Production MCMXC a.D.

1 production

1.1 recording
1.2 songs
1.3 sleeve design

production
recording

mcmxc a.d. recorded in 1990 across 8 months @ a.r.t. studios located in cretu s home on spanish island of ibiza.

the chants used on sadeness , mea culpa taken paschale mysterium (1976) german choir capella antiqua münchen conductor konrad ruhland, track procedamus in pace! (antiphon) . vocals used without permission led lawsuit.

mcmxc a.d. considered landmark , innovative new-age album. cretu developed idea of sampling. though samples had been used artists such jean-michel jarre , klaus schulze, cretu built music around whole sequences of recorded parts. method adopted many hip-hop , electronic music artists.

songs

the introduction of mcmxc a.d. starts sample not forgotten leftfield played backwards (which started famously used in enigma s music), , voice of louisa stanley, @ time executive @ virgin records speaking in voice of enigma . gregorian chant procedamus in pace! segues three-part principles of lust . first, sadeness , received attention through unique , unheard mix of gregorian chants , dance beat. track features triangles , synthesized shakuhachi flutes french lyrics , breathy sounds sandra, samples inifinity greek band aphrodite s child. male voice speaking in french during track, cretu described him friend of his. sadeness fades second part, find love , in sandra instructs listener follow lust. reversed chants signal start of sadeness (reprise) , continues short piano theme based on earlier shakuhachi flutes. flute returns chants of hosanna gradually bring principles of lust end.

callas went away tribute opera singer maria callas. chirps electronic birds @ beginning, mixed slow beat , sounds of piano leads sandra s whispers , ends samples of callas singing aria ces lettres! ces lettres! opera werther jules massenet.

the rain @ beginning of mea culpa taken introduction of black sabbath english heavy metal band black sabbath. chant kyrie eleison (from mass xi, orbis factor, in liber usualis) appears predominantly alongside sandra s vocals , flutes. song segues voice & snake , based on 7 bowls aphrodite s child, group of people describe end of world in eerie , haunting manner, mentioned in book of revelation.

a bowl falls ground , breaks, leading knocking on forbidden doors . drum beats in song made resemble sound of door being knocked. guitar enters , slips aside quietly gregorian chants, time part of salve regina , , fading rivers of belief , three-part track. begins way eternity , featuring composer john williams five-toned notes science fiction film close encounters of third kind (1977), leads mellow gregorian chants. beat sadeness returns violins start of second part, hallelujah . triangle , voice first track reappears , repeats itself. final section, rivers of belief , features cretu singing chorus. after that, music stops completely, , john forst s unfamiliar male voice recites 8:1 book of revelation — when lamb opened seventh seal, silence covered sky — sampled 666 (the apocalypse of john, 13/18) (1972) aphrodite s child. incidentally, sentence seventh seal enters @ seventh minute , seventh second of seventh track on pressings of album. music closes shakuhachi flutes, cretu s vocals, , falling star effect followed enigma horn . song fades out and, when album played on repeat mode, fades right first song again creating full loop.

sleeve design

the album s artwork designed johann zambrysky, design covers next 4 enigma albums. depicts black frame surrounding silhouette of figure being enshrouded in bright light, , christian cross in lower centre of album emphasis towards themes of album.

several quotes printed on booklet, including following:

the path of excess leads tower of wisdom.

the pleasure of satisfying savage instinct, undomesticated ego, uncomparably more intense 1 of satisfying tamed instinct. reason becoming enemy prevents lot of possibilities of pleasure.

if believe in light, s because of obscurity, if believe in happiness s because of unhappiness, , if believe in god ll have believe in devil.

the cover of limited edition of album same original release, has grainy dark green background instead of black. first million copies of album have holograph of monk , cross on top of album instead of normal art work. sleeve bears strong resemblance of 1986 dead can dance album spleen , ideal.