From: MikeR@county.lmt.mn.org (Mike Robinson)
Subject: Enigma, The Orb and Lush Dance Music
Reply-To: MikeR@county.lmt.mn.org (Mike Robinson)
Organization: LaserMaster Corporation
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 20:11:18 GMT

Somebody was asking about Enigma-esque bands, and just as I was about to post 
this message, a flood of discussuion about the Orb started.  This message 
should apply to both.

Enigma is pretty unique, I don't know of any band that duplicates their 
sound.  However there is a fair amount of sensual & ambient dance music out 
there if you're willing to dig.  

I made a DJ beatmix tape called "Disco Slows Down" that was based on Enigma 
but mixed in classical music and sensual/ambient dance songs.  I am currently 
working on a sequel, "Disco Wakes Up."  

Here is a list of songs & artists I've culled for these tapes that have a 
sensual/ambient dance feel.  Being a DJ, I mainly collect vinyl.  I am not 
sure how many of the these songs are available on CD or CD5

Enigma Copycats:
After Enigma made it big, gregorian chants over dance beats became a fad and 
several spin-offs were made.  .  Forget all but one.  "Voice of Africa,"  by 
Albinoni.  This is a cover of a classical song done over the Soul II 
Soul/Enigma beat.  The same idea as "Sadeness," just as good, if not better, 
than Enigma.  

Enigma remixes:
The Mea Culpa remix is a medely of all the songs on the last half of the CD - 
worth getting, and it's on CD5.  "The Priciples of Lust" 12" has cool 
remixes, although they bring back that damn flute when they don't need to.

Art of Noise:
They've done a lot of mellow dance stuff and have even released an ambient 
best-of CD.  Unfortunately, it doesn't include "Moments in Love" - a classic 
in this genre.

The Orb:
They lean more towards the weird and ambient than the sensual and lush, but 
their stuff's great.  "Perpetual Dawn" and "Little Fluffy Clouds" (the 12" 
mix especially) are standouts.  I haven't heard the new album yet, which is 
supposed to be more of the same.

House Stuff:
Frankie Knuckles, "The Whistle Song."
808 State, "Pacific"
Pet Shop Boys, "Miserablism"
Sueno Latino, "Sueno Latino"  
The Beloved, "The Sun Rising"  The 'deeply satisfying' dub version.
There's gotta be more. 

Old Techno-Pop:
Depeche Mode, "Leave In Silence"  
Kraftwerk, "SpaceLab"
New Order, "KWI"
Visage, "Fade to Grey"  
In general, Yello Magic Orchestra, Yello and OMD did a lot of experimentation 
with this style in the early 80s.  Check out various album cuts and B-sides.  

Other Relaxing Dance Tunes:
Depeche Mode, "Enjoy the Silence."  Nice little string quartet passage in the 
Quad Mix.  
Pet Shop Boys, "We all feel better in the dark."  the after hours climax mix 
and ambient mix are very rare, and very cool.
Shabba Ranks, "Mr. Loverman"
Bel Canto's "Birds of passage" CD.  

Middle-Eastern Dance Stuff:
This stuff is a little more dancey, but it scores points for quasi-religious 
chanting.
Ofra Haza.   She does dance versions of yemmenite folk songs.  Sounds like a 
gimmick, but she's got a voice from heaven.  When she did an acapella at a 
concert, I got goose bumps.   
Anyway, "Im'amin Alu lu," & "Galbi" are standouts from her first american 
album (I forget the name). Stick with the LP versions.   The remixes and her 
albums since then aren't as interesting.
Bapalahari, "Balbi"  (I think that's what it's called)  Arabic male chanting 
over dance beats.  
West India Company, "Ave Maria."  This was a collaboration between 
Blancmange, Vince Clarke (Erasure, Yazoo) and one of India's most popular 
soundtrack singers.  


In a more commecial vein:
PM Dawn's "Paper Doll" and "Set Adrift"  
It's rap, its pretty, its dreamy and it works.
Madonna's (actually Ingrid Chavez's) "Justify My Love" 
Has some cool mixes Enigma patterned themselves after on the Mea Culpa 
Remixes.  

These are some classical songs that blended nicely with Enigma on my mix tape:
JS Bach  "Jesu Meine Freude," "Suite #2 in B Minor for Flute and Strings"
Ave Maria 
Why not go all out and get a CD of gregorian chants?  

Anyway, that's about all I can think of.  If anybody has some other Ideas, 
that'd be great.  I'm always keeping my eye out for this stuff.  I typed most 
of this away from my record collection, so excuse any spelling errors.  This 
is my first post to the internet, so please excuse any violations of 
"netiquette."  


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