Back In USSR: ZODIAC

[White Raven]

Recorded in Soviet Latvia in early 1980 the first LP by ZODIAC “Disco Alliance” had become very popular among the music-lovers. Members of the group were not over twenty-one yet. They were students of Latvian State Conservatory. The leader of ZODIAC Janis Lusens studied at the department of composition. He played electronic keyboards and arranged his own compositions. The budding piano player Zane Griva also in the framework of this group played mostly piano. Andris Reinis (drums) and Ainars Ashmanis (base) studied at the department of wind instruments. The guitarist Andris Silis is had been mastering the secrets of bass playing at the Conservatory.
ZODIAC was a studio-type group that could give form to its musical ideas and its own style to the full extent only in recordings. ZODIAC played incessant electronic rhythmic pulsation making extensive use of polyphonic synthesizers with captivating tone-colours and other special sound effects. This hard “labour” required great concentration and patience on the part of all the recording session participants, especially the recording engineer.
Creatively rehashing the world’s best achievements in their musical works, through drive and common effort they had succeeded in being the first in Soviet Union to put the music of this kind on record!
Zodiac_80_-_Zodiac.ogg
Zodiac_80_-_Provincial_Disco.ogg

In 1982(second LP “Music In The Universe”) the music of ZODIAC became something more serious and, maybe, near to symphorock or, maybe, to my mind, electronic pop rock, something like SPACE ART, french music project of the late 70’s, which you know by their works: “Onyx” and “Trip In The Head Center”.
Zodiac_82_-_The_Mysterious_Galaxy.ogg
Zodiac_82_-_In_The_Lihgt_Of_Saturn.ogg

[JussiK]

There's a third Zodiac album too, called "Music From Movies", I saw a copy for sale last week in Tokyo for a staggering 20.000 yens, c. 120 euros. The store owner did not let me hear any of it so I cannot say if it's as good as the previous 2 realeses. Most rare groove djs seem to be spinning "Pacific" from the first lp so I've been more in favour of "Music For The Universe" myself. Would love to slap the "Movies" one on the turntables one day.