Solaris are among the most beloved and accomplished progressive rock bands to emerge from Hungary — masters of a cinematic, instrumental symphonic prog led by soaring flute and lush keyboards. Formed in Budapest in 1980 and named after Stanisław Lem’s science-fiction novel, they made their name with the 1984 classic “Marsbéli Krónikák” and remain active and revered decades later.

The short version

Solaris are a Hungarian symphonic progressive rock band, formed in Budapest in 1980 by a group of university students. Almost entirely instrumental, their music is melodic, dynamic and richly cinematic — built around the interplay of Attila Kollár’s flute, Róbert Erdész’s keyboards and guitar, and steeped in science-fiction themes. The four albums here span their career, from the landmark debut “Marsbéli Krónikák” (1984) to its sequel “Marsbéli Krónikák II” (2014).

Science fiction in sound

Solaris wear their inspirations openly. The band took its name from Stanisław Lem’s philosophical novel ‘Solaris,’ and their celebrated debut “Marsbéli Krónikák” (‘The Martian Chronicles’) draws on Ray Bradbury — the music designed to evoke vast, alien landscapes. The album even opens with a distorted Hungarian voice-over that many listeners mistake for an invented Martian tongue. Throughout their work, sci-fi and existential themes give the instrumentals a narrative, almost filmic quality.

Flute, keys and cosmic melody

What sets Solaris apart is their sound: a lush, melodic symphonic prog where flute and keyboards lead rather than guitar. Attila Kollár’s flute — classically trained, with hints of Jethro Tull, jazz and Hungarian folk — is the band’s signature, weaving around Róbert Erdész’s synthesizers and the late István Cziglán’s guitar. Rather than spotlighting solos, the players develop their themes together, building long, dynamic, cinematic pieces full of Eastern European colour.

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A classic, and a long road

“Marsbéli Krónikák” was a sensation, selling over 40,000 copies in Hungary, but the state-run record industry had little appetite for more instrumental albums, and Solaris broke up in 1986 — several members forming the more mainstream pop band Napoleon Boulevard. The Solaris story didn’t end there, though: the debut was licensed to Japan and spread worldwide, the band reunited, and over the following decades they returned with ambitious works like “Nostradamus: Book of Prophecies” (1999) and a long-awaited sequel to their masterpiece.

Album by album

Four Solaris albums, in order. Tap any title to explore.

The players

Solaris have always centred on flautist Attila Kollár and keyboardist Róbert Erdész, the band’s creative core, alongside founding guitarist István Cziglán and the long-serving rhythm section of drummer László Gömör and bassist Tamás Pócs. The line-up has shifted many times over the years, but that flute-and-keys identity has remained constant. Founding guitarist István Cziglán, whose playing shaped the early albums, died in 1998. The band remains active to this day, releasing a third ‘Martian Chronicles’ as recently as 2024.

Where to start

Start with “Marsbéli Krónikák” (1984) — Solaris’s masterpiece and one of the great symphonic prog albums of the 1980s, a sweeping instrumental journey of flute, synths and cosmic melody. From there, “Nostradamus: Book of Prophecies” (1999) shows their more elaborate, conceptual side, while “Marsbéli Krónikák II” (2014) revisits the magic of the debut decades on. The debut, though, is essential listening.

Why they still matter

Solaris matter as one of the finest bands to carry symphonic prog through the 1980s and beyond — and as proof of how vivid and ambitious the music being made behind the Iron Curtain could be. Their flute-led, cinematic sound is instantly recognisable, their debut a genuine classic, and their continued activity a rarity among bands of their era. For anyone who loves melodic, instrumental progressive rock — or wants to explore prog beyond the usual borders — Solaris are essential.

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