Quazar: Dragonfighters

Описание: Remastered album out now on Superstition Records: https://SuperstitionRecords.lnk.to/Se...

After the international succes of their first release THE SEVEN STARS, followed by the SPRING EP part 1 & 2, Amsterdam techno-house pioneers QUAZAR released their first artist album on Go Bang! in the autumn of 1991: SEVEN STARS.

Led by Amsterdam producer Gert van Veen and wingman Eric Cycle, QUAZAR presented a kaleidoscopic collection of 14 tracks that together form a continuous, natural flow, in which the group tried to capture some of the energy and magic of the Amsterdam house nights.

Surely ahead of its time, the album still sounds fresh in the 21st century, especially as it is remastered for this 2024 edition by renowned mastering engineer Marco Antonio Spaventi.

House music was young and vibrant in the early nineties. It was a time of change and breaking free from the chains of the past: The Berlin Wall came down, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and the mighty USSR fell apart. So it comes as no surprise that the main theme of SEVEN STARS is liberation, which - at least to the QUAZAR members - is the essence of the house experience. Liberation is the red thread that links all the songs from THE FUTURE (‘get out, break away’) to THE SEVEN STARS, with its image taken from the I Ching sign no 40, HSIEH: ‘rolling thunder, followed by rain. Liberation.’

The multicoloured variety of moods and styles ranges from techno, rave, acid and tribal world beats to spacey ambient and soulful house tracks. Starting off with snippets from Amsterdam underground radio, the thumping THE FUTURE sets the pace for what’s to come. Fuelled by funky rhythms and a subsonic bassline, it features vocals from Surinam soul singer Farida Merville. Reinforcing the instrumental Quazar tracks with a strong female voice also proved successful in CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, a deep New York style groove.

Other highlights include the serene CYCLEDROPS, THE SEVEN STARS ‘and DRAGONFIGHTERS - a remix of the title track that would become one of the iconic Quazar classics. QUAZAR IN MOTION and THUNDER MOUNTAIN were both the result of a magical session with members of Jamaican reggae group Surkus, who had become friends during the Atmosphere live tour - a travelling party circus that took QUAZAR, Surkus and Eton Crop all over the Netherlands. DAY-GLO was recorded live on the climax of that tour in May 1991 at the famous Paradiso, Amsterdam.









SEVEN STARS album press quotes 1991

QUAZAR’s release is a techno dream…Although some of the songs are more dance orientated than others, they all share an irresistible groove. It’s on the quieter tracks however, where the sheer beauty of the synth and sample lines come to life. Farida’s vocals are strong and lovely, reaching depths of soul that are just beginning to be discovered in this previously rather sterile style. SEVEN STARS is a fantastic introduction to the wonders of techno. You could play any of these songs the dance floor or your radio show and not pick a dud. (ROCKPOOL, USA)

The depth and mood of expression on their debut CD SEVEN STARS is astonishing, and it’ll be probably even more so to anybody still harbouring grudges and pre-conceived ideas about what house music is and isn’t. That is, of course, if they can allow themselves to listen without prejudice. My advice is: let your mind free and just feel the groove. (CITY LIFE)

The core of the group, Gert van Veen and Eric Cycle, are extremely creative with their richly coloured electronic record, bringing numerous surprises to all 14 parts of the Seven Stars project.
It’s a nonstop journey through their musical experiences, a journey on which sounds of nature and nocturnal feelings in house nation Amsterdam complement each other wonderfully.
Quazar grosses in abstract, layered soundscapes, capable of opening up unsuspected reservoirs of energy in brain and body, but above all it is the immaculately woven whole, a soundtrack with a pounding nocturnal heartbeat that should make even the biggest house skeptic fall for the axe.
(MUZIEKKRANT OOR, NL)

#techno #progressivehouse #acid