’’All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.’’
If the above quotation makes meaning to you, you might agree with me when I say is the feeling you will be left with each time you hear their music in retrospect.
It is to all fairness the best to start by asking some few essential questions about this Enigma.
What is Enigma?
Enigma is Michael Cretu’s and his wife Sandra Cretu’s conception of music created on the alchemy between ethnic chants and newage. With Michaels childhood affluences of the church, a progressive experimentation of Gregorian chants, synthesized pan flute sound and soul rhythm to bring out a synthesis of true essence of what Cretu’s says essentially asENIGMA.
’’Every one should solve this small riddle for oneself, the project is not, after all, Called ’’instruction manual’’, but, as always Enigma’’
So as Mr. Cretu speaks above, one should ask yourself what is enigma, FOR YOU!!
HISTORY.
In 1990 when ’’sadness’’ arrived nobody knew who are behind ENIGMA. The first album, ’’MCMXC a.D.’’ landed in controversy over usage of Gregorian chant with modern music and sexual overtones. With the theme track symbolizing duality between sex & religion as Michael tries to nakedly express his commemoration of ’’le Marquis de Sade’’, a French novelist know Ned for his obsessions for sexual gratification by cruelty & depravity. Leave apart the concept, the music was truly inspiring and set the pace for the future albums to come.
The Cross of Changes, their next album is moved by a mystical and surreal sound. The focus more on life in transition, loaded with values and virtues venturing outside the biblical references and sexual overtones of the previous release.
It was only matter in time they binged in perhaps the most remarkable release till date under Enigma banner. Come 1996 Michaels single handedly produced, composed and engineered ’’LE ROI EST MORT VIVE LE ROI’’.
’’LE ROI EST MORT VIVE LE ROI’’.
Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi is Latin for ’’The King is Dead, Long Live the King!’’.One might take the historical context in consideration for the album title but Cretu’s conveniently shunned it as just a title he liked in it’s orientation.
The album is a well packaged, everything from its cover designs, videos to the music is extremely well done. Care has been taken in not swaying the music into popish retro beats you hear in clubs. For that Michael has kept himself aloof and strictly conjures to the philosophy he has been trying to carry from his previous releases. Michael tries to explore a more human sound with close observance to the previous incarnations. As you hear the album you will see deliberate overuse of chants, opera, whispers, sustained drums and a variety of instruments accompanied by vocals.
The pace of the tracks in succession is cleverly placed to heighten the music’s tranquil ecstasy. The title track starts with alien signal tunes mixed with human voices to their responses. No one knows what the alienist sounds are trying to communicate, not even Michael who reserves his intention not to be made public and left to ours imagination. As always the brutal background pan flute sounds leading to the second track ’’Morphing thru time’’ kind of slow starting subdued beats building in to an awesome symphony while the haunting voice of Sandra chants in the background speaking essentially in French a mixture to Cretu himself singing in distortion of his voice. The first instances of voice mixing is seen here which later will become an obsession in Michaels later releases under Enigma.
Track 4 ’’Beyond the invisible’’ is my favorite track of the album and it gives out a existentialism feel and if you see the video my doubts are all dissuaded to the point this becomes a convenient substitute of a dream to escape the reality, that is life.
Track 5 ’’why’’ has Michael asking the most predominant question of our existence in a very melodramatic style, still I adore this track.
You might like to give listening to rest of the tracks of likes ’’child in us’’, ’’tnt for the brain’’, ’’the roundabout?, ? prism of life’’.Essentially all songs are linked to each other and so it’s very hard to have a selective listening of this album and skip few tracks. And that?s the beauty the album has, it flows and compliment each other tracks beautifully and for the first time listeners it could sometime be hard to make out when one song ends and the next begins , something like Pink Floyds ’’The Wall’’ , you can either like the album or hate , there’s no other than two ways to it.
I would suggest one to purchase the CD for one reason Enigma albums are more than just the music, its production is always inspiring. Getting in to a look at the CD booklet you’ll see Michael?s brilliance in cover designs and a background of a mysterious post card with sketches of man machinesa symbol of the code machine that under the World War was used to encrypt messages. This machine was also called Enigma. You probably would have seen these dudes in ’’beyond the invisible’’ video. The booklet is full of song lyrics and apart that a transparent cover design shows the multi talented Cretu?s as his best. The CD is still high at a price of 360 bucks but worth your money spent.
what I thought.
’’Le Roi EST Mort, Vive Le Roi!’’ is a powerful album that is truly an experience to hear. On the other hand this is not an album for everyone. This album spans all generations and cultures, but is not something everyone will enjoy or understand.