Зодиак

Зодиак

Genres: synthpop, electronic, 80s, space disco, Soviet

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Юрий Бучма Зигмар Лиепиньш А.Родионов И Б.Тихомиров Арго Didier Marouani

About Зодиак

See also Zodiac. Zodiac (Зодиак) was a Soviet Latvian Electronic synthpop band from Riga, Latvia. Founded in 1979 and led by keyboardist and composer Juris Kulakovs, it was called Arka (The Arch). In the very same year, while recording their first album, Juris left the band because of a disagreement with the rest of the members. Keyboardist and composer Janis Lusens took leadership. In 1980, the band was renamed to Zodiac. The first line-up was: Janis Lusens - keyboards and composing Ainars Asmanis - bass guitar Andris Silis - guitar Andris Reinis - percussion Zane Griva - keyboards All of the members were students at the Latvian State Conservatory. In the beginning, Zodiac played instrumental music only. Since sound equipment during that time was ill-suited to live shows, Zodiac was a studio-type band. In 1980, Zodiac recorded their first album - Disco Alliance. It resembled the type of synthesized electronic music similar to Space, Kraftwerk and Jean-Michel Jarre. Disco Alliance sold 20 million copies in the USSR. Andris Silis, Zane Griva and Ainars Asmanis left Zodiac, and in 1982, Ivars Pilka (bass guitar), Dzintars Sagens and Aivars Gudrais (both played guitars) joined the band. This line-up recorded their second album Music in the Universe. After recording it, Zodiac broke up. Although Music in Universe didn’t reach Disco Alliance’s commercial success, it was also well-appreciated by listeners. In 1987, Janis Lusens formed a band called Zodiaks (the same Zodiac, but in Latvian). Musically, the new Zodiac was unlike the former band. Now they played synthpop and electronic rock, which was quite different from Disco Alliance and Music in Universe. Line-up was: Janis Lusens - keyboards and composing Maija Lusena - vocals Zigfrids Muktupavels - vocals and violin Dzintars Sagens - guitar Gatis Zvirgzdins - keyboards As the line-up shows, Zodiaks was a vocal-instrumental band. Their biggest success was in 1987 at the music festival Liepjas dzintars (held almost every year in Liepaja) where they won first place. In 1989 Zodiaks released the album In Memoriam, which contained only instrumental pieces. Later, the line-up changed again - Gatis Zvirgzdins and Dzintars Sagens (replaced by Aivars Gudrais again) quit. Zodiaks disbanded in 1991, when one of vocalists - Zigfrids Muktupavels, joined another band, Bet Bet. Zodiac last reunited in 1996 to release their album Dedication, which was actually reissued as In Memoriam.

Taken from Last.fm

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