Enigma?
Enigma! Enigmatic music... Enigma! An indescribable sound... Enigma! Bringing fascinating artistic conception and melody...? New? Age music lovers should be very familiar with Enigma? This iconic music brand, but it is difficult for most listeners to easily summarize or describe Enigma's music. Exact definition. Maybe there are some other friends who don’t know who Enigma is and don’t understand their style, but once the familiar melody belonging to Enigma sounds, you will definitely feel like you have seen it before. ? Enigma originates from Greek, and the English interpretation is "mystery, incredible thing". Therefore, many domestic listeners and even the media call Enigma the "mystery band" or "Enigma band". In fact, this title is not accurate. Enigma is just a project studio (planning studio), not an orchestra composed of a number of fixed singing members. But this project studio has a unique soul - Michael Cretu, the producer behind the Enigma series. So to understand Enigma, you must first get to know Michael Cretu. Michael Cretu is originally from Romania and is based in Germany, so he is considered a German musician. He was born on May 18, 1957 in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. In 1965, Michael Cretu entered LYZEUM No. 2, a local music school, which was a school specializing in cultivating young musical talents. Its main subject was piano. In 1968, Michael Cretu went to Paris to study piano for 5 months. In 1975, Michael Cretu and his family immigrated to Hamburg, the former West Germany, and was admitted to the Frankfurt Conservatory of Music. After graduating in 1978, he started working in a music studio. In 1979, he released his first album _Moon, light? and? Flowers_ under Polygram. His hard work earned him his first award in 1980, a great achievement for his career as a producer. In 1983, the album _Legionare_ was released under Virgin Records, pushing Michael Cretu to the position of creator and producer. He was responsible for the production of Sandra's (later to be Michael Cretu's wife) first international single Maria Magdalena and another SOLO album Die Chinese Wall (The Chinese Wall). Subsequent albums such as The Invisible Man and Die Chinese Wall (The Chinese Wall) were similar, but with English songs. In 1985 he began working as a producer, working with Moti?Special and Tissy?Theirs. In 1987, I met Mike Oldfield through Sylvie Vatan and assisted Mike Oldfield in producing the album _Islands_. Encouraged by Mike Oldfield, Michael Cretu began to engage more in music writing. This experience was crucial to him. Studying at the Conservatory of Music gave him a complete classical academic baptism experience, allowing him to understand various basic knowledge such as music theory, chorus, counterpoint, musical form, etc. This laid a solid foundation for his future arrangements. After that, Michael Cretu gradually started his project studio career, integrating sound sampling, recording engineering and music production. ? They like to use modern electronic music to express mystical themes, which is an inherently American hymn, an echo of distant African tribes or serious religions expressed through Western pop music rhythms. Michael Cretu's wife Sandra Lauer, they met and fell in love during the music production process, and officially married on February 7, 1988. Mrs. Sandra is another important part of Enigma. Many female vocals in Enigma albums are completed by her. Sandra Lauer was born on May 18, 1962. At the age of 12, she released her solo single _Andy, Mein? Freund (Andy, My Friend)_. When she was 16 years old, she formed an Arabesque (Arabic style) singing group with two girls, which was very popular in Japan at the time. In 1985, Sandra began her solo career and released the album _The Long Play_ under Virgin.
In 1987, she released her first edited version album _Ten?On?One_?, and began to work with Cretu to release the _Everlasting?Love_(Eternal Love)_ album in the United States and Canada. In 1988 she released a new studio album, Into?a?Secret?Land_. Before Enigma released her debut album in 1990, she also released the hit album Paintings?in?Yellow (Yellow Oil Painting)_. In fact, Sandra Lauer was not originally part of Enigma's plan. It was just that when making Enigma's first record, a female voice singing French was needed. It was decided that Sandra would play this role at the suggestion of the record company boss. After Enigma became an instant hit, Sandra released three albums with the help of her husband, but their influence was not as good as Enigma. Shortly after their wedding, Michael Cretu and Sandra Lauer went to live in IBIZA (a small island in the Mediterranean Sea). They have an old farm and a recording studio (A.R.T. studios) there. Michael Cretu also specially built a hotel in the basement of the old house so that he could often invite friends to visit. He lived very happily there. In 1989, he began to be confined in his home recording studio, and Michael Cretu began to produce his own ideal music! This kind of isolated life lasted for nearly ten years, and Enigma's singles and albums were born under this background and environment. In an interview with a foreign website in early 2008, Michael Cretu mentioned that he is currently making the E7, but once the E7 is completed, he will start working on a completely different dream, which has only appeared in his mind in recent years. This is Whether it means the end of Enigma's dream journey or whether this is just another TAAW album episode is still unknown. In addition, there is some news that I personally think is more important. Michael Cretu and his wife Sandra divorced in 2007 and are currently They live in different places, and Michael Cretu's current residence on IBIZA Island will also be demolished in 2008. What kind of music is Enigma? Although we are accustomed to and generally classify it as NewAge, it is difficult to describe the unique characteristics of Enigma. Producer Michael Cretu once revealed the mystery. In fact, Michael Cretu has always wanted to get out of the shackles of traditional European pop music. His favorite music styles tend to be Pink Floyd and Yes, but this type of non-mainstream music is increasingly becoming more popular. It has become increasingly difficult to hear in the commercial market. Michael Cretu began to move towards his ideal kingdom, writing by himself, and used two very strange and unknown sounds in many works - Peruvian style pancho and similar patterns sung by monks. The Ligaoli hymn-style melody is arranged with a free and easy, lazy disco rhythm, thus forming the basic framework of Enigma's highly individual personality. Therefore, in the unique music world created by Michael Cretu, we can vaguely feel the shadow of classical serious music, but also directly feel the popular electronic orchestration; we can hear the free and long singing of the most remote ethnic minority tribes. , and you can appreciate the solemn and grand harmony of the church choir. Because of this, Michael Cretu refuses applause and honors as well as the "customized" style definition given to Enigma by others. Enigma? Official website: http://www.enigma.de/
Era Era, which originally means "era, century" in English, is a music group whose style is close to that of Gregorian (Gregorian Choir). The soul figure is French musician Eric Levi. We really don’t know much about Eric Levi, and we have only seen his name in Era’s works. However, the successful response received by several works in the Era series laid a solid foundation for his growing fame. If Gregorian was developed based on the musical style of Enigma's first album with an emphasis on Gregorian chants, then it can also be said that Era drew on and inherited the successful elements of Enigma, Deep Forest, Gregorian and other famous artists and added them Born of evolution and innovation. Generally speaking, the music types of Era and Gregorian are both a fusion of hymns and modern instrumental music, and even sound quite similar at first glance. However, learning is not a sin, rigid imitation is shameful. After all, not everyone can set a precedent like Enigma. As mentioned before, Era is originally the inheritance and development of the successful experience of its predecessors. The key lies in whether there are any breakthroughs and changes compared to before. The result of market testing is that Era succeeded.
Compared with Gregorian's all-male lineup (Sarah Brightman's vocals are in the minority after all), Era emphasizes the female voice in both the harmony and lead vocals, so the overall style appears softer and warmer. I think Gregorian's singing is like a solemn song high above the altar, somewhat "can be seen from a distance but not played with"; while Era's is more humane, like the singing of common people around us. There is no praise or criticism here, it is just my personal feeling. And due to the emphasis on female vocals, Era's vocals are obviously richer than Gregorian's, and the role of the female lead singer is heavier. In addition, Gregorian pays great attention to creating the overall atmosphere of the music, while Era's songs are more melodic, easy to listen to, and feel more popular. This may be one of the secrets of Era's success. Era has only released 3 albums so far, namely "Era" in 1998, "Era 2" in 2001 and "The Mass" just released in 2003. There are not many releases, but they are all popular works. One of the songs in "Era", "Ameno", became a smash hit and has been included in many new century best albums including "Voyage? 2". It is regarded as Era's masterpiece. Moreover, "Era" was rated 4.5 stars by Allmusic, which is already a pretty good score for a work that is not by a famous artist. The band Era combines different musical styles - including opera and dance music - to create what can be described as the ultimate musical experiment. With "Ameno," Era taps into the inspiring qualities of traditional religious music, using a choir to create a solemn and almost sacred atmosphere, while using razor-sharp guitar strings to accentuate the melody. While composing the soundtrack for the hit French comedy "The Big Twist", Era developed her own original musical style, which blended hard rock and Gregorian chants.
[Edit this paragraph] ERA Collection 1996--Era (tracks: ?1.?Era?2.?Ameno?3.?Cathar?Rhythm?4.?Mother?5.?Avemano? 6.?Enae?volare?mezzo?7.?Mirror?8.?Ameno?(Remix)?9.?Sempire?d'amor?10.?After?Time?11.?Impera) 2000--Era?II ?(Track: 1.?Omen?Sore?2.?Divano?3.?Devore?amante?4.?Sentence?5.?Don't?U?6.?Infanati?7.?Madona?8.? Hymne?9.?Misere?Mani?10.?In?Fine) 2002--Era?Version?2002 (Genesis 1&2 Collection)? 2003--The?Mass? (Mass) (Track: 1.?The? Mass?2.?Looking?For?Something?3.?Don't?Go?Away?4.?Don't?You?Forget?5.?If?You?Shout?6.?Avemano?orchestral?7 .?Enae?volare?8.?Sombre?Day?9.?Voxifera?10.?The?Champions) 2005--The?Very?Best?of?Era (Genesis Collection) (Track: 1.?Ameno? (Remix)?2.?Don't?Go?Away?3.?The?Mass?4.?Mother?(Remix)?5.?Misere?Mani?6.?Avemano?rchestral?7.?Looking? For?Something?8.?Don't?U?9.?Enae?volare?10.?Cathar?Rhythm?11.?Divano?12.?Don't?You?Forget?13.?Hymne?14. ?Sentence?15.?I?Believe?16.?Looking?For?Something?(Darren?Tate?Mix?Edit) 2008--Reborn?(Rebirth)?(Track: 1.?Reborn?2.?Prayers? 3.?Dark?Voices?4.Sinfoni?Deo?(Inspired?By?The?Ave?Maria?Of?Caccini)?5.?Come?Into?My?World?6.?KilimanDjaro?7.?Thousand? Words?8.?After?Thousand?Words?9.?Last?Song?10.?Come?Into?My?World?(Remix)? Album 1, "ERA" (1996) This is one of the "Era" The song "Ameno" was first released as a single in 1997. It was a smash hit at the time and was included in many new century best albums including "Voyage2", making it a masterpiece of Era. Moreover, "Era" was rated 4.5 stars by Allmusic, which is already a pretty good result for an album that is not from a famous artist and is also a debut album. Then Allmusic didn't make any comments on the last two videos. Are you being lazy? Personally, I think Era’s works sound better than the last! “As a new century music, it is completely infused with the blend of long and majestic religious music and majestic and vigorous harmonic music.
What is reflected here is complete dynamics, tighter rhythm, and exciting taste! Music interprets the author's meaning! Either leisurely, sad, graceful, elegant, or exciting! The closeness between music and people, the music is sometimes high-pitched, sometimes soft and slow, the female voice is low, the male voice is calm, the harmony is strong and continuous, like the continuation of life! Love life and praise life! Maybe that’s the author’s intention! ” Album tracks: 01.?Era 02.?Ameno? 03.?Cathar?Rhythm 04.?Mother 05.?Avemano 06.?Enae?volare?mezzo 07.?Mirror 08.?Ameno?(Remix) 09.? Sempire?d'amor 10.?After?Time? 11.?Impera 2. "Era?2" (2000) This CD has a very different cover and feels a bit like a heavy metal record. However, after listening to it, I was deeply attracted by it. Deeply infected, the author uses the most majestic and vast music in the world - human harmony as the main instrument and pillar, coupled with electronic guitar, cello, and percussion instruments, trying his best to render a majestic and broad atmosphere. Different from the gentle music of WIND, different from the gentle REAL? MUSIC music, and different from the celestial music of SOLITUDES, it is the passion that human beings most long for, guided in music and in broad harmony. When we go to the emptiness of the universe, we feel a kind of boundless vastness. In the dark universe, we are so small. Far away, there are faint stars, and very close, there is a huge planet. , no matter far or near, it makes us feel our insignificance, but we feel a kind of comfort, and our minds fly away, leaving us with a refreshing mood that we have no time to catch. This music album is very different, why! Because he breaks through the inherent style of new century music, allowing us to suddenly discover that the outside world is so vast and far away while we are immersed in gentleness for a long time, and he uses the most primitive musical instruments that humans have always used. The use of harmony and "vocal" is so harmonious! This is a piece of music that excites us, makes us feel lost and boundless. ? 01.?Omen?Sore? 02.Divano 03.Devoreamante 04.Entence 05.Don'tU 06.Infanati 07.Madona 08.Hymne 09.Infine 10. ?Misere?mani? 3. "The Mass" (2003) "ERA" and "ERA? 2", which are full of strong explosive power and huge experimental concepts, raised big questions that transcended the limitations of time and space, and inspired people to have a new understanding of the universe. Thinking, has been certified as gold/platinum in 17 countries around the world and has sold more than 6 million copies. Therefore, music fans around the world are looking forward to this third album. Now, the latest work "The? Mass". The majestic atmosphere and dramatic tension created are bound to shake people's hearts again and lead the listener to a surreal music kingdom. "The Mass" inherits the musical characteristics that Eric Levi has been developing since his first album "Era". It is a unique fusion of pop, rock and classical music. After cutting off branches and leaves, it produces a simple and powerful music style. . In order to go beyond the classics, Eric Levi also captured the most praised work "Carmina Burana/Burana" by the famous German musician Carl Orff, which became the backbone of the first single of the same name "The Mass"; the new album also It includes "Don't?Go?Away", "Looking?For?Something", "Don't?You?Forget?About?Me", and was selected by South Korea's leading soprano Sumijo/Cho Xiumei, and Although "The Champions" and other wonderful songs were sung at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Seoul, the majestic momentum and auditory scene of "The Mass" are still regarded as Eric Levi, who was a member of the rock band Shakin ?Street guitarist's new crossover star, establishing a masterpiece of new century music. "The Mass" makes extensive use of symphonies and combines classical music with pop and rock to create brilliant musical sparks, giving people unlimited space for imagination: sometimes it's like the grandeur of Moses opening the sea, sometimes it's like the loneliness of dragging a boulder in the desert. For Eric Levi, as long as the music itself can touch the auditory nerves of the listeners and open up the listeners' imagination, this kind of touching will be far-reaching. The first song on the album, "The Mass?", cleverly combines the popular "Carmina Burana" with the classic track "Divano" from "Era II". The connection between each other is wonderful, although After all, it is not as flawless as Enigma, but it is a gem, and it is already rare to achieve such a level.
The last two songs are both powerful and majestic cantata, and the styles of the two songs are dark and light, each with its own merits. I personally like them both and they are worth listening to. The final and special recommendation is the fourth song "Don't? You? Forget? Remember?" The dialogue between the girl and the boy in the prelude is innocent but profound, which is eye-catching. The female voice that came slowly after that was full of emotion over the vicissitudes of time. The gentle hum seemed to be recalling the promise made in childhood that may have been unintentional but will never be forgotten. Although time has passed, do you still remember those sincere vows? This piece of music makes me think about it again and again. It is a masterpiece. Album tracks: 01?The?Mass 02?Looking?For?Something 03?Dont?Go?Away 04?Dont?You?Forget 05?If?You?Shout 06?Avemano?Orchestral 07EnaeVolare 08?Sombre?Day 09?Voxifera 10?The?Coampions 4. "The?Very?Best?Of" (2004) A friend mentioned Era a few days ago, which finally allowed me to complete my long-held thoughts. Thank you very much! ! All the wonders and doubts have been summed up in ?Era?, and the download link for the last collection has also been found, so lucky! ?Album tracks: 01.?Ameno?(Remix)? 02.?Don't?Go?Away? 03.?The?Mass? 04.?Mother?(Remix)? 05.?Misere?mani? 06.? Avemano?Orchestral? 07.?Looking?For?Something? 08.?Don't?U? 09.?Enae?volare? 10.?Cathar?Rhythm? 11.?Divano? 12.?Don't?You? Forget? 13.?Hymne? 14.?Sentence? 15.?I?Believe? 16.?Looking?For?Something?(Darren?Tate?Mix?Edit) 5. "Reborn" (2008) After several years of silence, Era's new album "Reborn" was released on March 24, 2008 by Universal fr. I feel that this album is more fashionable, and the original style is vaguely visible but gradually fades away. The female voice is very beautiful, and the chorus part is mixed with Tribe elements. The soundtrack of track 6 "Thousand? Words" is extremely majestic and spectacular, and it is suitable for the movement and stillness of the human voice. Even the duets are extremely beautiful, and the details are mastered to the fullest. By track 8, "Kilimandjaro", it's completely different from Era's previous style. The last over 9 minutes of mixing is probably a gift package for the club people.
Album tracks: 01.?Sinfoni?Deo 02.?Reborn 03.?Dark?Voices 04.?Come?Into?My?World 05.?Prayers 06.?Thousand?Words 07.?After?Thousand?Words 08.? Kilimandjaro 09.?Last?Song 10.?Come?Into?My?World?(Remix)