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    Thread: Enigma

    1. #1
      Mr. Brightside
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      Default Enigma

      Seen as a lot of us have come here from the EMB I thought I would start a thread about one of our favorite artists... There is already a thread about the EMB so this is just about Enigma

      Do you still listen to enigma?

      What are your favorite Tracks/album/videos?


      What are your thoughts on Seven lives Many Faces?

      I have been into enigma for a lot of years, since about 90/91 and still love a lot about the music, I think the quality has declined a bit over the years (after E4) but I still listen to and adore certain tracks/albums especially Le Roi Est Mort Vive Le Roi. my favorite enigma album at the moment.

      Seven lives Many Faces has yet to grab me totally, I quite like a few tracks, Touchness is quite good and same parents is starting to grow on me a bit, the last few enigma albums have grown on me over time and I think this will be the same. I think the artwork for the new album has been superb. Its really striking better than all other enigma releases.

      My top ten Favorite enigma tracks

      Callas Went Away
      My all time favorite enigma track, This was probably the first enigma track I fell in love with, truly beautiful.

      Beyond the Invisible
      This has grew on me over the years, It is also my favorite enigma video

      Almost Full Moon
      Reminds me a bit of Callas, great tune, haunting, brings visions of loneliness and heartbreak

      Sadness
      The first enigma track I heard, will always be a favorite, another cool video also

      Prism Of Life
      This is enigma at its best, fantastic beat and great lyrics

      Return to innocence
      This reminds me of hot summer days laying on the beach

      Following the sun
      Never liked this at first but its grew on me to be one of my favorites

      Gravity of Love
      Great lyrics which Ruth-Ann sings beautifully

      Between Mind and Heart

      Another track that grew on me over time

      Rivers of Belief
      A classic (the whole of MCMXC is a classic)

      My favorite video is probably "Beyond the invisible"

      What is your favorite track at this moment in time?

    2. #2
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      Yes, I still listen, though admittedly less and less. E4 remains my favorite and Gravitry of Love still tops my list of favorite songs. Its just feels like the soundtrack to my life. Silence Must be Heard is a fav too. Like almost everything on E1 through E4 although Sadeness would probably be my least favorite among those albums.

      E5 was a total disaster for me and well everyone knows how I reacted lol.

      E6 while Ok, its flatness and repition was disappointing, more so after E7 than before. Ill leave that alone.

      That brings us to E7. E7, for me is the best thing Cretu has done since E4. Its also the album that for me popped the bubble. You have to understand that much of my own work was inspired by Enigma, that Cretu was something of an compositional genious to me.

      When we had the listening party on the EMB, Martyn said something that caught my attention, something to the effect that except for the keyboards there wasnt a single real sound in it and that Cretu had this massive 400,000 strong library of sample that he could pull from. OK, Ive always known that Enigma used a lot of samples, but the way he put made me point out to him that using tons of samples would open the work up to a ton of criticism. He understood that.

      I had no clue at the time just what the scope of all that was. Then some of the producer types on the EMB simply sent me an mp3 that strung samples from the logic library together (I dont use Logic). My jaw literally dropped. The entire melodic structure of Seven Lives was in that string of samples. Now, Ive already mentioned that I always knew that Enigma uses samples. Heck, I sometimes do as well. But in the past, Cretu ONLY used samples to enhance original tracks, generally drums, voice and atmospherics. Furthermore, I ALWAYS thought he ran them through samplers, meaning the samples became notes that are actually played (like I do when I use samples). That string of samples on that mp3 clearly indicated that the entire song was an assembly of samples that was not modified in any way.

      To someone like me who held Cretu up as a compositional genious, that was earth shattering. I remember telling myself "I sit here and bust my conjuns yanking my heart to move my audience with something that is an expression of ME and this guy takes a bunch of samples and does what the so-called DJs on acidplanet do and gets held up as a God". I very literally felt betrayed. A little more research and it was clear there was a lot of that going on. I had to stop. I couldnt take it. It became painfully clear that this was a "producers" album, that no real artistic vision went into it. And while its an enjoyable listen, its also a copeout. This record is all about producing revenue and flies in the face of the alleged vision of the Enigma project. Theres more to this that I wont get into, but lets just say that my opinion of cretu and Enigma has totally suffered and largely because Ive gone to tremendous lengths to maintain a level of integrity in my own work and heres the man that I thought of as my artistic role model, quite frankly...cheating.

      I know that a lot of folks dont care, but they dont sit here in this studio for hours pulling their hair out trying to come up with the next gem or spending days cleaning up recorded tracks so that my audience can listen to something that actually came from me. They dont get the cramps in their hands from hours of playing the boards or the blisters from playing guitar and the even bloodier ones from playing bass. They dont get the lip sores from playing the flutes, or spend endless hours tweaking the knobs on a board to get JUST that right delay on the arps. They dont lose a nights sleep because they caught the muse and lay down track after track before it makes its sudden exit. They dont despair for months when writers block sets in and nothing works. They dont take a sample, literally break it into 32 pieces and totally rearrange it so that its something new and different than what it started out as. And then theres my drummer Brian, who 4 years ago had his chest crushed when a druken driver slammed into his car. He had a long road back and its painful for him to play. But HE DOES. None of that happened on E7. He took it from a box. As an artist, Im personally insulted by that.

      And even so, I still listen to E7 and enjoy it. I just cant credit as a work of art worthy of the kind of praise its gotten.
      Last edited by Jester Black; November 11th, 2008 at 02:34 AM.

    3. #3
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      Of course i still listen to Enigma and love all the albums.

      The only thing i don't understand is that people have trouble with playing E7 SLMF on their Pc. They don't seem to understand that they have to start iTunes, Windows Media Player or another program manually first and pop in the cd to play or rip it. They also don't seem to understand what a "Enhanced CD" is.

      AVG anti virus users start complaining that there is a Trojan on the cd which in fact is a false positive result. One wants to start a law suite against the record company because of this, this person keeps holding on that he or she just can't play the cd on the Pc no matter what and that there is a virus on E7.

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      Quote Originally Posted by Mathius Quest View Post
      One wants to start a law suite against the record company because of this, this person keeps holding on that he or she just can't play the cd on the Pc no matter what and that there is a virus on E7.
      Must be a fellow American!

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      I will always love Enigma as it has inspired me in so many ways. I think listening to Enigma actually taught me how to fully appreciate music.

      I posted my top 10 E songs on the EMF (EMB had more of a ring to it! lol). So like Gollum I'm gonna share them here as well. I wonder if I'm breaching my own copyright or something!

      It's so hard to actually choose just 10, but here's the gist of what my top 10 would be:

      1. Gravity of Love
      Just a musical tour de force - the depth of sound, the passion, the emotion, the atmosphere, the production, Ruth Ann's soaring vocals...this is quite simply a masterpiece and is perhaps my favourite pop song of all time (even calling it a pop song seems to diminish it - but you know what I mean). It was a CRIME that this wasn't a worldwide smash hit and just goes to show you that the music industry is more about promotion, image and other superficialities than it is about quality music. Sheer perfection.

      2. The Child in Us
      It was very difficult picking between this and Morphing Thru Time for the number two spot, but this pipped the post quite simply because of the sheer EMOTION of it. It's a breathtakingly beautiful song, the perfect interfusion of sounds, samples, instrumentation and vocals. This is a true omni-cultural journey, with singing in at least four languages: it's a transcendant piece which cuts through the barriers of language and culture and seems to focus on the unity of the human experience, love, longing, beauty and emotion. This song still has the ability to make me cry when I hear it. Although the lyrics are initially hard to make out, Cretu sings with heart-stopping passion and love, making me well up just when I think about it. So beautiful, so nostalgic, so heart-warming and moving. I love this song - and I'd die to hear it (and the whole of E3) remastered.

      3. Morphing Thru Time
      More musical perfection - this is just about the best production Cretu has ever done in my book. Only Cretu could assemble so many different samples and elements and create something so seamless, beautiful, alive, flowing and transcendent. This really is like a journey through time, from the birth of the world and the rise and fall of cultures through to some kind of mystical climax or conclusion or dissolution. So atmospheric, richly layered and emotive - a true dreamscape in sound.

      4. 20,000 Miles Over the Sea
      A slice of electronic heaven -- this has become my favourite E6 track and one of my all-time favourite 'chillout' tracks. It's so smooth, beautiful and mesmerising, I have images of drifting across sunlit waters, over immeasurable horizons when I listen to this. MC is a true alchemist and this is just pure gold. Takes me away to another world entirely.

      5. Beyond the Invisible
      This to me fits so perfectly with Morphing Thru Time that it's almost like part two. Similar sounds and themes but more earthy. Again it's beautifully assembled and the lyrics are simply wonderful - and have inspired me at many times in my life. This is almost like an anthem to me, a reminder to look beneath the surface in life, to see the deeper meaning and to enter that magical place that lies hidden beyond the external. This song inspired me to paint what I still consider the greatest piece of work I have ever done, a painting called 'Emancipation', based upon the lyrics "it is time to break the chains of life / If you follow you will see what's beyond reality".

      6. Callas Went away
      My favourite song on E1. Although Sadeness tends to get all the attention on E1, this quiet song unobstrusively tucked away is the true masterpiece for me: a warm, rich and beautiful ambient piece filled with nostalgia, muted yearning and a tangible sense of atmosphere. I just love it.

      7. Return to Innocence
      The song that most people of my generation equate with Enigma (even though it came out just 2 or 3 years after Sadeness, few people seem to remember Sadeness, including me). It's such an invigorating, inspiring, triumphant song and again MC takes his samples and weaves something absolutely magical. A real anthem of a song with some wonderfully inspirational lyrics. It also has what I consider to be Enigma's greatest and most moving video - which has to rate as one of the best music videos of all-time.

      8. La Puerta Del Cielo
      In many ways this is like Return to Innocence, Part Two. It's a shame it didn't share the breakthrough success of its predecessor. This is a fantastic song, evoking a similar feel and style to RtI, with a triumphant, soaring and quite moving vocal by Margarita Roig, combined with a killer production by Cretu. The beats, bass and sounds are all beautifully orchestrated (and I love what sounds like a wild cat snarling!).

      9. Voyageur
      A fantastic instrumental filled with passion, energy and power. The beat and bass are simply to die for and make me want to dance (and I never dance!). It's a primal, sexy, groovy track and again, it's a shame it didn't enjoy more success upon release, as it have been a dancefloor sensation!

      10. Feel Me Heaven
      I'm really struggling now because there are so many other songs vying to be included in this list. I have to mention FMH which, like Voyageur, displays a more energetic, vibrant side to Enigma. This is a sophisticated piece of progressive trance, filled with an invigorating frenetic, pulsating energy....it's simply electric. I think this could have been a big underground club hit. It's unstructured, raw and alive but tingling with electricty. I love it.

      Honourable mention must go to the following tracks which I also love with a passion and which deserve a place among my favourite Enigma songs. In no particular order:

      Shadows in Silence
      The Same Parents
      Between Mind & Heart
      The Piano
      We are Nature
      Prism of Life
      TNT For the Brain (Midnight Man mix - not the original!)
      Sadeness
      Sitting on the Moon
      Hello and Welcome (E6 version)
      Seven Lives
      I Love You...I'll Kill You

    6. #6
      Mr. Brightside
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      Dragged from the bottom of the ocean, Enigma comes out from the deep

      So.... anybody still listen to Enigma much

      I have been listening to this a lot and have come to the conclusion it is the best track on A Posteriori,

      Enigma - Goodbye Milky Way

    7. #7
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      Well Sean, to celebrate that the Enigma thread comes back out from the deep, here's the "Out From The Deep" video.

      Enigma - Out From The Deep

    8. #8
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      My all time favorite Enigma song. I love the drums.

      Voyaguer was a huge departure for Enigma, but it had some gems on it. My favorite is actually Look of Today, and it is my favorite after Why. However, this is a beautiful song, nobody can deny that. I also like Following the Sun.

      To be honest, E7 has never really grown on me. There are a couple of gems, The Same Parents is amazing, and the one song with the Spanish women (can't think of the name) is beautiful. E7 is missing something for me, but these songs (just two of MANY) show why I have loved Enigma in the past.

    9. #9
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      Cool, the Enigma thread est vive!!

      Enigma will always have a special place in my heart. Enigma taught me to love music and that there was a whole universe of beautiful, extraordinary music beyond the same old homogenised gunk that gets played on the radio. Enigma taught me to listen to and appreciate music fully and inspired me massively as an artist.

      I go through phases of listening to it a lot, then maybe drifting away for a while then re-immersing myself in it again. I've learned to stop compartmentalising and judging the albums too much with the mind, and thus have let go of the need to compare them and stuff like 'this song should have more of this/that and shouldn't have this bit or that bit'...music is not meant to be listened to with the mind, but the soul. So even though I find some albums resonate more strongly with me, I love all of them. They are meant to be experienced as a totality and not hacked apart by the mind and critical faculties.

      Just last week I re-listened to all the albums again, one a day. Each has their own characteristics and flavour, each suits a different mood or atmosphere. Each is unique and beautiful in its own way. And each has a strong, positive energy...the kind of energy MC channels when he works is of a high magnitude and I even tested this using kinesiology Listening to Enigma is beneficial and strengthens you. Test it yourself.
      Check out ELADRIA ~ an epic, highly acclaimed fantasy/sci-fi/metaphysical novel!
      "The meaning of human existence is explored in this beautiful, richly and intensely woven tale. The author takes us on the journey of a lifetime.”
      "The most beautiful and thought-provoking book I have ever read."

    10. #10
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      i will always love enigma .. my favourite song is always sadeness ..being the first one i ever heard way back then .. i also love return to innocence,gravity of love .. actually there isnt many i dont like ..i love some more but depending on how i feel ..i have the DVD collection of video clips which i play atleast once a week..









      " BE PRESENT "

    11. #11
      Mr. Brightside
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      This video is fantastic

      Enigma Beyond the Invisible

    12. #12
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      Just heard this for the first time in ages, sounded amazing

      ~::~ Enigma - Gravity Of Love ~::~


      Don't think twice before you listen to your heart,
      Follow the trace for a new start.

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      I think of you guys when I here this...

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHVoGnZP-0U

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      Turn Around - ENIGMA!


      *god* - I LOVE ENIGMA - the sensations and power can sometimes be a little overwhelming!!

      especially between 2:57-3:12 ..... *woof!*
      In Loving Memory.
      Lion Spirit Walker / September 17, 1963 - Dec 30, 2014.
      ... All with Purpose ...

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      Its amazing how you can still pick up new elements to an Enigma song even if you've heard it 100 times. For instance I was listening to The Piano the other day and noticed that just as the beat finishes toward the end of the song you can hear the sound of someone sighing, or breathing out. Just one of a million neat little touches - I never noticed it before!
      Check out ELADRIA ~ an epic, highly acclaimed fantasy/sci-fi/metaphysical novel!
      "The meaning of human existence is explored in this beautiful, richly and intensely woven tale. The author takes us on the journey of a lifetime.”
      "The most beautiful and thought-provoking book I have ever read."

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      I still listen Enigma... but to be completely honest Return to Innocence it is the only song on my actual playlist, but when I was thinking about what's songs to put on the top 10 of mine... well have to add some more to that PL.

      Although I enjoyed E7 I just don't know why I listened to it 2 or 3 times and then no more ... there was no particular reason, I guess when it comes to music I like to feel more than to think, so I don't feel like it, I wish but I don't.

      My favorite video is... surprise!!! also return to innocence and Push the Limits.

      Top 10
      01. Return to innocence
      02. The eyes of truth
      03. Push the limits
      04. I love you... I'll kill you
      05. In the shadow in the light
      06. Principles of lust
      07. Voyageur
      08. Turn around
      09. Gravity of love
      10. Invisible love
      Nothing to say... silence is just beautiful

    17. #17
      Mr. Brightside
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      Images of the universe from the Hubble telescope set to the music of Enigma (Touchness)

      Touchness

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      Curious why they didn't seem to want discussions of interpretation on their board.

      Such profound material presented, yet...no place to go to process it, and especially to process it with those most immediately sharing the music and its messages.

      That was very disappointing.

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      Quote Originally Posted by Sphinx View Post
      Turn Around - ENIGMA!


      *god* - I LOVE ENIGMA - the sensations and power can sometimes be a little overwhelming!!

      especially between 2:57-3:12 ..... *woof!*
      Thats what they're saying? It should have dawned on me a long time ago to look it up, but i never did. But now that I know, Woah, this song is easily one of my favourites.

      That one line: Lifes like a roundabout, a kind of LSD.... I love it.

      Realization Dawning,
      Genesis

    20. #20
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      I loved ENIGMA before became ENIGMA, and my love for ENIGMA will continue, forever and always. ENIGMA is in my veins.

      It is incredibly hard for me to single out any ENIGMA piece as being a favourite, ENIGMA is so much more than that. To me, it seems more natural to combine all of ENIGMA's albums - it would be like looking up at the night sky - there is no one absolute favourite part, granted some areas stand out more than others, but that is not the point - every part of ENIGMA is beautiful and important - I just love it all - all of it speaks so clearly to me and I would not trade that for anything.

      And, what makes me really happy is that ENIGMA - has brought all of you in to my life (once more) and I treasure that - beyond what words can express.

      All of you know - I gladly promote my love for ENIGMA.

      The ulitmate dream (for me) would be to ride the soundwaves of ENIGMA and be carried across the Universe .... *oh!* wait minute what am I talking about ... that has already happened .... let's do it again!

      ENIGMA =

      In Loving Memory.
      Lion Spirit Walker / September 17, 1963 - Dec 30, 2014.
      ... All with Purpose ...

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