Enigma (German band)

Enigma
The Enigma logo, used since 2005
The Enigma logo, used since 2005
Background information
OriginGermany[1]
Genres
Years active1990–present
Labels
Members
Past members

Enigma is a German musical project founded in 1990 by Romanian-German musician and producer Michael Cretu.[1] Cretu had released several solo records, collaborated with various artists, and produced albums for his then-wife, German pop singer Sandra, before he conceived the idea of a new-age, worldbeat project. He recorded the first Enigma studio album, MCMXC a.D. (1990), with contributions from David Fairstein and Frank Peterson. The album remains Enigma's most successful, helped by the international hit single "Sadeness (Part I)", which sold twelve million units alone.[3] According to Cretu, the inspiration for the creation of the project came from his desire to make a kind of music that did not obey "the old rules and habits" and presented a new form of artistic expression with mystic and experimental components.[4]

Enigma followed MCMXC a.D. with a series of albums that involved several musicians and producers working with Cretu. The first was The Cross of Changes (1993), which incorporated tribal and ethnic influences and sold over eight million copies worldwide,[5] followed by Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! (1996), which blended the Gregorian chants reminiscent of the first album with the strong intercultural soundscapes present in the second. Enigma's fourth album The Screen Behind the Mirror (2000) started a slight departure from the previous world music themes towards a heavier electronic atmosphere. This evolution culminated with Voyageur (2003), its fifth and more pop-based album, and A Posteriori (2006), a work inspired by the future collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, with distinct operatic tones and an electronic spectrum closer to Voyageur than the earlier releases.[6][7] Seven Lives Many Faces (2008) followed and contained a mixture of classical and modern elements ranging from ethnic chants to rap and dubstep influences.[8] Its eighth album, The Fall of a Rebel Angel, was released in November 2016.[9]

Enigma has sold over 8.5 million RIAA-certified albums in the US[10] and an estimated 70 million worldwide with over 100 gold and platinum certifications. The project has also received two Grammy Award nominations.[11][12]

  1. ^ a b Weinert, Ellie (4 March 1995). "Billboard: Casebook Enigma". Billboard. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  2. ^ "Music Review: Enigma's LSD—Electronic & Choral Avant Garde, Engima Releases Greatest Hits—The Tech". Tech.mit.edu. 13 November 2001. Archived from the original on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  3. ^ Burton, Tony. "Sadeness, Part 1 Review on MFBlogg.no" Archived 29 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  4. ^ Willin, Melvyn J. "Enigma on Music, Witchcraft and the Paranormal. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  5. ^ "The Cross of Changes on UDiscoverMusic". Retrieved on 25 August 2016.
  6. ^ Cinquemani, Sal. "Voyageur Review on Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  7. ^ Macneil, Jason. "A Posteriori Review on PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved on 25 August 2016.
  8. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Seven Lives Many Faces Review on AllMusic". Retrieved on 25 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Official announcement on Enigma Space". Retrieved on 25 August 2016.
  10. ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – Search: Enigma". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  11. ^ "Enigma artist page on the official Grammy Awards website". Grammy Awards. Retrieved on 18 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Cretu highlights 'stealing' acts". BBC. 13 November 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2016.