The Sonic Music Review Weekly Playlist: Week 3

Following the success with the introduction of a weekly playlist, a short cross section of the works featured on The Sonic Music Review, we are proud to release the third instalment, featuring a selection of works from acts including Enigma, Tangerine Dream and Schiller.

Tracklisting:

1. Enigma                    - Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi from Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi

2. Schiller                    - Let Me Love You from Desire

3. Tangerine Dream     - Tyger from Tyger

4. The Pet Shop Boys  - The Clock 10/11/12 from The Most Incredible Thing

5. Kraftwerk                - Home Computer from Minimum-Maximum

6. Yazoo                      - Only You from Only Yazoo

7. Global Communication     - 5:23 from 76:14

For the Spotify streamable playlist, click here.

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Enigma: Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!

Having previously covered the debut release by the electronica musical project Enigma 'MXMXC A.D' in an article here, the topic of this feature turns to their third commercial release 'Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!' which was released in 1996, six years after the highly successful release of 'MCMXC A.D. .' This album built upon the success of its predecessors, quickly garnering critical acclaim alongside commercial success, obtaining platinum status in four territories.

Enigma: Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!

As alluded to in the track 'Third Of Its Kind,' this album is considered a child of the first two major Enigma projects, with 'MCMXC A.D.' being the father and 'The Cross Of Changes' the mother. Stylistically this is true also, with similar production techniques common to both albums but greater refinement of some aspects, responsible for a more sophisticated sound.

The album begins with a two minute title-track introduction. At this point in their career, Enigma clearly show great ability to create a highly effective introduction to their work, instantly establishing a context within which the remaining tracks are placed in terms of sound world and greater meaning. Comparing the introduction of this album with 'Hello And Welcome,' the corresponding introduction track on 'MCMXC A.D.,' the more sophisticated and futuristic approach mentioned earlier is clear. With that in mind, Enigma's development of their compositional aesthetic displays great awareness of their previous work, giving their output a remarkable sense of continuity.

Interestingly, tracks including 'Beyond The Invisible' and 'The Roundabout' favour ethnic chants rather than the gregorian chants which were commonplace throughout the musical project's early output. This makes it particularly comparable to 'Ile Aye,' a track from a 2008 Schiller album 'Desire,' reviewed here. The similarity is evidentiary of the great influence Enigma, particularly their 1990's output, possesses upon this field of music still today.

This album marks a turning point for Enigma, with many considering this to be their finest release. It certainly contains some notable material, 'The Roundabout,' 'TNT For The Brain,' 'Why!' and 'Beyond The Invisible' each a highlight of the album. The music on offer presents a highly appealing development of ambient music within a popular music context.

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The Sonic Music Review Playlist: Week 1

This week The Sonic Music Review is proud to introduce the compilation of weekly playlists which feature notable tracks from the week's reviews, in particular those that have earned special mention. Playlists are provided as iTunes and Spotify links, so be sure to install Spotify if available in your region.

This first playlist features selected works from Enigma, Jean Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream.

Tracklisting:

1. Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene Part II from Oxygene

2. Tangerine Dream - Trauma as appears on Booster Volume II

3. Jean Michel Jarre - Velvet Road from Geometry Of Love

4. Enigma                - Principals Of Lust from MCMXC A.D., as appears on Love Sensuality Devotion

5. Enigma                - Sadeness (Part 1) from MCMXC A.D., as appears on Love Sensuality Devotion

6. Jean Michel Jarre - Electric Flesh from Geometry Of Love

7. Kraftwerk            - Planet Of Visions from Minimum-Maximum

8. Tangerine Dream - Love On A Real Train as appears on Ministry Of Sound 'Anthems - Electronic 80's 2'

For the Spotify streamable playlist, click here.

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Enigma: MCMXC A.D.

Released in December 1990, the musical project Enigma's debut album quickly soared to the top of the charts to become the most successful album in the Virgin record label's catalogue at the time. The album has since received more than 60 platinum awards worldwide and by 1994 had already sold 14 million units.

Enigma: MCMXC A.D.

The album begins with 'Hello And Welcome' which features the iconic Enigma horn and the spoken voice bidding the listener a good evening, ushering the listener into a "world of music, spirit and meditation." Instantly noticeable is the New Age approach to music and through the spoken vocal part, a parallel spiritualistic motif.

The next track of the album consists of a medley of 'Sadeness,' 'Principals of Lust,' and a reprisal of 'Sadeness' each crossfaded together to create a continuous work. Throughout, dance beats are married with New Age style musical writing and overt sexual overtones from the vocal line. 'Sadeness' was to become the first single release from the album.

A later track, 'Mea Culpa' is written in a similar style to 'Sadeness,' using gregorian chant alongside dance beats and Shakuhatchi (often thought to be a pan pipe) writing, the style which Enigma used extensively throughout the 90's. The track uses lyrics written in french an latin and, in its single release, was titled 'Mea Cupa (Part 2),' referencing 'Sadeness' as part 1.

For its time and even now, this work was groundbreaking and established Enigma as a unique act with a highly unusual writing style which ultimately led to great commercial success.

For a review of Enigma's later greatest hits album, 'Love Sensuality Devotion,' click here.

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Enigma: 'Love Sensuality Devotion - The Greatest Hits'

The Enigma Musical Project is estimated to have sold in excess of 50 million albums and this 2001 greatest hits compilation release 'Love Sensuality Devotion' certainly contains some noteworthy material. The musical project themselves, led by Michel Cretu, is known for the New Age music influenced writing which combines dance and traditional chant elements, a highly original premise at the time of the act's debut.

Enigma: Love Sensuality Devotion

The album begins with the brief reference to the 'Enigma horn' which has featured on every album previous, before introducing 'Turn Around,' which in typical Enigma style combines electronic textures and vocals with world instruments, a strong shuffle beat and not forgetting the use of gregorian chants - a stalwart of the Enigma sound.

The Album continues to include the expected hits such as 'Sadeness Part 1' which was almost a worldwide number 1, alongside some Enigma's lesser known output. The album does however give a clear sense of intelligent design through the 'flow' and continuity throughout. Most of the album fuses New Age elements with Dance music beats which fans will have grown to expect but tracks that veer away from the dance influence, such as 'Principals of Lust' and 'Return To Innocence,' prove to be some of the most rewarding musical experiences of the album, certainly worth of a listen.

For a review of Enigma's debut release, 'MCMXC A.D.,' click here.

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