Zodiac (Latvian band)
| Company type | Ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Jānis Lūsēns |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Riga , Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (now Latvia) |
| Products | Music albums, soundtracks |
Zodiac (, ) was a Latvian space disco ensemble active within the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1980 until 1992. Widely acclaimed across the Soviet Union, Zodiac earned recognition as the Soviet equivalent of the French group Space.
Biography
The band was established by Jānis Lūsēns, who was studying composition at the Latvian State Conservatory in Riga (currently known as the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music), together with four fellow students from the conservatory.
Their first album, Disco Alliance (, ), was issued in 1980 by the state-owned label Melodiya while they were still studying. This record, produced by Aleksandrs Grīva—father of member Zane Grīva—blended cutting-edge synthesized sounds with classic euro disco influences.
In 1982, they released Music in the Universe (), an album inspired by cosmonaut experiences at Star City near Moscow, featuring a more pronounced rock element.
Zodiac also contributed soundtracks for films such as Женские радости и печали (Woman's Joys and Sorrows, 1982) and Экипаж машины боевой (The Tank Crew, 1983), which were compiled on their 1985 album Music from the Films (). Their compositions appeared in the documentary about cosmonaut artist Alexei Leonov, titled Звёздная палитра (Star Palette, 1982).
The 1989 release In Memoriam, fully composed and produced by Lūsēns alone, marked a stylistic shift from disco to a blend of light techno and synthpop, enriched with classical and ambient nuances reminiscent of Jean Michel Jarre.
Their last studio album, Clouds (1991), came out under RiTonis—the successor to Melodiya—and featured the Latvian early-1990s hit "My Favourite Flowers".
Both Disco Alliance and Music in the Universe were later reissued on CD by Mikrofona Ieraksti, EMI’s Baltic affiliate.
In the early 2000s, Russian electronic duo PPK created a remix of Zodiac’s track "Zodiac" from Disco Alliance, retitled "Reload", which gained international chart recognition.
In 2016, Zodiac performed their song "Pacific" on Russian Channel One’s New Year’s Eve broadcast.
Discography
Albums are identified by their Russian and English titles, both displayed on original cover art.
- Disco Alliance (1980)
- 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 (Музыка из кинофильмов, Muzyka iz kinofilmov) (1985) (Russian language only)
- In Memoriam (1989) (Russian language only)
- In Memoriam / V Kurzeme (In Courland)
- Ostrov Moritsala (Moricsala Island)
- V Muzeye Pod Otkrytym Nebom (In the Open Air Museum)
- Rundalskiy Dvorets (Rundāle Palace)
- Doma Staroy Rigi (Houses of Old Riga)
- Pastorale (bergerette)
- Na Gore Zilayskalns (On the Mount Zilaiskalns)
- Mākoņi (Clouds) (1991) (Latvian language only)
- Pakrēšļa puķes (Twilight Flowers)
- Staburags un saules meitiņa (Staburags and the Daughter of the Sun)
- Veltījums (Dedication)
- Daugava (Daugava River)
- Manas mīļākās puķes (My Favourite Flowers)
- Mākoņi (Clouds)
- Es tevis meklēju (Searching for You)
- Rotaļa (A Game)
- Bohēmieša dziesma (Bohemian's Song)
Line-up
Given the infrequency of live shows, the band's personnel varied with each album, with producer Jānis Lūsēns remaining the sole constant member.
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
Music in the Universe:
- Jānis Lūsēns – piano, Yamaha SK-50D, production
- Aivars Gudrais – guitar on tracks 2–4 and 6
- Dzintars Sāgens – guitar on tracks 1, 5, and 7
- Ivars Piļka – bass guitar
- Andris Reinis – drums
- Aleksander Grīva – production
The lineup for Music from the Films remains unspecified; however, credits include:
- Viktor Vlasov – composition
- Aleksander Grīva – production and sound engineering
In Memoriam:
- Jānis Lūsēns – synthesizers, piano, production
- Zigfrīds Muktupāvels – vocals, DDD-1, violin
- Dzintars Sāgens – computer programming, 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
Clouds:
- Jānis Lūsēns – synthesizers, piano, production
- Maija Lūsēna – vocals
- Zigfrīds Muktupāvels – vocals, programming, violin
- Aivars Gudrais – guitar
- Gatis Gaujenieks, Ivars Piļka – sound engineering
- P. Joksts – cover artwork design