Biography
Enigma ("Enigma") - a German studio project, founded in 1990 by a musician and producer Michel Kretu, who wanted to create music that did not submit to the old rules and representing the new form of an artistic expression with mystical and experimental components. Over the years of ENIGMA, ENIGMA sold 8.5 million albums in the United States and about 70 million all over the world. The project has more than 100 gold and platinum disks and 3 nominations for the Grammy Award.The history of creation and composition
In the late 1980s, the German musician and producer Michel Kretu collaborated with several musicians, wrote compositions for the German pop singer Sandra and produced solo albums that did not have commercial success. It was necessary to come up with something new.
In 1988, after the wedding, Kretu and Sandra moved to the Spanish Island of Ibiza. The producer founded the ART Studios audio studio and began working on the new project Enigma ("Riddle" in Greek). Kretu chose this name, because I wanted to tell about the unseasured secrets through the music, about life after death. The compositions of the team are filled with mysticity through the use of Gregorian Chorals and Vedic chants.
At first, no one knew the composition of the participants of the team. According to Kretu, the listeners were to perceive only music, without associating it with any performers. Over time, it turned out that the authors and participants of the 1st entry were Frank Peterson, David Firestein, Peter Cornelius, Michel Kretu and Sandra, who played the main role in the history of the project. In the future, a large number of creative people was attracted to work on Enigma compositions.
Frank Peterson, who spent under the name F. Gregorian, was co-author Kretu in 1990-1991, he also dealt with technical support for the project. David Firestein helped the Michel at work on the texts of the albums from 1990 to 1996, wrote the words to the "Smell of Desire" composition. Peter Cornellius performed guitar parties on the records of 1993-1996, in 2000 the musician and composer Jens Gad came to his place.
Music, texts and arrangements belonged to Kret, who performed most of the men's vocal parties and was hiding under the pseudonym CURLY MC. His wife Sandra provided women's vocals in the first 5 albums, her name on the cover was not indicated. In 2007, Spouses Kretu parted, and Michelle was forced to look for the replacement of the singer.
Louise Stanley, a promoter of recording studio "Virgin Records", was brought to the backbones of the first 3 disks Enigma, her voice sounded in the composition "The Voice of Enigma", and then in the album "A Posteriori". The Baltic singer Alisa Ketnere (alias Fox Lima) performed the female party in MMX (The Social Song) and was the co-author of the 2010 album. Ruth Ann Boyle, An Englishwoman, soloist of the Olive group, was repeatedly attracted to the project. She recorded "Gravity of Love" and other compositions of the 4th and 5th Enigma discs.
Other vocalists of the team were Elizabeth Hoouton, Photographer Virgin Records, Rasa Veretenceviene (Rasa Serra) from Baltic States, and Margarita Roig, Spanish folklore singer, who became the co-author of the Album "Seven Lives Many Faces" 2008.
Together with the curl, men's vocal party ENIGMA were performed by Andy Hard - Michel Protege, known to the public as angel ("Angel X") in the "Return to Innocence" composition, Mark Khosher (J. Spring), Anggun, Akvilo. In addition, the project participated in the sons of Cretu and Sandra, Gemini Nikita and Sebastian. They recorded "The Same Parents" for the album "Seven Lives Many Faces".
Andrew Donalds, Jamaici reggae, who also produced Kretu, joined Enigma in 1999 and remained in the project until 2008. He became a co-author of some compositions and one of the prominent soloists.
Music
Enigma is not a group in the usual understanding, the composition of the project is difficult to call songs, the participants never gave concerts, engaged in recording music and release of video clips. December 10, 1990, after 8 months of preparation, Enigma released the 1st Disc "MCMXC AD", which headed the charts in 41 countries, becoming the most-selling record of the studio "Virgin Records" (MCMXC AD - Roman Figure 1990).The album was preceded by the single "Sadeness (Part I)", in which the Grigorian chants, an excerpt from Paschale Mysterium performed by the German choir Capella Antiqua München, were combined with a dance rhythm filled with erotic subtext.
Later, in 1994, the illegal use of this track led to the court proceedings, during which the names of the participants of the team were revealed, their photos were published. Nevertheless, "Sadeness (Part I)" is considered the most successful single Enigma, he reprinted twice, in 1991 and 1999, with additional remix tracks.
MCMXC AD began with the entry taken from the composition of the British electronic group Leftfield, lost in the opposite direction. The track "The Voice of Enigma" later became a business card of the project, "Principles of Lust" and "MEA Culpa" - world hits. The mystical sound of the album gave the use of sounds of nature, Grigorian chorals, percussions and Japanese flutes of Xiakukhati. MCMXC AD has become the first commercial success of Kret.
In 1993, the German musician received an offer from producers to write music to the erotic thriller "Sliver", he refused, but 2 Compositions Enigma, "Carly's Song" and "Carly's Loneliness", they still sounded in the film.
In the same year, the musicians released the 2nd album called "The Cross of Changes". Kretu retained the style of the first album, but I wanted to bring something new in it, mix as much elements of rock and ethno-classics as possible. He used numerous samples, including from the songsis songs, Black Sabbath, Vangelis and U2, while deliberately reduced the number of Gregorian chants. The texts of the album compositions are based on the concepts of numerology, which the Cret is specially studied.
Cross of Changes became number 1 in the UK and number 9 in the USA. In 1994, four singles were released: "Return to Innocence", "The Eyes of Truth", "Age of Loneliness" and "Out from the Deep". The first became the international hit of the Top 10 in 12 countries, and in the United States received the Golden Disc award.
After the release of the album followed a new trial. This time, the lawsuit filed members of the folk duet from Taiwan Difan and Ygai Duana. They accused the cape in the illegal use of their votes in the Return to Innocence composition. The case was settled in an extrajudicial order after paying the fine.
In 1996, the 3rd disk ENIGMA "LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LE ROI!" Was released. Kretu wanted this album to become a "heir" of the two previous ones, so he included familiar elements of the Grigorian and Vedic chants into it. Despite thorough preparation, "Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!" Loud success did not achieve, only 2 out of 3 outlined singles were released.
Nevertheless, the album received the Golden Disc in the UK and 2 Grammy nominations: "Best Cover" and "The Best New Age Style Album". In the United States sold more than 1 million copies. In 2000, Enigma released the "Screen Behind The Mirror" album. This time the Grigorian choir and Japanese flutes moved to the background. The compositions of the compositions were followed by passages from Canta Carl Orfa "Carmina Burana". "Gravity of Love" and "Push The Limits" were issued by separate singles.
The album "Voyageur", released in 2003, was distinguished from past works Enigma, disappeared characteristic of the process of receptions and sounds. Kretu completely refused the ethnic and Grigorian motives. Fans did not appreciate the new direction, recognized the album worst in the dishographic of Enigma.
The 15th anniversary of the musicians celebrated the release of the "15 Years After" record with the best compositions of recent years. The sound of the composition differed from the originals. On the disk among the hits Enigma introduced a new track "Hello and Welcome", later released as a single.
On September 26, 2006, the 6th album ENIGMA "A POSTERIORI" was released. His genre was characterized as an electronic techno-pop. Kretu switched from mysticism to real life, his music began to emerge from physics, astronomy and sociology. On December 16, 2006, a DVD version of the record was released.
In the "Seven Lives Many Faces" of 2008, the musicians used a combination of classics with modernity, the song was the leading single. The Platinum Collection on three CDs was published on November 27, 2009 in Germany and February 9, 2010 in the world: on the 1st plate of Hits Enigma, on the 2nd - remixes, the third was a collection of "lost tracks" and musical experiments.
On October 5, 2010, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the release of the album MCMXC AD, the musicians declared a competition among fans. Participants recorded vocals for the new composition of the MMX The Social Song project, the winner was identified by Internet voting.
They became the Latvian singer Fox Lima, the backy-vocals invited 3 best contestants: Mark Joshua from Brazil, J. Spring from Spain and Rasa Serra from Lithuania. Fans also influenced the further stages of the creation of a song, selecting the leading tool, the mood and style of the track, released on December 15, 2010.
In August 2016, after an 8-year break, the 8th Studio Album ENIGMA "The Fall of A Rebel Angel" came out, in which invited musicians participated. In an interview with journalists, Kretu said that he tried to return to the sources of Enigma, each written track was the stage of the symbolic path to atonement.
Enigma now
It is difficult to say whether Enigma has so far. There is no information about the release of new compositions or clips. Michel Kretu is now producer of the new e-project "Shinnobu", which produces albums under the brand Enigma: "Enigma", "Enigma II" in 2017, "Chillout Gregorian New Age" (Enigma VI) in 2018.
In them, a lot of fantasy and spirituality, Gregory Choir and Japanese flutes reappeared in the records. The creator again enveloped his brainchild the secret, no one knows the names of musicians working in the project.
Andrew Donalds has recently been engaged in the popularization of Cretan creativity, which within the tour is the Golden Voice program Enigma. His speeches are held worldwide, including in Russia.
Discography
- 1990 - "McMxc a.d"
- 1993 - "The Cross of Changes"
- 1996 - "LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LE ROI!"
- 2000 - "The Screen Behind The Mirror"
- 2003 - "Voyageur"
- 2006 - "A Posteriori"
- 2008 - "SEVEN LIVES MANY FACES"
- 2016 - "The Fall of a Rebel Angel"
Clips
- "Sadeness - Part I"
- "PRINCIPLES OF LUST"
- "BEYOND THE INVISIBLE"
- "Diving"
- Rivers of Belief
- "RETURN TO INNOCENCE"
- "MEA CULPA PART II"
- "Turn Around"
- "MEA CULPA"
- "SEVEN LIVES"