You want a chillout album? Look no further. (Mcmxc A.d. - Enigma)

Member Name: DaChild

Product:	Mcmxc A.d. - Enigma
Date:	15/09/01 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The ultimate in relaxing music, variety of excellent tracks

Disadvantages: Becomes frustrating if listened to many times in quick succession

"Good evening. This is the voice of Enigma. For the next hour, we will take you with us to another world, to the world of music, spirit, and meditation."

And that is what Enigma is all about. MCMXC aD is the first Enigma album produced by Michael Cretu. There are two versions, the standard album, and a limited edition album, containing extra mixes of four songs on the album. This limited edition isn't too difficult to find, and is worth hunting down.

Many of you are likely to know of Enigma, although you may not know it. The song you are likely to know from this album is the single 'Sadeness', a relaxed tune which makes use of pan-pipes and synthesizers to create a very laid back mood. This is the first full track on the album, following the two-minute "Voice of Enigma" track, which I have quoted some of above.

The starting line above is a good description of Enigma. The music is experimental, not been done before. It creates a feeling of relaxation and meditation. After listening to the album two or three times it will become the music of choice to have in the background, or to work to. It succeeds in eliminating unimportant thoughts from your brain, allowing you to concentrate.

All of the tracks on this album are similar, whilst being very unique. Sadeness, Principles of Lust, Mea Culpa and The Rivers Of Belief all draw from similar sources, yet when you listen to them, they are very different tracks.

The extra mixes on the limited edition CD are well worth the extra money, and add to the whole experience.

Some of you may feel that the music is a little annoying, rather than relaxing. I think if you're a person into heavy rock and grunge type music you'll find this music too gentle, and you won't enjoy it. Also, some of the tracks are little more than filler tracks between the main songs. For those really listening to the album, this is annoying, but if you're jus
t listening to it in the background, this isn't an issue. These are things which only detract slightly from the album.

This album is well worth buying. It is no by no means the best Enigma album (see my other reviews), but it still knocks a lot of other music into the ground. If you want to relax, this is for you. If you want music for working, this is for you. If you want some gentle background music while you talk to friends, this is for you. You get the idea.

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