Posts Tagged ‘Enigma’

When looking at the Enigma discography it is easy to overlook Michael Cretu’s solo works. Even though his early LPs are mostly labeled as pop, there is plenty here for the Enigma fan – or any new age music fan for that matter – to enjoy.

Michael Cretu (born 1957) debuted as an artist in 1979 with the album Moon, Lights and Flowers after having received education in classical music – but deciding that synth music was his “thing”. His second album came in 1983, called Legionare. Here mostly German music fans got to hear Michael’s impressive keyboard and composition skills. Singing was never his strongest card, but he was a decent singer in the 80s and the early Enigma period.

His third album is called The Invisible Man (1985), which I will review in this article. I find this to be a very elegant album, with beautiful and heartfelt synth melodies, some with that emotional depth that made Enigma into such a winner 5 years later – in 1990.

The Invisible Man album is the very first sign of what eventually would become Enigma.

BT Fasmer

Note that there is also a German version available of this album – which is ready for playback in many music on demand services. This version is called Die Chinesische Mauer, and has German lyrics and a different track listing. But it is basically the same album.

The English version starts with the international hit Samurai. Cretu’s synth work and singing are here at their very best. The lyrics are perhaps a bit too enigmatic, yes, but the opening song has that rare groove that also made Sandra’s Maria Magdalena – produced by Cretu – into such a winner in the same period. It is simply a great pop song with an unusual and dramatic backdrop. This is not “baby, I love you” pop – just the way we Enigma fans like it.

With that tour-de-force of a first song out of the way, the album moves on with the song Carte Blanche. This is a slower, more thoughtful piece, a perfectly composed synth melody. Talking of synths; it must be said that the album sounds somewhat dated, but that will not stop a new age music fan. Never.

Silver Water is a refreshing song. Even though Michael’s singing is very loud, almost to the point of screaming at some parts, the song as a total is very well balanced.

Another truly beautiful song is track four, Your favorite toy. Here the lyrics are just as important as the music, telling the sad story of a toy. The German title is, translated, Tin soldier.

The album is in many ways divided into three. I have commented the first part above. The second part is the three songs Intro, Mikado and Coda. And this is the very first signs of what eventually would become Enigma. These tracks have deep synth pads, a heart-like rhythm and strong melodic elements; the very fingerprint of Cretu’s later masterworks. My only objection to this part of the album is that it is too short; it is only about five minutes long. These three tracks are, by the way, the intro to the German album.

The song Heavy Traffic is as relevant today as back in 1985; “Heavy traffic / Never ending / Spitting poison in the air / Metal river, who’s pretending / you’ll never get me there”.

The album ends with the title song. The Invisible Man is a track with a magnificent trumpet solo and a very satisfying build-up. It reminds of later Enigma masterworks such as Out of the Deep and Return to Innocence.

The Invisible Man album  is only 33 minutes long, originally meant for LP and cassette formats, but it is a short album not to be missed. And note that this is not only for fans of 80s synth music – but for all fans of great pop/new age. The Invisible Man is an early example of the genius that in time would sell many million albums – and get just as many fans.

The album is available everywhere, from iTunes to your local CD store.

Michael Cretu of Enigma has always made sure to use the latest studio technology available. In this way he has been able to produce new and fresh sounds, and each album is closely connected to the technology used.

The legendary Ibiza studio where the three first Enigma albums were created was called the Euphonix consol studio – or simply A.R.T. (you can see pictures of it here). On the latest albums Michael has used less hardware and more software synths, resulting in the Alchemist studio (see a comprehensive presentation of it here).

Now Michael Cretu has built a new and more compact studio which is called MERLIN (picture to the right). According to Enigmaspace.com:

“Merlin is not only a mobile studio, it fits perfectly to the way I am usually working. It can be seen at the intersection between playing, recording and mixing.” Michael Cretu says.

Similar to the Alchemist, Merlin combines the four key parameters of recording in one box: a computed recording environment, a modular hardware concept, a control surface and a surround monitoring system.

In the very center of the studio is an Apple Mac Pro 8-core with an 30” Cinema display – and of course the Logic Studio software. If you are interested in all the technical details, see here.

I think that all of this is fascinating – to a certain point. As a Michael Cretu fan of almost 20 years I’m glad that Michael is doing what he does best, with the tools he needs to create magical sounds. But I know for sure that he would create magic with almost any synth – for instance his old friends, Roland JD-800 or Korg DSS-1. But new is always better, right? .

Bottomline; We now know how the studio looks like; the wait for the new Enigma album can begin.

Also see Enigmamusic.com . Picture copyright Enigmaspace.com.

Going along with Enigma‘s 20th anniversary after the first “MCMXC a.D.”
release in 1990, official homepage EnigmaSpace wants to celebrate this special year with its fans worldwide.To kick off the “Enigma Year” they invite everyone to send in their wallpaper creations themed “Enigma’s 20th Anniversary”.

EnigmaSpace is looking for creative, high quality and extraordinary work. A jury of Enigma’s management and Michael Cretu himself will choose the Top10 creations and feature them exclusively within the Fanlibrary section on www.EnigmaSpace.com. The Top3 will win a signed copy of the current “Platinum Collection” release, a compilation of Enigma’s most famous singles, remixes and unreleased tracks.

American fans of Enigma must mark the date February 9 on their calendar; this is when Platinum Collection finally will be released in the US. This upcoming event was very visible on NYC Time Square lately, where large commercials told about the February 9 release. It is nice to see that the label is doing an effort for Enigma in a time where their sales are falling.

It is of course a shame that Platinum Collection didn’t get an international release at the same date. European Enigma fans have been enjoying the album since November last year…

The picture is borrowed from the great Enigmamusic Forums. You can sample the album here.

For our German speaking friends – this commercial is currently on Channel 24. The presentation is, well, a bit cheesy.

The devastating earthquake on Haiti has made people all over the world collect money and do what they can to help in this desperate situation. Also new age music superstar Michael Cretu of Enigma is reaching out a helping hand to the people of Haiti. In cooperation with EMI Germany and the German division of Red Cross, he is doing what he can to create awareness of the earthquake – see the video below.

Our translation from German:
Many of you have in the recent days seen the horrific pictures from Haiti. Over 100.000 have died in this tragedy, over 100.000 have become homeless. Diseases are spreading, and there is no medical help available. This nation is now totally dependent on foreign help. I urge you all to give a donation to Haiti via the provided bank account number. Please give, and tell your friends to do the same. Even a small donation will make a big difference.

Source: The Enigma Forum

In connection with the release Enigma’s ”Best of” and ”Lost Tracks” Album, the group’s official English homepage has received a major facelift and many new features have been added (the official homepage, Enigma.de, has received the same treatment). The most important features are perhaps the media players, which naturally are filled with music and videos from Enigma’s 20 year long history. The selection of music is actually very generous, so here the fan will find both new and old favorites.

Another new feature on Enigmaspace.com is the social aspect. Over the last year, official Enigma pages have been made on MySpace, Youtube and Bebo. On Enigmaspace.com you are also welcome to leave comments, and you can download exclusive graphics made by the designers who have created “the Enigma look” on the band’s covers and videos.

But most interesting is without a doubt the exclusive view into Michael Cretu’s ALCHEMIST studio, or the All In One Computed Mobile Studio. You can read all about it here, and see pictures too!

Enigma: The Platinum Collection is now released in Europe. It is a three disc “Best of” collection, with one disc with hits, one with favorite remixes and one with so called “Lost tracks” – or demo tapes if you will. American Enigma fans sadly have to wait until January 26, 2010. Such a delay should really be a thing of the past, but hey, that’s still the nature of major label music…

Both the selection of hits and remixes are, needless to say, great. There are some true classics among the remixes, like Sadness Part I – Violent US Mix – which truly takes the original song’s Gregorian chants samples to a new dimension. Another favorite of mine is the last one, Dreaming of Andromeda – Jean F. Cochois Remix. There are interestingly enough no Seven Lives remixes on this disc (even though there was a very good remix competition recently – but it must be said that the “Lost track” 10 is a Je T’aime Till My Dying Day remix).

So what is there to say about The lost tracks? As a Michael Cretu fan for over 20 years – and a fan of all his most recent material too – I was surprised to learn that he, the perfectionist, was to release a demo collection. It is very much out of character. But, when listening to it, I think that it gives a nice view into his studio, showing the master at work.

The lost tracks is a collection of selected demos that probably were created for Seven Lives – but didn’t make the cut. The disc does not have an overall sound design (with an intro and ending), like his “normal” albums. The songs does not have names, only numbers. I especially like track 2, which has that enigmatic melancholy that we know so well from the past. Track nine also has a nice feel. Track four could have been included in a “normal” Enigma album, it is that good.

The lost tracks would have been a much better release if there was older “lost tracks” too – like demos from the first three-four Enigma albums. This one is very close to the “synth VST” sound. But it is not like it is meant as a complete album.

It is what it is; a collection of songs that was left over when Seven Lives was mixed.  Not a top Enigma release, true, but still a welcome gift to any Enigma fan since the first disc is a superb “best of” collection.

Sample it on Amazon.de.

To celebrate both the upcoming album and the 20 year anniversary, Engima’s official homepage – Enigmaspace.com – will receive a major update. But already now you can get a small sneak peek of the design, and watch the awesome official video trailer that features clips from Enigma’s finest music videos.

Or, to quote the page; the world of Enigma evolves.

Andru Donalds, lead singer in Enigma, has posted a 10 minute long sample of the upcoming “Lost Tracks” album – which is disc three on the new Enigma “Best of” album.

You can sample it on Facebook. Scroll down to the music player on the left (the first track is the “lost” ones).

Source: Enigmamusic.com Forum

Amazon.de has posted samples to all tracks on the upcoming three disc “Best of” and “Lost Tracks” album. Be among the first to sample this release here.

Below is the cover. I think it looks nice – same style as last year’s Seven Lives cover.

A very informative and heartfelt discussion is right now taking place on Enigmamusic.com.

It is so nice to see real fans discuss, even though not all are happy about the new “lost” tracks. That is life I guess…

Please Note: NEW RELEASEDATE (until further notice): November 27.

Just in time for Christmas shopping, world’s most prominent new age artists release their “best of” albums. Enigma is first out. On 20th of November Virgin/EMI Music releases the three disc collection entitled The Greatest Hits. One disc is for the hits, one is filled with remixes and one is called The Lost Ones. Michael Cretu explains what’s “lost”:

Everything starts with trial and error. Sometimes it’s a sound, then a melody, a harmony or a mood. The Lost Ones are my way of instrumental drafts developed from a boiling cauldron full of unordered, naive und carefree musical ideas.

And on November 23rd it is Enya’s turn. The album “The very best of Enya” will be released on Warner music. The album will include titles from all the Warner albums with favorite songs chosen by Enya, Nicky and Roma Ryan. A special edition will contain DVD and documentary footage. This collection will not contain any new tracks though – but the Lord of the Rings song Aniron has not been on an Enya album before.

So yes, we are all getting early Christmas presents here! I am naturally most eager for the Enigma album, since it contains new material. I am also a big fan of the previous Enigma remix album (The LSD collection from 2001). A new Enya “best of” is always welcome too, since it gives new perspectives on selected songs – and Enya’s impressive discography too.

While 2008 was a year when the biggest names in new age music – Enya, Enigma and Mike Oldfield – all released new and fresh material – 2009 has turned out to be a “best of” year. It began with Mike Oldfield releasing yet another Tubular Bells-version. In November both Enya and Enigma will too release new “best of” albums. Below on our page you can read about the new Enya compilation, while we here give you information about the upcoming “best of” album by Enigma. According to Enigmamusic.com:

One month before the 20th anniversary, “The Platinum Collection” of ENIGMA is a look back on one of the most successful musical projects of the last years. With over 50 million records sold worldwide, more than 100 platinum and gold awards and over 50 #1 chart positions, mastermind Michael Cretu is eclipsing twenty years of a musical journey with a 3 CD-Box Set release.

While the new Enya album contains no new tracks, Enigma gives us one remix CD and an additional CD called “The Lost Ones” which delivers a never before allowed insight into the creative sound laboratory of ENIGMA. “Everything starts with trial and error.” Michael Cretu explains. “Sometimes it’s a sound, then a melody, a harmony or a mood. The “Lost Ones” are my way of instrumental drafts developed from a boiling cauldron full of unordered, naive und carefree musical ideas.” It will be released on November 20th.

See the track listing here.

World’s perhaps most popular new age music producer, Michael Cretu of Enigma, is said to be “working on a new project” (source: Enigmamusic.com). Nothing is known about the new album as of now, but just getting to know that mr. Cretu actually is making new music is great news!

It is nearly two years since the release of Seven Lives Many Faces – which has become not only a favorite among Enigma fans, but a modern classic in the new age music genre.

When Austrian fashion reporter Brüno made his scandalous entrance at yesterday’s MTV Movie Awards, landing at Eminem’s lap, it was with Enigma’s Sadness Part 1 playing in the background.

It is not the first nor the last time this Enigma hit will be used in such a manner.

Click the picture to see the video.

Google has recently scanned many great books. One of them is the essay collection Music and Technoculture, published by Wesleyan University Press in 2003. Here is an essay by Timothy D. Taylor entitled A Riddle Wrapped in a Myster, Transnational Music Sampling and Enigma’s Return To Innocence. The essay tells the story about how Michael Cretu sampled from a CD called Polyphonies vocals des aborigebes de Taiwan, and created the song we know as Return to Innocence. It also gives a fascinating description of the controversy that followed.

I don’t think that Michael Cretu intentionally creates new age music; he is rather like a pop artist inspired by the new age sound. Michael Cretu/Sandra’s 1980s hit Maria Magdalena is an example of this; a pop song with mystical and new ageish elements. This is also obvious on Seven Lives Many Faces; it is pop music (on iTunes Music Store it is filed under pop), but it is new age at the same time. This is what makes Enigma into such a unique band; Cretu makes pop music into new age and new age into pop music.

Seven Lives Many Faces is a two CD release; the main disc with 12 tracks, and a 5 track EP. If you buy it on iTunes Music Store you’ll also get Michael Cretu’s audio comments for each track.

The first track, Encounters, starts slowly with a female voice giving some examples of the magic number seven; Seven stars, seven days, seven seals, seven gates, seven angels and so on, ending with seven lives… after this you hear the usual synth reference to MCMXC a.D. And then the album takes off with the title song Seven Lives. The layers of synth strings and the flute playing behind are an incredible mix, truly enigmatic. The heavy hip hop beats adds a nice groove. In is a unique sound, no doubt about that, and Andru Donalds’ vocal is great as usual. I can’t decide whether I like the dog panting sample or not, but the rest of the samples – like breaking glass and running horses – are well fitting. Conclusion; a new Enigma masterpiece!

Track number three, Touchness, is laidback and the use of samples remind of Enigma songs like Modern Crusaders and T.N.T. for the Brain. But The Same Parents, song number four, are something completely different; it is a very nice pop song! It asks the question, with the voice of a child; why can’t we live together in peace? After all, we have the same parents (albeit a long time ago). The two next songs are instrumental; Fata Morgana and Hell’s Heaven. These are great tracks with a relaxing, peaceful atmosphere. They remind me of Enigma’s third album, Le Roi Est Mort, Vive le Roi!, my all time favorite CD.

La Puerta del Cielo is a powerful song with an incredible vocal. The lyrics is in Catalan. It is 3min28sec of pure perfection. Yet another masterpiece! The two next tracks are also non typical Enigma songs. On the previous 6 albums, love and sensuality have always been in focus, but in a different way. This time around Enigma is unsure of love; “Do you love me?” the voice asks – while the “old Enigma” always had plenty of love and satisfaction; just compare the new track Distorted Love with The Principles of Lust from MCMXC a.D. and you’ll know what I mean.

Track no. 10, Déjà vu, is a short but beautiful song. This is a present from Cretu to all fans of Le Roi Est Mort, Vive le Roi! Here he uses plenty of samples from this album. The track also has a nice Asiatic touch. It is, as Michel says in the interview included in the iTunes version, like a déjà vu for all fans of Le Roi Est Mort, Vive le Roi! You have heard it before – and still you haven’t heard it.

The last two tracks, Between Generations and The Language of Sound, have a relaxing downbeat groove. I especially like the ethnical samples, and the synthscapes are also nice. At the very end you can hear a distant heartbeat.

The five track long EP is a nice addition to the album. The first and third track, Superficial and Downtown Silence, continues the style of Seven Lives; with a heavy beat that reminds of hip hop, but at the same time there is a mystical element. We Are Nature is also a very nice track. Cretu tells us that humans are not above nature – we are nature. My favorite track on the EP is Sunrise. The rhythm is very creative, like a ever-changing drum. It is chill out at its best. The last track, the new version of The Language of Sound, has a little more reverb and a fuller sound than the track on the main disc.

Seven Lives Many Faces is hands down the best Enigma album since Le Roi Est Mort, Vive le Roi! The sound is original, if not unique, and the songs Seven Lives and La Puerta del Cielo are instant Enigma classics. Michale Cretu has given the fans what they wanted and at the same time breathed new life into the project – and that is a major accomplishment.

Score: Superb