MCMXC a.D...

Enigma is a musical project of German origin that was born in 1990 and whose creator is none other than the very prolific and very talented Michael Cretu. Musician to whom we notably owe all of singer Sandra's biggest hits.

This particularly innovative project is the result of a brilliant idea which is to mix Gregorian and/or oriental songs with typical dance sounds of the 90s.

The first album "MCMXC aD" (which means 1990 followed by the abbreviation of Anno Domini) was released the same year and was to make a real worldwide hit with sales figures that make you dizzy : 4 million copies in the USA, 1 Million in Germany, 1 Million in England and almost 1 million in France.

Even if the album creates controversy with its blasphemous side, the shock wave it elicits is phenomenal and will stay as one of the major musical events of the 1990s. The track “Sadeness (Part I)” will be the biggest success. The result will amaze the whole world with its innovative side.

New release three years later in 1993 with the album "The cross of changes". Album which in turn is a huge success. It will sell more than 6 million copies in 1 year. Of which will be extracted mainly "Return to innocence" and "The eyes of truth".

New opus in 1996 with the album "The king is dead, long live the king !". Unfortunately, the enigmamania loses power and the album is unable to compete in sales with the previous two.

The project enjoyed a last notable success in 1999 with the Single "Gravity of love", the flagship Single of the album "The screen behind the mirror".

Other albums of more than certain quality will be released later but will not be able to match the enormous success met by the first opuses.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

90s Decade :

Sadeness (Part I) 1990
Mea Culpa (Part II) 1991
Principles of lust 1991
Return to innocence 1993
Age of loneliness 1994
The eyes of truth 1994
Beyond the invisible 1996
T.N.T. for the brain 1996
Morphing thru time 1996
Why ! 1996
Gravity of love 1999

2000s Decade :

Push the limits 2000
Traces 2000
Voyageur 2003
Page of cups 2003
Look of today 2003
Boum boum 2004
Eppur si muove 2006
Dancing with Mephisto 2006
Dreaming of Andromeda 2006
Invisible love 2006
Goodbye milky way 2006
Hello and welcome 2006
We are nature 2008
Seven lives 2008
The same parents 2008
La puerta del cielo 2008

2010s Decade :

MMX - The social song 2010
The die is cast 2016
Sadeness (Part II) 2016
Oxygen red 2016

Tracks :

1990 ... surely one of the most incredible pieces of the 20th century. The perfect meeting between the profane and the sacred. Cretu signs here a real WONDER which allows this concept project to enter One Shot into the legend !

1991 ... the legend is on the move. It is now a succession of pieces with extraordinary inspiration and lyrical depth rarely achieved

1991 ... some songs are alike. Others not at all. It is a motley set while also somewhere very similar ...

1993 ... 2 years after having known the consecration with a first Wonder, Cretu does it again two years later with this title once again highly inspired !

1994 ... not necessarily the most famous but surely one of the most successful titles. And always this very subtle mix between modern sounds and sacred sounds...

1994 ... in the same vein. All of Enigma's work constantly borders on pure genius. Not to mention this permanent inspiration that we will qualify as extra-terrestrial ...

1996 ... the last mega hit of the group. After 6 years of unchallenged reign, the concept is running out of steam. It was obvious that the genius of Cretu would inevitably find, one day or another, its limits ...

1996... which will not prevent the adventure from continuing thereafter, far from it. Admittedly, the level of inspiration will drop slightly, but what follows will be far from devoid of interest, that's clear !

1996...the level of inspiration is largely sufficient in any case to allow them to stay in contact with the best. It's already that...

1996...we must not forget that Michael Cretu has achieved the incredible feat of leading his career, that of Sandra and now that of Enigma. Not to mention all the peripheral projects !

1999 ... an end of the decade which rhymes with a sumptuous end and a new title with extraordinary inspiration. Admittedly, it is almost impossible to match 'Sadeness' but it is more or less approaching it. And the adventure is still not over ...

2000... it is clear that the concept-project is going to have a lot of trouble equaling an exceptional 90s decade in all respects. Afterwards, as long as he still has things to offer, why not do it...?

2000... what is certain is that the basic fans are delighted with each release of a new opus. And some basic fans there are still a certain number !

2003...successful Singles will be less and less numerous but the albums continue to do well. The essential is therefore preserved...

2003... what is certain is that the adventure is far from over, that's clear. With or without success, she will continue as far as she can...

2003...the level of productivity remains high, to say the least, but it is above all the level of inspiration that weakens somewhat in the 2000s. It's hard to stay on top for decades...

2004...even if the level of inspiration has slightly weakened, it is nonetheless more than enough to keep the group in contact with the best. Admittedly at the back of the leading pack, but still...

2006...the concept doesn't have much to do with what it was ten years ago but what band doesn't evolve over time ? Afterwards, for good or bad, it's something else...

2006...the little + that made all the difference has disappeared but the concept does not need to be ashamed of what he now offers. Anyway, we'll be happy with that...

2006...it would have been all the same miraculous if the concept managed to maintain the incredible level of success recorded at the beginning of the 90s. From now on, he will have to be content with what the public wants to grant him...

2006...he's still there anyway, which isn't the case for a bunch of bands that started their career at the same time as him. Like what...

2006...and as in music nothing is ever finished, why throw in the towel prematurely ? As long as they have things to offer, they might as well push the adventure as far as possible...

2006...quality, quality again and again, but nothing surprising with them. A constant that allows the concept to last, last, last...

2008...many could have imagined that the concept would only last a few years, but it was very hard to know Michael Cretu. Always something new to offer !

2008...certainly, some pieces are less inspired than others but the whole remains of high level. More than enough to interest the public at least...

2008...the concept will have been able to stay afloat without too much concern during the 2000s and we imagine that we will find him again the following decade. At least we hope so...

2008...what we can't take away from them in any case is this permanent search for originality. Sometimes it works and sometimes not so much, but they always try to be...

2010... whatever it is, this does not affect their desire to believe in it again and again. We can only salute this desire to push the adventure ever further...

2016 ... we will still lose sight of them for almost 6 years but here they are again. They won't let go until the end...

2016...they will try to offer a sequel to the Masterpiece that revealed them, but this sequel won't really have the same level of inspiration. Nice try though !