Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Top 10 Top 10 - Eurodance Artists
By DJ Ron Slomowicz, About.com Guide
10. Candee Jay
Pretty female vocals, energetic synths, and a catchy chorus are all parts of eurodance music. Whether you call it trance, pop or hiNRG - here are the top 10 eurodance acts on dancemusic.about.com
1. Cascada
1. Cascada
Proving that dance music sounds good on the radio, "Everytime We Touch" exploded onto radio all over the United States. With over 2.5 million plays, the buzz on the europop confection started on Myspace, where more than 150,000 friends spread the music of Cascada. Although singer Natalie might be a newcomer, you will surely know the producer Yanou from his work with DJ Sammy - remember the international smash "Heaven?"
2. Ian Van Dahl
2. Ian Van Dahl
With their second album Lost and Found spawning hit singles around the world, ("Where Are You Now" in the US, "Believe" and "I Can't Let You Go" in Europe), the trio known as Ian Van Dahl is disproving the sophomore myth that plagues dance artists. Composed of producers Christophe Chantzis and Erik Vanspauwen with vocalist Annemie Coenen, the trio has teamed with Peter Luts and David Vervoort (the producers of Lasgo) to follow up their debut Ace.
3. Dannii Minogue
3. Dannii Minogue
Already known throughout the world for her pop and dance hits, Dannii Minogue is looking to conquer the United States with her delicious American debut CD Neon Nights which has already yielded four hit singles in Europe. Rather than following in her sister Kylie's footsteps, Dannii is blazing her own path by adding her golden pop touch to the underground dance music and giving much love to the DJs who support her.
4. Emma Bunton
4. Emma Bunton
As Madison Avenue might say, "don't call her baby." Emma Bunton has grown up from Baby Spice to become a solo star in her own right. With an international flavor and Motown influences, her new album is full of dynamic songs and wonderful melodies. Emma loves to dance and it shows with her embracing of club and remix culture.
5. Lara McAllen/Angel City
5. Lara McAllen/Angel City
As the voice of Angel City, Lara McAllen has been in the US to promote her Hot 100 hit "Love Me Right." This UK Top 10 piece of delicious eurodance pop samples Ready for the World's "Oh Sheila" and is making its way onto radio stations all over the United States.
6. Tina Cousins
6. Tina Cousins
The singer of international club smashes Killing Time, Pray, and Forever, Tina Cousins also teamed with producer Sash! for the hits Mysterious Times and Just Around the Hill. More than five years after the release of her debut masterpiece, Tina is back singing about her "Wonderful Life" and what it's like to "Mastermind" a comeback.
7. Pronti & Kalmani
7. Pronti & Kalmani
In the heart of Dutch dance scene are Pronti & Kalmani, the DJs and producers behind Alice Deejay and Vengaboys. Their productions and remixes have conquered the world, creating a unique sound by blending trance and hi-NRG with a pop sensibility. Their latest discovery, Candee Jay, is with them in the studio now ready to do it again.
8. QED
8. QED
On the heels of the success of "Love Bites" and "Hardly a Day," I had the privilege to sit down and chat with Valentin and Kristine Henricks of QED about themselves, about their music, and QED's Master plan! Their freshman release Mobius is a unique musical journey that, as the name implies, is never-ending. Their shows make an unprecedented marriage of lights, sound and video to create an amazing overall experience that is seldom repeated. Here's what they had to say.
9. Debbie Loeb
9. Debbie Loeb
It's rare that you meet an artist whose personality is as energetic as their music. Clocking in at over 140 beats per minute, Debbie Loeb's debut single "Faraway" is a poetic fairy tale that's as intelligent as it is energetic. If her last name sounds familiar, you might remember her sister Lisa, who achieved a number one record as an unsigned artist with "Stay (I Missed You)" Or maybe you saw them both on the hit reality show #1 Single.
10. Candee Jay
No, she isn't Alice's sister, but Candee Jay is making waves with her europop smash "If I Were You." Discovered by super producers Pronti & Kalmani, she is capturing the attention of radio stations around the United States with her infectiously energetic debut.
Artist in Review: Ace of Base
- Formed: 1990
- Genres: Rock
- Representative Albums: "The Sign", "Singles of the 90s", "Greatest Hits"
- Representative Songs: "All That She Wants", "Beautiful Life", "The Sign"
Group Members:
Similar Artists:
Pet Shop Boys, Roxette, Army of Lovers, The Collage, The Cardigans, La Bouche, Spice Girls, RuPaul, The Real McCoy, Backstreet Boys, Aqua, Rednex, Lisa Stansfield, Yaki-Da, Gemini , Laila
Influenced By:
ABBA, Bananarama, Blondie, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Pet Shop Boys, Wham!, Madonna
Followers:
Santamaria, Anastacia, BwO, Boyzone, S Club 7, Cascada, Carolina Liar
Performed Songs By:
Albert Hammond, John Ballard , Siobhan Fahey , Steve Jolley , Billy Steinberg , Diane Warren, Sarah Elizabeth Dallin , Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg , Jonas "Joker" Berggren
Formal Connection With:
*NSYNC
Biography
Comprised of vocalists Jenny Berggren and Linn Berggren, and keyboardists Jonas "Joker" Berggren and Ulf "Buddah" Ekberg, the Swedish quartet Ace of Base became a phenomenally popular international act with their 1993 debut album, The Sign. Ace of Base's simple, melodic Euro-disco was equally popular on radio and in the clubs, earning the quartet three U.S. Top Ten singles -- "All That She Wants," "Don't Turn Around," and "The Sign," which spent six weeks at number one.
Before the quartet formed in 1990, sisters Jenny and Linn Berggren sang in local church choirs in Gothenburg, Sweden. Their brother, Jonas, played synthesizers and wrote songs with Ulf Ekberg. Eventually, Jonas and Ulf recruited Jenny and Linn to sing with them, and the quartet began playing dance music at local clubs in the late summer of 1990. Within a year, the group signed with Mega Records and released their debut single, "Wheel of Fortune," in 1992. By that time, the quartet had joined forces with John Ballard, who produced their recordings and wrote the majority of their songs; occasionally, Ballard co-wrote with Jonas Berggren. "Wheel of Fortune" became a hit across Scandinavia, and soon the German-based record label Metronome signed a European distribution deal with the group. "All That She Wants" was Ace of Base's first single in Europe and, thanks to heavy exposure on MTV, the song became a number one hit in ten different countries. In the spring of 1993, Ace of Base released their European debut album, Happy Nation.
"All That She Wants" was released in America in the fall of 1993 and quickly went platinum, beginning a string of platinum Top Ten singles in the U.S.. Released in the fall of 1993, Ace of Base's American debut album The Sign -- a reconfigured version of Happy Nation, featuring four new songs -- quickly sold nearly two million copies in the U.S.. Throughout 1994, Ace of Base dominated radio in America and Europe as "All That She Wants," "Don't Turn Around," and "The Sign" received heavy airplay on a number of radio formats, including Top 40, adult contemporary, urban, and, bizarrely, modern rock. By the end of the year, The Sign had sold over eight million copies in the U.S. alone. Ace of Base was nominated for three Grammys that year, including Best New Artist.
Ace of Base released their second album, The Bridge, in the fall of 1995. Although it went platinum in its first six months of release, the record failed to duplicate the remarkable multi-platinum success of The Sign. After a three-year-hiatus, the duo returned with Cruel Summer, which suffered a similar fate. 2000 saw the release of Greatest Hits, a blend of original singles and remixes.
~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Before the quartet formed in 1990, sisters Jenny and Linn Berggren sang in local church choirs in Gothenburg, Sweden. Their brother, Jonas, played synthesizers and wrote songs with Ulf Ekberg. Eventually, Jonas and Ulf recruited Jenny and Linn to sing with them, and the quartet began playing dance music at local clubs in the late summer of 1990. Within a year, the group signed with Mega Records and released their debut single, "Wheel of Fortune," in 1992. By that time, the quartet had joined forces with John Ballard, who produced their recordings and wrote the majority of their songs; occasionally, Ballard co-wrote with Jonas Berggren. "Wheel of Fortune" became a hit across Scandinavia, and soon the German-based record label Metronome signed a European distribution deal with the group. "All That She Wants" was Ace of Base's first single in Europe and, thanks to heavy exposure on MTV, the song became a number one hit in ten different countries. In the spring of 1993, Ace of Base released their European debut album, Happy Nation.
"All That She Wants" was released in America in the fall of 1993 and quickly went platinum, beginning a string of platinum Top Ten singles in the U.S.. Released in the fall of 1993, Ace of Base's American debut album The Sign -- a reconfigured version of Happy Nation, featuring four new songs -- quickly sold nearly two million copies in the U.S.. Throughout 1994, Ace of Base dominated radio in America and Europe as "All That She Wants," "Don't Turn Around," and "The Sign" received heavy airplay on a number of radio formats, including Top 40, adult contemporary, urban, and, bizarrely, modern rock. By the end of the year, The Sign had sold over eight million copies in the U.S. alone. Ace of Base was nominated for three Grammys that year, including Best New Artist.
Ace of Base released their second album, The Bridge, in the fall of 1995. Although it went platinum in its first six months of release, the record failed to duplicate the remarkable multi-platinum success of The Sign. After a three-year-hiatus, the duo returned with Cruel Summer, which suffered a similar fate. 2000 saw the release of Greatest Hits, a blend of original singles and remixes.
~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Artist in Review: DJ Bobo
The beginning...
DJ Bobo is a producer, composer, writer, singer and dancer in one person. The artists whose real name is René Baumann, was born on the 5th January 1968 as the son of a Swiss mother and Italian father in Kölliken (Switzerland).
DJ Bobo is 1.73 m (5 ft,81/2 in) tall and has green-brown eyes. He has no brothers or sisters.
DJ Bobo is 1.73 m (5 ft,81/2 in) tall and has green-brown eyes. He has no brothers or sisters.
DJ Bobo as well as members of his group do not smoke or drink alcohol and are really into sport. As a mater of fact he hates smell of cigarettes.
DJ Bobo loves soccer, but than you have to remember that soccer is the most popular discipline in Europe. Well...actually, he not only likes to play soccer but also finds time to play badminton and of course does skiing.
The biggest hobby of DJ Bobo is always music. When time permits he listens Michael Jackson, Elton John and Steve Wonder.
DJ Bobo is a very gentle and polite guy. He likes being with his fans, signing his pictures and posing for pictures. He is trying to be a normal, preppy guy even if his popularity makes his life pretty tough. He does not have a STAR mannier. When he is performing, one might discover how much energy is in him. His hard work has been fully recognized. He already received many gold and platinum records including the title of BEST European male Singer of 1995. His favorite song from his repertoire is "Let The Dream Come True". He has about 8 different costumes he usually uses in concerts. When in tournee he prefers to use buses over airplains. Why? Simply because he can sleep better in buses and get some relax.
As you can easily seen from his pseudonym, the multi-talent previously worked as a disc jockey. Using name "DJ Bobo" René Baumann quickly rose to become one of the really big names in the Swiss club scene. It was thereby obvious that he also uses this successful name as a producer.
The beginning of DJ Bobo career was not easy. Before his talent exploded he was trying to get many labels interested in his music, without a success. His first professional single recorded was: Let's Grove On.
1988-1993 In 1988 DJ Bobo participated in "Disco Queen/King Corporation" in a Discotheque "Tropic" located in German city Memmingen. This annual event takes place every year from 1979. DJ Bobo was nominated for a Grand Prize. Based on this, he was invited to "Top 10 Disco King" in Ibiza, where he received Third place in the category of: dance, look and style. At that time he was still using his real name. DJ Bobo was also a discjockey. Being a DJ he first gained success in Switzerland, but the decisive breakthrough came with the superhit Somebody Dance With Me (which is a cover-version of "Somebody's Watching Me), which exceeded all expectations; released at the beginning of November 1992 it made the bound on Position 1 in the Swiss Single Charts. In many countries the song reached the Top 10 and Bobo's extraordinary success was awarded with several gold discs in Australia, Germany, Israel, Sweden and of course in Switzerland.
But DJ Bobo prooved with his second hit that he is not a nine-day wonder: Keep On Dancing became number 1 in Finland, reached the Top Ten in many European countries and was awarded with Gold Discs for 250,000 singles sold in Germany. Switzerland awarded his long expected album Dance With Me and it was to be found in the European Charts for some time. Take Control - the next release - reached very high chart positions and again got Gold in Germany.
1994-1995 In 1994 then Bobo got up to position 2 of the German Single charts with his slow dance reggae Everybody, remained
there for many weeks and was awarded with the Platinum Disc for 500,000 singles sold in Germany.
In Autumn of 1994 the second album There Is A Party was released containing the whizz kid and smash hit
Let The Dream Come True which also reached Gold. Love Is All Around was released in January 1995,
gained Top 10 positions in many countries and was awarded with sixth Gold Discs in line in Germany!
In February and March of 1995 DJ Bobo was on tour in South America with great response from the fans.
When he was in Sao Paolo he performed a gorgeous dance-act in front of a 120,000 people and everybody
took active part in his lifely show.
At the beginning of May 1995 he got the World Music Award in Monaco for being the "World's best-selling Swiss
recording artist of the Year". The new single "There Is A Party" was climbing up the charts; together with the
fantastic video which was produced in Caribbean by the Miami Vice camera team.
DJ Bobo loves soccer, but than you have to remember that soccer is the most popular discipline in Europe. Well...actually, he not only likes to play soccer but also finds time to play badminton and of course does skiing.
The biggest hobby of DJ Bobo is always music. When time permits he listens Michael Jackson, Elton John and Steve Wonder.
DJ Bobo is a very gentle and polite guy. He likes being with his fans, signing his pictures and posing for pictures. He is trying to be a normal, preppy guy even if his popularity makes his life pretty tough. He does not have a STAR mannier. When he is performing, one might discover how much energy is in him. His hard work has been fully recognized. He already received many gold and platinum records including the title of BEST European male Singer of 1995. His favorite song from his repertoire is "Let The Dream Come True". He has about 8 different costumes he usually uses in concerts. When in tournee he prefers to use buses over airplains. Why? Simply because he can sleep better in buses and get some relax.
As you can easily seen from his pseudonym, the multi-talent previously worked as a disc jockey. Using name "DJ Bobo" René Baumann quickly rose to become one of the really big names in the Swiss club scene. It was thereby obvious that he also uses this successful name as a producer.
The beginning of DJ Bobo career was not easy. Before his talent exploded he was trying to get many labels interested in his music, without a success. His first professional single recorded was: Let's Grove On.
1988-1993 In 1988 DJ Bobo participated in "Disco Queen/King Corporation" in a Discotheque "Tropic" located in German city Memmingen. This annual event takes place every year from 1979. DJ Bobo was nominated for a Grand Prize. Based on this, he was invited to "Top 10 Disco King" in Ibiza, where he received Third place in the category of: dance, look and style. At that time he was still using his real name. DJ Bobo was also a discjockey. Being a DJ he first gained success in Switzerland, but the decisive breakthrough came with the superhit Somebody Dance With Me (which is a cover-version of "Somebody's Watching Me), which exceeded all expectations; released at the beginning of November 1992 it made the bound on Position 1 in the Swiss Single Charts. In many countries the song reached the Top 10 and Bobo's extraordinary success was awarded with several gold discs in Australia, Germany, Israel, Sweden and of course in Switzerland.
But DJ Bobo prooved with his second hit that he is not a nine-day wonder: Keep On Dancing became number 1 in Finland, reached the Top Ten in many European countries and was awarded with Gold Discs for 250,000 singles sold in Germany. Switzerland awarded his long expected album Dance With Me and it was to be found in the European Charts for some time. Take Control - the next release - reached very high chart positions and again got Gold in Germany.
1994-1995 In 1994 then Bobo got up to position 2 of the German Single charts with his slow dance reggae Everybody, remained
there for many weeks and was awarded with the Platinum Disc for 500,000 singles sold in Germany.
In Autumn of 1994 the second album There Is A Party was released containing the whizz kid and smash hit
Let The Dream Come True which also reached Gold. Love Is All Around was released in January 1995,
gained Top 10 positions in many countries and was awarded with sixth Gold Discs in line in Germany!
In February and March of 1995 DJ Bobo was on tour in South America with great response from the fans.
When he was in Sao Paolo he performed a gorgeous dance-act in front of a 120,000 people and everybody
took active part in his lifely show.
At the beginning of May 1995 he got the World Music Award in Monaco for being the "World's best-selling Swiss
recording artist of the Year". The new single "There Is A Party" was climbing up the charts; together with the
fantastic video which was produced in Caribbean by the Miami Vice camera team.
In Summer 1995 an extended Asia tour followed with stage acts in Seoul (South Korea), Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Their next stay was the promotion tour in Australia.
Also in 1995 DJ Bobo released an album in Argentina called "Best & New Remixes".
The "There is A Party Tour '95" started in September of 1995 with 25 people acting with a most costly tourequipment.
DJ Bobo performed an extraordinary show with a livecrew of 9 people with a perfect choreography and tramsformed each hall into one huge dance party. The success of this tour set new standards in the European dance scene: more than 35 shows in Germany alone, apparances in Eastern and Northern Europe, and as the high point, a sold-out concert for 13,000 visitors in Zurich Hallenstadion! Hurrying from stage to stage, giving interviews, press conferences and signing autographs were the main occupation for DJ Bobo and his team last autumn.
As a reward for his efforts he received enthusiastic applause and standing ovations after each concert but what made him most happy were the allover happy faces of his fans and groupies. With his shows on stage he filled his audience with enthusiasm. 90 minutes of pure Dance, based on a perfect choreography, giant firework, light effects and even a conjuring trick that really caused a sensation. During this mega event the video "Live On Stage" was shot and here you can find 60 minutes of pure Dance Entertainment. No one should fail to watch it as it really proves to be fantastic.
At the press conference after the show he presented his special album "Just For You" containing Dance Remixes of already known productions as well as the special X-Mas Song "It's Time For Christmas" and "Love Is The Price". While singing this ballad 13:000 fascinated fans were lighting their sparklers and the Hallenstadion was transformed into an ocean of little lights.
1996-1997 In January '96 DJ Bobo was awarded in Davos in Switzerland with his 8th Golden Record in line for Germany.
His success can be understood easily when reviewing 7 brilliant singles and the gorgeous album "There Is A Party".
Especially with the single "Love Is The Price" he is proving his unbelievable creativity. It is a ballad which he was
presenting to the world in the biggest and most famous game show "Wetten Dass..?" in Bremerhaven in front of
millions of viewers watching DJ Bobo and his group. But the Dance Floor King does not even think of making a pause
and is working again to improve his show and choreography. At the moment he is on the "Love is the price tour" which
began in Switzerland, was continued in Germany and was finished with a performance at the charity concert
"Hand in Hand for Children" in Frankfurt on April 7th.
The little time between his shows DJ Bobo seizes to work on further productions in the studio as a new album:
"World in Motion" is planned for release on October 7th. Of course there will be a single release before and each of
us is waiting excitedly on the song titled "Pray" DJ Bobo was presented on September 2nd.
In September 1997 the album "World in Motion - Winter Edition" was released.
1998-1999 DJ Bobo released the single "Where Is Your Love" on March 30, 1998
and the album called "Magic" was released on April 27, 1998.
In the summer of 1998 the single "Around The World" was released.
In the fall of 1998 the single "Celebrate", a typical eurodance song, was released.
In March 1999 a cd called "The ultimate Megamix '99" was released . It's a 45 minutes long megamix
with all the hits, for example "Pray", "Freedom", "Let The Dream Come True" and many others.
In April 1999 the double album "Hits & Remixes" was released. The first cd contains the
hits and the second cd contains remixes by for example Robyx and Dakeyne.
DJ Bobo released a single called "Together" on the 30 August, 1999 and
an album called "Level 6" was released on the 4th October, 1999.
Dj Bobo released a single called "Lies" in November 1999.
Dj Bobo released a video of the "Mystasia" tour. It's available in both VHS and DVD.
2000-2001 On Monday 17. April 2000 the DJ BoBo Video/DVD - THE VIDEOS & MAKING OF was released.
All 18 DJ BoBo-Video-Clips on one VHS / DVD including unreleased "making of" sequences with a total
running time of 161 minutes!. The VHS/DVD can be ordered on http://www.djbobo.ch/
René Baumann more known as DJ Bobo released a book called "Gestatten, René Baumann. The Book by DJ Bobo".
The book is an exciting portrait and was created on 144 pages with more than 200 color photos.
The first single from the DJ Bobo's new album is a duet with Irene Cara.
The single is entitled "What A Feeling" and was released on January 22, 2001.
The name of the new DJ Bobo album is "Planet Colors" and was released on February 5, 2001.
On May 14th, 2001 the single "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" with as many as six different versions was released.
The third and last single from DJ BoBo's album "Planet Colors" is his personal favorite - "Colors Of Life".
In June 2001 DJ BoBo went to the studio and produced this track over again and the date of release was
August 6th, 2001.
2002 On March 25th the single "Celebration" was released and on the 15th of April the album also called "Celebration" was released.
DJ Bobo also went on tour to celebrate 10 years as a successful artist.
DJ Bobo released a VHS & DVD called "DJ BoBo - Celebration - The 10th Anniversary Show".
It's 160 minutes long and contains several bonusmaterials. It was released on June 10th 2002.
"Chihuahua 2002", the summerhit from DJ BoBo known from the Coca-Cola campaign from Spain 2002.
DJ Bobo released a VHS & DVD called "DJ BoBo - Celebration - The 10th Anniversary Show".
It's 160 minutes long and contains several bonusmaterials. It was released on June 10th.
2003 DJ Bobo released the single "I Believe" on January 20th and the album "Visions" was released on February 24th.
The single "Chihuahua" was released in several countries during the spring/summer and has become a hit in several of them.
The album "Chihuahua - The Album (Special Summer Edition)" was released on July 11th.
DJ Bobo released "Chihuahua - The Remixes" in Schweiz, it's also available on the official DJ Bobo site.
DJ BoBo released a CD/DVD/VHS called "Live in Concert" on September 8th.
DJ Bobo released the single "Chihuahua" in England on the label "Fuelin Records" on September 29th.
2004 The australian edition of "Chihuahua" was released on March 21th.
2005 The single "Pirates Of Dance" was released on January 10th and the album with the same name was released
on January 31th. The album was released in 3 editions: Basic Edition, Regular Edition and Premium Edition.
The single "Amazing Life" was released on April 11th.
The DVD Pirates Of Dance - The Show was released on October 20th.
2006 DJ Bobo released a CD+DVD, Greatest Hits on March 17th. The DVD contains videos and a karaoke-function.
DJ Bobo & Sandra released the Maxi-CD Secrets Of Love on March 3rd.
2007 DJ Bobo was selected to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, Finland. Unfortunaly he didn't qualify for the finals.
The album Vampires
was released on May 11th.
The single We Gotta Hold On, released on July 6th.
From Dance Artist Info
Also in 1995 DJ Bobo released an album in Argentina called "Best & New Remixes".
The "There is A Party Tour '95" started in September of 1995 with 25 people acting with a most costly tourequipment.
DJ Bobo performed an extraordinary show with a livecrew of 9 people with a perfect choreography and tramsformed each hall into one huge dance party. The success of this tour set new standards in the European dance scene: more than 35 shows in Germany alone, apparances in Eastern and Northern Europe, and as the high point, a sold-out concert for 13,000 visitors in Zurich Hallenstadion! Hurrying from stage to stage, giving interviews, press conferences and signing autographs were the main occupation for DJ Bobo and his team last autumn.
As a reward for his efforts he received enthusiastic applause and standing ovations after each concert but what made him most happy were the allover happy faces of his fans and groupies. With his shows on stage he filled his audience with enthusiasm. 90 minutes of pure Dance, based on a perfect choreography, giant firework, light effects and even a conjuring trick that really caused a sensation. During this mega event the video "Live On Stage" was shot and here you can find 60 minutes of pure Dance Entertainment. No one should fail to watch it as it really proves to be fantastic.
At the press conference after the show he presented his special album "Just For You" containing Dance Remixes of already known productions as well as the special X-Mas Song "It's Time For Christmas" and "Love Is The Price". While singing this ballad 13:000 fascinated fans were lighting their sparklers and the Hallenstadion was transformed into an ocean of little lights.
1996-1997 In January '96 DJ Bobo was awarded in Davos in Switzerland with his 8th Golden Record in line for Germany.
His success can be understood easily when reviewing 7 brilliant singles and the gorgeous album "There Is A Party".
Especially with the single "Love Is The Price" he is proving his unbelievable creativity. It is a ballad which he was
presenting to the world in the biggest and most famous game show "Wetten Dass..?" in Bremerhaven in front of
millions of viewers watching DJ Bobo and his group. But the Dance Floor King does not even think of making a pause
and is working again to improve his show and choreography. At the moment he is on the "Love is the price tour" which
began in Switzerland, was continued in Germany and was finished with a performance at the charity concert
"Hand in Hand for Children" in Frankfurt on April 7th.
The little time between his shows DJ Bobo seizes to work on further productions in the studio as a new album:
"World in Motion" is planned for release on October 7th. Of course there will be a single release before and each of
us is waiting excitedly on the song titled "Pray" DJ Bobo was presented on September 2nd.
In September 1997 the album "World in Motion - Winter Edition" was released.
1998-1999 DJ Bobo released the single "Where Is Your Love" on March 30, 1998
and the album called "Magic" was released on April 27, 1998.
In the summer of 1998 the single "Around The World" was released.
In the fall of 1998 the single "Celebrate", a typical eurodance song, was released.
In March 1999 a cd called "The ultimate Megamix '99" was released . It's a 45 minutes long megamix
with all the hits, for example "Pray", "Freedom", "Let The Dream Come True" and many others.
In April 1999 the double album "Hits & Remixes" was released. The first cd contains the
hits and the second cd contains remixes by for example Robyx and Dakeyne.
DJ Bobo released a single called "Together" on the 30 August, 1999 and
an album called "Level 6" was released on the 4th October, 1999.
Dj Bobo released a single called "Lies" in November 1999.
Dj Bobo released a video of the "Mystasia" tour. It's available in both VHS and DVD.
2000-2001 On Monday 17. April 2000 the DJ BoBo Video/DVD - THE VIDEOS & MAKING OF was released.
All 18 DJ BoBo-Video-Clips on one VHS / DVD including unreleased "making of" sequences with a total
running time of 161 minutes!. The VHS/DVD can be ordered on http://www.djbobo.ch/
René Baumann more known as DJ Bobo released a book called "Gestatten, René Baumann. The Book by DJ Bobo".
The book is an exciting portrait and was created on 144 pages with more than 200 color photos.
The first single from the DJ Bobo's new album is a duet with Irene Cara.
The single is entitled "What A Feeling" and was released on January 22, 2001.
The name of the new DJ Bobo album is "Planet Colors" and was released on February 5, 2001.
On May 14th, 2001 the single "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" with as many as six different versions was released.
The third and last single from DJ BoBo's album "Planet Colors" is his personal favorite - "Colors Of Life".
In June 2001 DJ BoBo went to the studio and produced this track over again and the date of release was
August 6th, 2001.
2002 On March 25th the single "Celebration" was released and on the 15th of April the album also called "Celebration" was released.
DJ Bobo also went on tour to celebrate 10 years as a successful artist.
DJ Bobo released a VHS & DVD called "DJ BoBo - Celebration - The 10th Anniversary Show".
It's 160 minutes long and contains several bonusmaterials. It was released on June 10th 2002.
"Chihuahua 2002", the summerhit from DJ BoBo known from the Coca-Cola campaign from Spain 2002.
DJ Bobo released a VHS & DVD called "DJ BoBo - Celebration - The 10th Anniversary Show".
It's 160 minutes long and contains several bonusmaterials. It was released on June 10th.
2003 DJ Bobo released the single "I Believe" on January 20th and the album "Visions" was released on February 24th.
The single "Chihuahua" was released in several countries during the spring/summer and has become a hit in several of them.
The album "Chihuahua - The Album (Special Summer Edition)" was released on July 11th.
DJ Bobo released "Chihuahua - The Remixes" in Schweiz, it's also available on the official DJ Bobo site.
DJ BoBo released a CD/DVD/VHS called "Live in Concert" on September 8th.
DJ Bobo released the single "Chihuahua" in England on the label "Fuelin Records" on September 29th.
2004 The australian edition of "Chihuahua" was released on March 21th.
2005 The single "Pirates Of Dance" was released on January 10th and the album with the same name was released
on January 31th. The album was released in 3 editions: Basic Edition, Regular Edition and Premium Edition.
The single "Amazing Life" was released on April 11th.
The DVD Pirates Of Dance - The Show was released on October 20th.
2006 DJ Bobo released a CD+DVD, Greatest Hits on March 17th. The DVD contains videos and a karaoke-function.
DJ Bobo & Sandra released the Maxi-CD Secrets Of Love on March 3rd.
2007 DJ Bobo was selected to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, Finland. Unfortunaly he didn't qualify for the finals.
The album Vampires
was released on May 11th.The single We Gotta Hold On, released on July 6th.
From Dance Artist Info
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Eurodance
Eurodance (also known as Hands Up, or just Dance in Europe) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco. Starting in the early 1990s and continuing to the present day, Eurodance production continues to evolve with a more modernized style that incorporates elements from Trance and Techno music.
Eurodance music is heavily influenced by the utilization of rich melodic vocals, either exclusively by itself or inclusively with rapped verses. This, combined with cutting-edge synthesizer, strong bass rhythm and melodic hooks establishes the core foundation of Eurodance music.
Definition
The term "Eurodance" gradually became associated with a specific style of European dance music over time. During its golden years in the mid 1990s it was just as likely to be referred to as "Euro-House" or "Euro-NRG"; in Europe it was often called "Dancefloor" or simply "Dance".
While some use a much broader definition of what is considered "Eurodance", over time, the term particularly came to refer to an NRG-based genre from the 1990s which included a solo vocalist or a rapper/vocalist duet and is also used to describe later European dance acts such as Cascada.
Eurodance is nightclub-oriented music that is usually produced somewhere in Europe and sounds commercial enough to be played by radio stations and music television. Some of the more prominent Eurodance songs go international, especially if an act manages to score more than one hit.
Characteristics of the music
Most Eurodance is characterized by synthesizer riffs, female vocals with simple chorus, male rap parts, sampling and a strong beat.
Vocals
Eurodance is often very positive and upbeat; the lyrics often involve issues of love and peace, dancing and partying, or expressing and overcoming difficult emotions. The early-mid 1990s Eurodance vocals were frequently done by a solo vocalist or a mixed rapper-vocalist duet.
Many projects utilized variations of the rapper-vocalist theme, such as a German rapper with American singers (Real McCoy), or the use of reggae rap as in Ice MC and Fun Factory, or scat singing as in Scatman John. Solo singing artists such as Alexia, Tess, Whigfield and Double You also contributed to the genre.
Eurodance lyrics are almost always sung in English, regardless of the artist's nationalities. However, some artists release their songs in both English and their native languages.
Percussion
Almost all Eurodance emphasizes percussion and rhythm. Eurodance percussion is generally a "kick" bassdrum with some variations on a 4/4 time signature. While the percussion is always done by synthesizers, it is a sound more typical of dance music and not the "beat box" sound typical of rap music. The tempo is typically around 135 beats per minute, but may vary from 110 to 150 BPM.
Melody
Most Eurodance is also very melody-driven. Besides the contribution of the female vocals, there is often a noticeable use of rapid synthesizer arpeggios. This is a very distinctive feature of Eurodance that separates it from Hi-NRG disco. The synthesizer often has a piano or barrel organ but sometimes mimics other instruments, such as calliope (e.g., "Touch the Sky" by Cartouche). There is often a short, repetitive riff, while other times there is a whole tour de force of synthesizers (e.g., Close To You by Fun Factory). Some songs have a second riff cycling in between verses.
Characteristics of the bands and business
Eurodance is widely commercialized. Some producers, like Max Martin or Larry Pignagnoli, have fronted dozens of bands. From thousands of records released, only a few bands have existed in the mainstream beyond two records. Many acts, such as Captain Jack and Jonny Jakobsen (Dr. Bombay), had a carefully planned humoristic image. A group called E-rotic received attention with sexually provocative lyrics and music videos.
While Eurodance singles regularly went to Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum status, it had been more difficult to get a full length album to get to the same level of success. Typical problems cited include the album as a whole not up to the strength of the singles, the performers not being charismatic enough to hold the attention of millions of people past a song or two, or weak promotion of the remainder of the album after the singles have become hits.
History
Original Eurodance is a fusion of several styles of dance music, primarily house and rap with the Hi-NRG variant of disco music.
Hi-NRG and Italo-Disco
Hi-NRG started in the United States as an underground, faster form of disco after disco had lost mainstream popularity. In the late 1980s it became associated with British record producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and by the early 1990s bands such as Masterboy & 2 Unlimited were producing a Continental version of Hi-NRG.
Eurodance shows a strong Hi-NRG influence, such as the high BPM and the strong use of female vocals. Eurodance can also be seen as a more technologically advanced form of Euro disco, just as Hi-NRG is the more technologically advanced form of Disco.
Italo Disco and its later evolution, Eurobeat, are sometimes thought to be sub-genres of Eurodance, but rather they are offshoots of the European version of Hi-NRG, called "Space Disco". Italo was influential on the production of Eurodance in general, while Italian-produced Eurodance artists, such as Alexia, Cappella, CO.RO, and Double You, tended to preserve features such as operatic female vocals. Later artists such as Eiffel 65 adopted a sort of "marching" beat in their productions. The term "Eurobeat" appears to be more common in Japan, where this style of music is featured in the video game Dance Dance Revolution, as well as in some Anime soundtracks, for example the street racing scenes in Initial D.
House music
House music, also an underground genre in the United States, had come to the UK and continental Europe with the rise of acid house and "rave" techno in the late 1980s. By the early 1990s, with the rise of the Belgian New Beat, house then became associated with Belgium and the Netherlands.
Some of the first songs with elements of what would later be called Eurodance are house music. For example, "C'mon and Get My Love" by D Mob (1989), "Strike It Up" by Black Box (1990) and "Rhythm is a Dancer" by Snap! (1992) all have the duet characteristic of Eurodance, and "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" by Rozalla (1991) has the characteristic synthesizer riff.
Of course, not all European house music was absorbed into the Eurodance genre. By the early 2000s, it remained a style distinct from Eurodance with harder synth and a slower tempo, for example "Satisfaction" by Benny Benassi (2003).
Rap/Hip-Hop
Rap verse has been one of the main distinguishing elements of Eurodance. While Eurodance makes use of rap vocals, it does not contain the lyrical themes of "gangster rap", nor does it follow many of the instrumental conventions of rap music, such as turntable scratching or heavy basslines. It does however focus on danceability similar to funk music which was a critical basis to the hip hop genre since many songs from that genre were sampled by hip hop artists.
Eurodance has, however, served to popularize rap music in Europe. While rap had been made in Europe at least as far back as Falco's Einzelhaft album (1982), the American variety only gained a more widespread acceptance when Technotronic landed their hit "Pump Up the Jam", followed by Snap's "The Power". The combination of house music with rap vocals in general came to be referred to as Hip house or "house rap".
In Europe
Some examples of "original" Eurodance acts are Vengaboys, Alcazar, Infernal, Alexia, 2 Unlimited, Bad Boys Blue, Cappella, Captain Hollywood Project, Centory, Corona, Culture Beat, DJ Bobo, Dr. Alban, E-Type, Fun Factory, Ice MC, Imperio, Indra, La Bouche, 2 Brothers On The 4th Floor, Le Click, Maxx, Playahitty, Real McCoy, Whigfield, Darude and First Base.
These bands included emphasis of the combo female chorus together with male rap performances, leading directly to the duo revival. Each group featured their own signature sound, persona, visual imagery, and vocal approach.
Solo artists who performed Eurodance include Amber, Corona, Haddaway. Rozalla supported Michael Jackson during his European "Dangerous" tour. In 1994, Amber made history becoming the first singer in Eurodance history to be signed to a label as a solo artist, not a singer who is bound to a producer.
Canada
Canada was a major Eurodance market, the largest outside Europe, which produced its own variant called Candance. From about 1993 to 1997, acts such as Capital Sound, Jefferson Project, Emjay, Solina, BKS among others; originating mainly in major cities of Eastern Canada such as Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa were hitting the airwaves. Eurodance received significant airplay on radio stations in the Greater Toronto Area such as Hot 103.5 which later became Z103.5. Today, Eurodance continues receiving airtime on certain radio stations and many nightclubs in the Toronto area have dedicated nights to the genre.
United States
In the United States, several Eurodance artists (including La Bouche, 2 Unlimited, Real McCoy, and Ace of Base) made the Rhythmic Top 40, Top 40 Mainstream and the Billboard Hot 100 during the early-to-mid 90s. However, it tended to be the more house and rap-oriented artists that received airplay. For instance, the hip-house project Snap! received quite a bit of airplay early on.
The more Hi-NRG-oriented artists were typically played during special "mix" shows if at all, and it was often necessary to go to a club to hear Eurodance music. While Eurodance did become popular with club DJ's in the United States, radio stations were cautious about playing anything that sounded too much like disco during most of the 1980s and 1990s. By the end of the 1990s, however, some of the later acts such as Blue (Da Ba Dee) by Eiffel 65 and Barbie Girl by Aqua did receive extensive airplay.
Despite lack of widespread radio play, many Hi-NRG and Eurodance songs are popular at professional sporting events in the United States, especially basketball.
Compilation albums, such as the DMA Dance: Eurodance series of compilation albums (1995–1997) from Interhit Records and Dance Music Authority magazine, were popular and helped to define the genre as well as to make it accessible in the U.S. and Canada.
[edit] 2000s
Techno always had an important influence on Eurodance music, which at times was basically its more commercial counterpart. From the late 1990s onwards, Trance began to take more influence from Eurodance as well (see Euro-Trance), while techno music was in decline since the late 1990s. By 2006, Trance started slowly losing popularity as quality releases that lived up to the early 2000s sound declined. Interest in Eurodance reignited. However, this time the comeback was largely helped by interests through music and video websites, which includes significant support from media sharing and online networking sites. Although this would be considered the second generation of Eurodance, the 2000s saw renewed interest in Eurodance.
Such groups as Alcazar, O-Zone, Milk Inc., Merzedes Club, Infernal, Special D, Groove Coverage, Santamaria, Cascada, Sylver, Danijay, Colonia, and solo artists such as Kate Ryan, Gabry Ponte, DJ Aligator, Ashley Jade, Mark Ashley, Lucas Prata, Kylie Minogue and her younger sister Dannii Minogue, and Jessy, among others, represent some of the best of the second generation of Eurodance artists. Most of them have released hit singles and/or albums stateside.
Notable Eurodance artists
Main article: List of Eurodance artists
Some of the most recognized bands of the genre include artists such as the Dutch-Belgian group 2 Unlimited, Italian group Eiffel 65, Swedish Alcazar and Danish Infernal. Some of the more recent Eurodance artists to enjoy fame include Basshunter and Cascada.
Classification
After the early 1990s, Eurodance music had split into several categories:
- "Classic" Eurodance (1990s) - As noted, often a female vocalist and a male rapper were used for songs within this genre. The music features thicker and more detailed production and is slightly slower than most Eurodance that appeared afterward. This sound features arrangements, production touches, synths, and basslines unique to the early and mid 1990s, and is strongly favored by those who were fans of Eurodance during that time.
- Bubblegum Dance - Essentially the Danish Eurodance version of bubblegum pop. While the instrumental style is similar to "classic" Eurodance, the lyrics tend towards a tongue-in-cheek humor very different from typical "disco" lyrics. Topics tend to be such things as toys, cartoons or video games, double-entendres, and fairytale motifs (for example, Aqua's Barbie Girl). Bubblegum may use either a chorus or a male rapper/female singer duet, though it tends not to make use of American rappers as classic Eurodance does.
- Euro-Trance - Has a more open-ended structure compared to the tightly knit vocals and melodies of "classic" Eurodance. Vocals sometimes vague or repetitive without verse/chorus structure, often with echo and other effects. Often Euro-Trance has a strong synth line with ethereal chords and strong percussion.
- Synthpop - This style emerged during the mid 1980s. Exclusively performed by male singers which is rare within other similar styles & sub genres. A type of dance music with futuristic synths and resembling rock music. Synth-Pop did lose its popularity in the mainstream by the early-1990s but has never been dormant. It continues to be a popular style seeing a resurgence in the early 2000s.
- Europop - Popular music related to Dance-pop with elements of classic Eurodance or Trance but is not a lot like one or the other. Chorus and verse structure prevalent. Nearly always incessantly catchy and infectious melodies, synths and beats.
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