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Zagar are a headliner of the Hungarian electronic music scene. Their unique sound is based on electronic tunes, dub and rock elements flavoured by Eastern European soundtrack moods. The story of the band began in 2001 after the Shallow and Profound Tour, when three members of the "Yonderboi Quintet" (the live band around the Hungarian artist Yonderboi) started rehearsing separately from the Quintet. Balázs Zságer, Andor Kovács and DJ Bootsie performed with the new drummer Tibor Lázár as "Pulzus". |
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The material they put together during the rehearsals and the earlier solo works of Balázs Zságer were synthesized and led to the creation of the characteristic sounds of the new band. In the summer of 2002 they played at different festivals in Hungary and abroad as well: this time under the new band name "Zagar". That year they also recorded their first album "Local Broadcast". The album was released end of 2002 in Hungary by Ugar Records (UCMG) and 2003 in Austria by Universal Jazz.
"Local Broadcast" has received a warm welcome abroad by professionals and collectors alike. In Hungary, the album was selected for the chart of the 50 all time most important Hungarian records by the music magazine WAN2 beside albums from Yonderboi and Anima Sound System.
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Songs from Zagar have been incorporated also into short and feature films and their tracks appear several times in popular TV series like CSI. Their original soundtrack for a feature film, "Eastern Sugar" won the The Hungarian Film Critics‘ Award". They like to work with young contemporary film makers, animators and fine artists also.
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As they are all experienced musicians, their main virtue is playing live. At the performances they use many improvisations and they develop the structure of their songs by mixing many genres like hip-hop, jazz, house and dub with a special sense of style. Today Zagar has five members: Balázs Zságer (producing, keyboards, vocals), Andor Kovács (guitar), Ákos Zságer Varga (bass), DJ Bootsie (scratches) und Tibor Lázár (drums). On top of this George Ligeti is frequently a featured vocalist. They have already played in UK, The Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, The Czech Republic and Russia. During performances, visual art projection is used to connect Russian avant-garde films with modern cinema and surrealism.
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On their latest album entitled "Cannot Walk Fly Instead", they mix cosmic electronic tunes with psychedelic prog-rock while sometimes using church choir elements and quotes from movies to merge the past and the future in a surrealistic way. For the song "Wings of Love" they invite on top six of the most popular independent female singers from Hungary (The Underground Divas). The concept of the album is a kind of exodus from the stereotypes of cosmopolitan urban living, delving into the mysteries and spiritual experiences of the 21st Century Man. They try to convey their imaginations with simple regular issues as solitude, desire for love, nostalgia or vanity.
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"Cannot Walk Fly Instead" entered the top 10 charts immediately in Hungary. Its first single "Wings of Love", featuring the Underground Divas - earned heavy radio airplay and secured a no 1 position on the "MTV Video Charts". They have earned numerous awards for this record, most notably the "Hungarian Record Industry Fonogram Award" and second prize in the "International Songwriting Competition 2008".
They were nominated for the "MTV Best Local Act" in 2008. They are also nominated for the "Regional Award" in the "MTV European Music Awards 2009" in Berlin. Zagar supported the band "Depeche Mode" at the Budapest leg of the "Tour of the Universe" in 2009.
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 Discography:
2002:
Local Broadcast (Ugar Records) CD, LP
2003:
Local Broadcast (Universal Jazz) CD Austria only
2004:
Szezon.Eastern Sugar Soundtrack (Universal Hungary) CD
2005:
Bossa Astoria | Revolution (Ugar Records) 12"
2007:
Cannot Walk Fly Instead (CLS Music) CD Hungary only
2009:
Wings Of Love (Mole Listening Pearls) 7", mp3, mp3 (Remixes)
Prophet Is A Fool (Mole Listening Pearls) mp3 free download
Cannot Walk Fly Instead (Mole Listening Pearls) 2CD (Limited Edition incl. "Wings Of Love" Remixes), mp3
Videography:
2002:
Cosmic Disaster, directed by Fillcell
2003:
Bossa Astoria, directed by Fabricius
2004:
Eastern Sugar, directed by Daniel Garas
Taste Of Snow, directed by Patyomkim
Bossa Astoria (Erik Sumo Rework), directed by B.A.L.
2005:
Screen Cowboys, directed by Sándor Kristóffy
2006:
Sounds And Lights, directed by Fabricius
2007:
Wings Of Love Video (big | small), directed by András Nagy
2009:
Three Seasons Fall Photo Shooting "Cannot Walk Fly Instead" Film (big | small), directed by Menzkie
Cannot Walk Fly Instead Trailer for the Launch Party @ Corvintetö, Budapest
2010:
Escape From The Earth Video (big | small), directed by Menzkie
Escape From The Earth (Making of) Video (big | small)
Filmography:
2004:
Taste Of Snow (animation film), directed by Patyomkim
Bossa Astoria (animation film), directed by B.A.L.
Monuments - The Bottle Opener Lady (documentary), directed by Ferenc Török.
Szezon.Eastern Sugar (feature film), directed by Ferenc Török.
CSI - Blindflight (TV series)
2005:
Beautiful Wilds (TV series), directed by Ferenc Török
2006:
Fabricius live - VJ film about the Sziget Festival, directed by Fabricius
2007:
CSI - Commutted Sentences (TV series)
CSI New York - Go To Hell (TV series)
2009:
Adrenaline and Turbulence (documentary)
Audio Interview:
2009:
Interview with Balázs Zságer, the bandleader of Zagar (recorded in november 2009)
Photos:
2009:
Press Pics for the album "Cannot Walk Fly Instead"
Feedback from the Media:
Selected Reviews
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