Enigma

Enigma is a German electronic music project founded in 1990 by Michael Cretu, David Fairstein and Frank Peterson. Cretu, a Romanian musician who set up his A.R.T. Studios recording studio in Ibiza, Spain, in the early 1990s, serves as both the project’s composer and producer.

After several solo projects, Cretu began producing Enigma’s debut album, “MCMXC a.D.”, in 1990 under the pseudonym “Curly MC”. With the 1990 hit “Sadeness Part I”, Enigma brought the new age fascination with Gregorian chants and Old World culture into clubs around the globe.

The second album, “Cross of Changes” (1993), retained some of those elements while bringing the new age aspect more to the forefront in a set of sophisticated, radio-friendly pop, spawning the well-known “Return to Innocence“. The next album, “Le Roi Est Mort, Vive le Roi” (1996), is a musical synthesis of the previous concepts.

The fourth album, “The Screen Behind the Mirror”, was released in early 2000, followed by “Voyageur” in 2003. “A Posteriori” (2006) offers an intergalactic sonic journey through the universe, based on a more electronic, trance-oriented sound. The seventh album, “Seven Lives, Many Faces”, was released in 2008.

Several artists have collaborated on the project over the years. Cretu’s former wife, Sandra, often provided vocals on Enigma tracks. Guitarist Jens Gad co-produced and played on three of the albums. Other vocal collaborators include Andru Donalds, Fabrice Cuitad, Rasa Serra and Jérôme Pringault (J. Spring). Former founding member Peter Cornelius is also mentioned.

In 2009, “The Platinum Collection” was released across three discs. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first album, the “Enigma's Social Song” project began in October 2010. Fans were invited to submit vocals for a new song, and the public voted on the contributions. The winning submission, “Fei mea”, was provided by Latvian singer Fox Lima for the chorus. The three finalists—Mark Joshua from Brazil, J. Spring from Spain and Rasa Serra from Lithuania—contributed other significant vocal parts. Fans also influenced other stages of creation by voting on elements such as the lead instrument and the overall mood. The final mix of the single, titled “MMX (The Social Song)”, was released on 15 December 2010, becoming the first song ever created for and by fans via the internet.

In August 2016, Enigma’s eighth studio album, “The Fall of a Rebel Angel”, was announced for release on 11 November 2016. It features guest musicians, including Brazilian singer-songwriter Mark Joshe.

To date, with seven albums released and more than 35 million CDs sold worldwide, Enigma has earned 50 number-one titles and 90 platinum records, with its songs appearing on more than 1,000 compilation albums.