Zanov – Virtual Future

The second half of the 1970’s was a golden time for European rock music. In the post-Beatles daze, especially on the European continent, rock had been sured by a new form of experimental instrumental music that heavily featured synthesizers and all types of post ‘60s electronic music technology. One French artist called Zanov (his full name is Pierre Salkazanov), released three albums of electronic music back in the late 1970s. In 1980, Zanov was about to work on album number four when he stopped. Although not releasing albums over the past 30 years, now in 2014 Zanov is back with his legendary fourth album, newly remixed and remodeled. Featuring a dazzling display of electronic instrumental music sounds, Virtual Future sounds like a throwback to the late 1970s, a time when all seemed well with the music world, and that’s a good thing. Speaking to mwe3.com about his musical approach, Zanov explains, ‘The inspiration behind my music is purely musical. Many times, days and nights, I have sounds, chains of sounds, tunes coming in my head. I forget most of them, but when I am composing, the strongest ones come back. I do not have to visualize or think about anything else but sounds. In general, I have my mind turned towards the future.’ The CD pressing of Virtual Future features some eye-popping cover art that should raise a few eyebrows. Fans of electronic music masters such as Jean Michel Jarre and T. Dream will enjoy Zanov’s unique and intriguing approach to dazzling electronic music.

ZANOV REALIZZA UN CAPOLAVORO!

questo straordinario artista poco conosciuto in Italia,realizzo'alla fine degli anni 70, tre eccellenti album(Green Ray,Moebius e In Course of Time) in puro stile elettronico-analogico, con un certo riferimento a J.M.Jarre, anche se molto piu'particolari.Il ritorno dopo 30 anni non tradisce I fans con un album eccellente, forse addirittura SUPERIORE ai precedenti, con una pregevole copertina (digipack)e con un sound tipicamente vintage,dimostrando di essere ancora molto creativo!Album ricco di melodie, assemblato in maniera superba, nulla e'cambiato:sembra di essere ancora nel periodo d'oro della calda elettronica analogica.SI Virtual Future e'nettamente superiore alla recente produzione di J.MJarre(se si puo'fare un paragone)ASSOLUTAMENTE IMPERDIBILE X GLI AMANTI DELLA CALDA ELETTRONICA ANALOGICA!

great return and hope also in the reissues cd of the old album!

Completely agree with the previous reviewer - the album by Zanov could be an opening for many lovers of electronic music.
It sounds as you are listening to the soundtrack of SF film from the 70s but the sound here is on the new level of creativity.
Music on this album is cosmic, spiritual, intense. It could remind you of Oxygene and Equinox by J.M. Jarre, of Tangerine Dream from the 70s, of Cybernium (Michel Huygen/Pascal Languirand) but... you wouldn't find new electronic music which sounds as Zanov. You'll like it, you'll dislike it - still you'll this album.
Bravo!

I am in utter disbelief! A new release from Zanov. After about 32 years and you know what? It's another winner and it sounds little has changed since his last release In Course of Time, all the way back to 1982! A followup to In Course of Time called Nous Reprenons Notre Avenir (circa between 1979 and 1984) was never released. So now we come to Virtual Future, which Zanov takes that old, never released recording, remove the poetry (as that recording included poetry, and he no longer felt it was appropriate), and touch things up with an Artura Origin. Sadly he no longer owns his old vintage gear (VCS-3, ARP 2600, RMI Harmonic Synthesizer, Korg PS-3300), but you still hear plenty of those synths on Virtual Future, on top of the Arturia Origin that he currently owns. So unsurprisingly it sounds like a followup to In Course of Time, a lot of the album is of similar spirit, although I do hear elements of Green Ray and Moebius too. More of that great futuristic sounding electronic music I love so much from Zanov, Pierre Salkazanov is certainly one of the great, but unknown figures of electronic music. The reason for such a long wait was he had been concentrating on family and a day job for all those years, and now has time to settle down and return to music. He never received anywhere the phenomenal international success and recognition of someone like Jean Michel Jarre, so it's little wonder he vanished from music by the early 1980s (not to mention a less forgiving music scene in the 1980s in general). I have to say this new Zanov release is just as great as the original releases from 1976 to 1982, and I can go further in stating that it really doesn't matter where you start if you want to get into some Zanov. I only hope his return might get more people to discover him, and even go as far as having his back catalog reissued, as they've been begging for reissues for a long time.