the Disco Alliance album. This remix, titled "Reload", entered the charts in a number of territories. Citation needed|date=May 2008
Discography
All the albums are equally known under their Russian and English titles and had both spellings on their original covers.
'Disco Alliance (1981)
# Zodiac # Pacific # Provincial Disco # Polo # Mirage # Rock on the Ice # Alliance
'Music in the Universe (1982)
# The Mysterious Galaxy # Laser Illumination # Silver Dream # Photo Finish # The Other Side of Heaven # In the Light of Saturn # Flight Over El Dorado
'Music from the films (1985) (Russian only)
# Prisheltsy (The Aliens) # V Tayinstvennom Kvadrate (In the Mysterious Square) # Zelyonye Chudovischa (Green Monsters) # Poyedinok (Battle) # Mirnoye Nebo (Peaceful Skies) # Ognennye Dorogi (Roads of Fire) # Deviychiy Gryozy (Maiden's Dreams) # Volshebnaya Noch (Magical Night) # Iduschiye Vperedi (Walking in Avantgarde) # Serdtse Stuchit (Heart Beat)
'In memoriam (1989) (Russian only)
# In Memoriam / V Kurzeme (In Courland ) # Ostrov Moritsala (Moricsala Island) # V Muzeye Pod Otkrytym Nebom (In the Open Air Museum) # Rundalskiy Dvorets ( Rundale Palace ) # Doma Staroy Rigi (Houses of Old Riga) # Pastorale # Na Gore Zilayskalns (On the Mount Zilaiskalns)
'Makoni (Clouds) (1991) (Latvian only)
# Twilight Flowers # Staburags and the Daughter of the Sun # Dedication # Daugava # My Favourite Flowers # Clouds # Searching for You # A Game # Bohemian's Song
Line-up
Since the group rarely performed live every new album had a new line-up except the producer Janis Lusens.
Disco Alliance :
Janis Lusens - ARP Omni , ARP Odyssey , celesta , Record producer|production
Zane Griva - piano , ARP Omni , vocal s
Andris Silis - guitar
Ainars Ašmanis - bass guitar
Andris Reinis - drum kit|drum s
Aleksander Griva - Record producer|production
Music in the Universe :
Janis Lusens - piano , List of Yamaha products|Yamaha SK-50D , Record producer|production
Aivars Gudrais - guitar on tracks 2-4, 6
Dzintars Sagens - guitar on tracks 1, 5, 7
Ivars Pilka - bass guitar
Andris Reinis - drum kit|drum s
Aleksander Griva - Record producer|production
The line-up on Music from the Films is unknown, the original CD cover has only the following info:
Viktor Vlasov (composer)|Viktor Vlasov - musical composition|composition
Aleksander Griva - Record producer|producing , sound engineering
In memoriam :
Janis Lusens - synthesizer s, piano , Record producer|production
Zigfrids Muktupavels - vocal s, DDD-1 , violin
Dzintars Sagens - computer , guitar
Guntis Zvirgzdinš - synthesizer
Maija Lusena - vocal s on track 4
Normunds Šne - oboe on track 3
Aivars Gudrais - guitar on track 5
Ivars Pilka - sound engineering
Clouds :
Janis Lusens - synthesizer s, piano , Record producer|production
