Solar Quest (artist)
Encyclopedia
Solar Quest is a one-man ambient
and acid trance
music project founded in 1993 by George Saunders (* 25 December in Redlands, Scotland
as Seòras Saunders) and its aim is to combine renewable solar energy with electronic music
.
Solar Quest was founded when Saunders became interested in acid house
in the beginning of the 1990s. In 1993 and 1994 he had at least nine releases, of which two were full length albums (the other under alias Entropica).
He is credited as introducing Phil Ross and Chris Deckker at a 1993 trance party in North London's Dome Club which was being held to raise legal fees for a friend languishing in an Indian jail. Ross and Deckker went on to found the famous Return to the Source
party and record label with partners Mark Allen and Janice Duncan. Solar Quest made regular performances at the Source parties and contributed tracks to three Return to the Source compilation albums - Deep Trance and Ritual Beats (1995) and The Chakra Journey (1996) as well as Ambient Meditations
1 (1998).
For the annual Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts Solar Quest has often produced a solar energy powered ambient concert tent and a lot of its music has been recorded and mixed in a studio
powered by solar energy.
Saunders has had cooperation with e.g. British DJ Choci, under whose record label Choci's Chewns most of Solar Quest's early releases were published. The British singer Kirsty Hawkshaw
's vocals can be heard on many of them. A remix collection of Alan Parsons
' song "Apollo" is among the more obscure Solar Quest releases.
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
and acid trance
Acid trance
Acid trance is a style of trance music that emerged in the late '80s early '90s focusing on utilising the acid sound. The trademark sound of "acid" is produced with a Roland TB-303 by playing a sequenced melody while altering the instrument's filter cutoff frequency, resonance, envelope modulation,...
music project founded in 1993 by George Saunders (* 25 December in Redlands, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as Seòras Saunders) and its aim is to combine renewable solar energy with electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
Solar Quest was founded when Saunders became interested in acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
in the beginning of the 1990s. In 1993 and 1994 he had at least nine releases, of which two were full length albums (the other under alias Entropica).
He is credited as introducing Phil Ross and Chris Deckker at a 1993 trance party in North London's Dome Club which was being held to raise legal fees for a friend languishing in an Indian jail. Ross and Deckker went on to found the famous Return to the Source
Return To The Source
Return to the Source was a London-based Goa Trance club and off-shoot record label run by partners Chris Decker, Mark Allen, Janice Duncan and Phil Ross....
party and record label with partners Mark Allen and Janice Duncan. Solar Quest made regular performances at the Source parties and contributed tracks to three Return to the Source compilation albums - Deep Trance and Ritual Beats (1995) and The Chakra Journey (1996) as well as Ambient Meditations
Ambient Meditations
Ambient Meditations was a series of CDs released by the trance party Return to the Source.While the club was know primarily for its Goa Trance music and latterly Psychedelic Trance or Psy Trance, the parties always had a chill-out room...
1 (1998).
For the annual Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts Solar Quest has often produced a solar energy powered ambient concert tent and a lot of its music has been recorded and mixed in a studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
powered by solar energy.
Saunders has had cooperation with e.g. British DJ Choci, under whose record label Choci's Chewns most of Solar Quest's early releases were published. The British singer Kirsty Hawkshaw
Kirsty Hawkshaw
Kirsty Hawkshaw is a British dance/electronica/house/trance musician and songwriter. She is known for her participation as lead vocalist for the group Opus III, and her collaborative work with other musicians and producers....
's vocals can be heard on many of them. A remix collection of Alan Parsons
Alan Parsons
Alan Parsons is a British audio engineer, musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor...
' song "Apollo" is among the more obscure Solar Quest releases.
Singles/maxis
- "One Nation" (1993)
- "Acid Crumble" (1993)
- "Acid Air Raid" (1993)
- "Acid Brain EP" (1993)
- "Freezone 1 Single - Save The Whale" (1994)
- "Kirsty Cried" (Solar Quest vs. Choci) (1994)
- "A + B = C in D# (1994)
- "Save the Whale" (Solar Quest / The Arc / Avalon) (1994)
- "Acid Baba" (under alias "The Solar Question Mark?") (1995)
- "Cosmosis" (1995)
- "Into the Machine" (1995)
- "Mesmerised" (Solar Quest / Choci) (1995)
- "Paranoïd Aliens" (1996)
- "Space Pirates" (1998)
- "Into the Machine" (Remixes) (2001)
Albums
- OrgshipOrgshipOrgship is the debut album of the British acid and ambient artist Solar Quest, released in 1994 by the Belgian label Freezone / SSR.The album contains eight rhythmic ambient tracks, the third track featuring singing by Kristy Hawkshaw...
(1994) - Sonic Bloom Entropica Prolifica (under alias "Entropica") (1994)
- Paranoid Aliens (1996)
- AcidOphilez (1998)
- Orgisms (2000)
- Sola Luna (2008)