Enigma (musical project)

Enigma is a musical project started by Michael Cretu and his wife Sandra Cretu in 1990. Michael is both the composer and the producer; Sandra often provides vocals on Enigma tracks. The pair have also worked together under the name Sandra.

Music

Every Enigma album starts with their signature "Enigma horn" sound mixed into the introductory music and ends with the same horn into the last album track, except for Voyageur, which has a dark-sounding ending to a sunny album.

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Enigma is also notable for bringing Gregorian chants and tribal chants to the limelight, and Cretu's passionate expression of the Shakuhachi flute. Peculiar songs such as "The Voice and the Snake" and "Weightless" could be seen as experimental songs while instrumental-focused songs with no or minimal vocals were also found in every Enigma studio album.

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In all of Cretu's five studio albums, he has experimented on songs with reversed vocals, the most prominent ones being on the Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! and The Screen Behind the Mirror albums, while reversed samples were somewhat hidden in Voyageur.

Related Topics:
Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! - The Screen Behind the Mirror - Voyageur

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The content of Enigma's music ranges from sexuality ("Principles of Lust"), love ("Gravity of Love"), and innocence ("Return to Innocence"). However, Cretu describes Enigma's music as sensual, not sexual.

Related Topics:
Sexuality - Principles of Lust - Love - Gravity of Love - Innocence - Return to Innocence - Sensual

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Cretu is currently based in Ibiza. Until recently, he ran the "ART Studios" from his mansion in the Ibiza hills. Michael has now relocated to a purpose built mansion and has recently started installing a state-of-the-art recording studio inside one area of the building.

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Cretu is under contract by Virgin Records to release a total of eight albums at a rate of one per three years. At the current rate, the last Enigma album will be released in 2012, with the earliest album being released in 2006.

Related Topics:
Virgin Records - 2012 - 2006

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