Zodiac (Latvian band)
Zodiac was a Latvian space disco band active in the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic between 1980 and 1992. The band was extremely popular in the Soviet Union and has been credited by critics as the Soviet answer to the French band Space who were popular at the time.
Biography
Zodiac was formed by Jānis Lūsēns, then studying composition at the Latvian State Conservatory in Riga. The other four members of the group were also students of various faculties of the same conservatory.Zodiac's first vinyl record Disco Alliance was released in 1980 on the monopolist Melodiya label, during the band members' studentship. The album was produced by Aleksandrs Grīva, the father of band member Zane Grīva. The music featured a lot of then-unusual synthesized sounds and effects together with more conventional euro disco elements.
The second album Music in the Universe released two years later was much inspired by a meeting with cosmonauts in the Star City, Moscow and their tales about space flights. The music of the second album was much more rock-influenced than the first.
During that time the band also performed the music of Viktor Vlasov for the films Женские радости и печали and Экипаж машины боевой, the soundtracks for both films were released on a vinyl record Music from the Films in 1985. The music of the group was also used in the documentary film about the cosmonaut artist Alexei Leonov Звёздная палитра.
The album In Memoriam was composed and produced by Jānis Lūsēns 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/synthpop while gaining a lot of classical music influences as well as the influence of Jean Michel Jarre's ambient works.
The last album Clouds was released in 1991 by RiTonis. It contains a hit song of the early 1990s in Latvia "My Favourite Flowers".
Disco Alliance and Music in the Universe were released together on compact disc by Mikrofona Ieraksti.
In the early 2000s, the Russian electronic duo 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.
In 2016, the band appeared on New Year's Eve show on Russian Channel One, performing "Pacific".
Discography
All the albums are equally known under their Russian and English titles and had both spellings on their original covers.Disco Alliance- Zodiac
- Pacific
- Provincial Disco
- Polo
- Mirage
- Rock on the Ice
- Alliance
Line-up
Since the group rarely performed live, every new album had a new line-up except the producer Jānis Lūsēns.Disco Alliance:
- Jānis Lūsēns – ARP Omni, ARP Odyssey, celesta, production
- Zane Grīva – piano, ARP Omni, vocals
- Andris Sīlis – guitar
- Ainārs Ašmanis – bass guitar
- Andris Reinis – drums
- Aleksander Grīva – production
- Jānis Lūsēns – piano, Yamaha SK-50D, production
- Aivars Gudrais – guitar on tracks 2–4, 6
- Dzintars Sāgens – guitar on tracks 1, 5, 7
- Ivars Piļka – bass guitar
- Andris Reinis – drums
- Aleksander Grīva – production
- Viktor Vlasov – composition
- Aleksander Grīva – producing, sound engineering
- Jānis Lūsēns – synthesizers, piano, production
- Zigfrīds Muktupāvels – vocals, DDD-1, violin
- Dzintars Sāgens – computer, guitar
- Guntis Zvirgzdiņš – synthesizer
- Maija Lūsēna – vocals on track 4
- Normunds Šnē – oboe on track 3
- Aivars Gudrais – guitar on track 5
- Ivars Piļka – sound engineering
- Jānis Lūsēns – synthesizers, piano, production
- Maija Lūsēna – vocals
- Zigfrīds Muktupāvels – vocals, programming, violin
- Aivars Gudrais – guitar
- Gatis Gaujenieks – sound engineering
- Ivars Piļka – sound engineering
- P. Joksts – cover design