Legendary SPACE & Didier Marouani and ZODIAC historic concert and space show

Legendary SPACE and ZODIAC for the first time in Lithuania: historic concert and space show in Kaunas

On August 26, 2025, a truly historic event will take place in the Kaunas Song Valley – the first concert in Lithuania of the cult French band SPACE and its founder, composer Didier Marouani, as well as the cult Latvian electronic music band ZODIAC. Legendary hits will be accompanied by a unique laser show, which the musicians specially bring from France.

The cosmic band Nr. 1 – SPACE & DIDIER MAROUANI

Space (occasionally Didier Marouani & Space) are a French music band active from 1977 through 1980 and returning with on-stage remake performances since 1982. Their work is associated with the short-lived space disco genre and is a precursor of electronica.

Space was founded in 1977 by Didier Marouani (also known as Ecama). The band consisted of Didier Marouani, arrangers Roland Romanelli and Jannick Top, and singer Madeline Bell. Marouani by that time had some fame as a solo pop singer, but soon focused on his band, whose name was suggested by the song “Magic Fly”, originally written in 1976 for a television program dedicated to astrology.

Didier Marouani: “Given the words of people who constantly told me that the melody resembles the sounds coming from space, I chose “Space” as the name".

In the early period, musicians strongly emphasized the sci-fi orientation of their group, often performing in stage costumes like spacesuits. Another reason for appearing in public in the form of "astronauts" was the current contract of Didier Marouani with the company "Polydor".

D. Marouani: “The producer and I invited my record company to release “Magic Fly” under my name, but the label decided that the composition was not good enough to do this ... My producer found another company, but I could not “light up” under in my own name, since the contract with my company remained in force... The suits appeared also because no one could recognize me in it. I had to come up with a creative pseudonym, and I settled on “Ecama”.

The first three albums — Magic Fly (1977), Deliverance (1977) and Just Blue (1978) — sold over 12 million records globally. After the recording of Magic Fly, American drummer Joe Hammer joined the band.

However, after "Just Blue" was released, a critical moment occurred in the group’s history related to the increasing desire of its leader to perform concerts (previously impossible due to the imperfection of available synthesizer models), which led to a conflict with producer Jean-Philippe Iliesco.

D. Marouani: “... Everything was going well, but at that time, when I met with my producer, I told him about my desire to perform on stage. At that time, we did not have a single “live” performance, only television. I managed to get permission for a concert under the Eiffel Tower, with the support of (radio station) “Europe 1”, and the press too, but in the end, my producer decided to cancel everything. And then I said: “I'm leaving,” because — a group that does not give concerts will die sooner or later".

Didier Marouani left the band in 1979, and Joe Hammer went on to do other projects, Romanelli and Jannick Top continued and released the album Deeper Zone in 1980. The band split up in 1981.

From 1982 Marouani and Joe Hammer performed and recorded as "Didier Marouani & Space" with Janny Loseth of Titanic as lead vocalist. The band was later renamed Paris-France-Transit in response to legal action. Hammer left in 1992.

The return of "spAce" and beyond The name "spAce" was legally re-acquired after copyright disputes around 1990, allowing Didier Marouani to re-release classic albums and give a European live cover tour in 1993. Symphonic Space Dream was produced with collaboration from the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. In the same year, the S Club Juniors made a remix to their single "New Direction" featuring the backing track of Magic Fly. The band's hit "Magic Fly" as well as many other songs from the self-named album were remixed in 2003 by the Belgian dance music project Minimalistix. In 2004, their hit "Deliverance" was sampled in De La Soul's single Rock Co.Kane Flow featuring MF Doom. In 2007, it was retaken to feature in its entirety in Talib Kweli's two-piece composition Hostile Gospel (Deliver Us). 2011 saw the release of Space's most recent album, From Earth To Mars. The last track of this album, Message of Peace From Earth To Mars, features recorded samples of Yuri Gagarin's journey into space in 1961 and is a tribute to fifty years of space exploration. The cosmic band Nr.2 - ZODIAC from Baltics Band Zodiac was created in 1979 it consisted of Latvian Conservatory students of music. The leader of the group, composer Janis Lusens, who was very preoccupied with timbre and the search of sound sets, from organs, to the Soviet Time’s first accessible synthesizers. A very significant occurrence was Lusens’ meeting with firm’s ‘’Melodija’’ Riga branch director and sound director Aleksandrs Griva. It was a very significant moment in order for the first recordings to happen and for Aleksandrs Griva producing talent to be realized in the first Soviet electric music record Zodiac “Disco Alliance” (1980) The record was made on a tape with 8 lines, where A. Griva sound director skills, composer Janis Lusens’ and percussionist Andris Reinis’ effort in the studio created the base of this music tape. Record music and artist Franceska Kirke design of the tape caused an uprising, which inspired many people in the Soviet Union to turn to original search of creativity. Author of all composition is Janis Lusens, who was inspired by Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre music back in the day. The second record “Music in Universe” (1982) – next to timbres of synthesator appears voice and a solo guitar. You can feel the influence of Funk and disco which was very present in the time. The formatting is a bright mirroing of it’s creator Maris Argalis’ individual style, where you can spot elements of erotica. The record was made on the new 16 channel line tape. Author of all compositions is Janis Lusens. Third record “In Memoriam” (1989) – after years of working with different genres composer returns to instruemental music. To avoid soviet censoring, band’s name gets derived from “Zodiac” to “Zodiaks”. In the making of this record programmable drum machines and sequencers were used. The subject matter of music: from cosmos to the most beautiful nature and architecture scenery of latvia. Recorded on a 16 channel line tape. Sound director is the former bassist of the band Ivars Pilka. Zigfrids Muktupavels, violinist and vocalist, joins the band along Maija Lusena. The usage of voice and violin expands the palette of timre and makes the sound closer and warmer.