The Principles of Lust

More than 25 years after the release of Enigma's ground-breaking debut album, MCMXC a.D., on 4th May 2018 all studio albums released as standalone coloured vinyl. Most of them released on vinyl for the first time ever.
MCMXC a.D. is the first studio album by the German music project Enigma, headed by Romanian-German musician Michael Cretu. It was released on 10 December 1990 by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom, and on 28 January 1991 by Charisma Records in the United States.

Enigma’s complete catalogue is set for a special coloured vinyl makeover. On 4 May, Universal Music will release The Colours Of Enigma – The Vinyl Series: all eight studio albums and the acclaimed hits package LSD Love Sensuality Devotion: The Greatest Hits as strictly limited edition coloured vinyl. Five of these albums will be released for the first time on vinyl: Le Roi Est Mort. Vive Le Roi (1996), The Screen Behind The Mirror (2000), Voyageur (2003), A Posteriori (2006) and Seven Lives Many Faces (2008). Only the debut MCMXC a.D (1990), which spent over 200 weeks in the US Top 200 Billboard charts, 1993’s The Cross Of Changes and the latest album The Fall Of A Rebel Angel (2016) enjoyed releases on wax previously.

Too bad the film "Sliver" wasn't a hit, or else this could've been one of the greatest film soundtracks of all-time. While most soundtracks just throw songs together without much thought, there's a theme on this album. You can feel the atmosphere of loneliness, lust, and mystery even if you've never seen the film. Enigma's haunting "Carly's Song" and "Carly's Loneliness" are great tracks to get you in a trance, Massive Attack's "Unfinished Symphony" is downright sexy, and Aftershock's "Slave To The Vibe" is the album's showstopper. The film (which was beautifully shot in an MTV style) could rightfully be a showcase just for these songs, kinda like "Purple Rain".

Michael Crétu's attempt at fusing everything from easy listening sex music and hip-hop rhythms to centuries-old Gregorian chants couldn't have been more designed to tweak the nose of high art, a joyously crass stab straight at a mainstream, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. The result is something that shouldn't exist, but in its own way results in as much of a cultural scramble and explosion as anything Public Enemy were doing around the same time, crossing over the Euro-disco and new age spheres with style…

Michael Crétu's attempt at fusing everything from easy listening sex music and hip-hop rhythms to centuries-old Gregorian chants couldn't have been more designed to tweak the nose of high art, a joyously crass stab straight at a mainstream, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. The result is something that shouldn't exist, but in its own way results in as much of a cultural scramble and explosion as anything Public Enemy were doing around the same time, crossing over the Euro-disco and new age spheres with style. Credit Crétu for an open ear for whatever works, which is precisely why "Sadeness," the first part of a longer track called "Principles of Lust," turned into a fluke worldwide hit.

Love Sensuality Devotion: The Remix Collection is a 2001 remix album of remixed songs made by Enigma. All of the remixes on the album were taken from previously released singles. LSD: Love, Sensuality and Devotion gathers over a decade's worth of Enigma's definitive tracks, including the song that started it all, "Sadeness, Pt. 1." "Return to Innocence," "Beyond the Invisible," and "Cross of Changes" are all featured as well, and though the collection ranges from the rock-tinged "I'll Love You…I'll Kill You" to atmospheric, electronic fare like "Shadows in Silence," since it's all essentially Michael Crétu's vision, it flows surprisingly well. Since Enigma's sound has varied fairly drastically over the years, LSD: Love, Sensuality and Devotion is the perfect starting point for anyone curious about Crétu's music, and the only Enigma album that casual fans might need.