(2022) Saâda Bonaire - 1992  



Review:
Saâda Bonaire, the 2013 collection of the output from the unlikely but fascinating German pop-meets-dub-meets-global sounds collective released by Captured Tracks’ Fantasy Memory imprint, was such a delightful surprise that it rightfully became a cult classic. It was also such a rarity that it seemed unlikely to hear more from the group — especially because their lead producer, Bremen DJ Ralph von Richtoven, thought he scrapped all of the project’s later recordings in frustration at their inability to catch a break. However, the discovery of tapes in his basement nearly a decade after Saâda Bonaire‘s release led to 1992, a document of the project’s evolution that’s just as intriguing, but notably different, than what came before. Following the disappointment of having their label EMI quickly withdraw support after their hypnotic debut single “You Could Be More as You Are” failed to become an immediate hit, Saâda Bonaire went on hiatus, When they reunited in 1991, the lineup featured Richtoven, original vocalist Stephanie Lange, and the Turkish-Kurdish musicians that appeared on their initial recordings, as well as North Irish folk singer and lyricist Paul Lindsay, church-trained vocalist Andrea Ebert, and jazz guitarist Mike Ellington, who shared Richtoven’s love of acid jazz, trip-hop, and house. Where “You Could Be More as You Are” and the rest of Saâda Bonaire was recorded by Dennis Bovell at Kraftwerk’s studio in Cologne, 1992’s recordings were made at Ellington’s studio, which was located inside the sex shop owned by his family. Though 1992 lacks the big budget production values of Saâda Bonaire’s major label recordings (their A&R man was notorious for overspending) it nevertheless updates the group’s slinky mystique with sounds that capture the era of its title. On tracks like their version of Syreeta’s “To Know You Is to Love You,” the slick beats and fat synth bass lines reflect the trends of the times, while the blend of Turkish saz, Lange’s aloof alto and Ebert’s impassioned delivery makes the song unmistakably Saâda Bonaire. At times, 1992 evokes the work of other synthesists like Tom Tom Club or Dewdrops in the Garden-era Deee-Lite (especially on the vibrant “Your Prince” and “Move from the Heart”) , but more often than not, Saâda Bonaire sound as singular as ever. The slight stiffness in the beats and vocals of songs such as “Extremes” and “Okay It’s Over” lend an alien feel that’s miles away from the cheesiness that the artists exploring these styles could fall prey to. While it’s not always as transcendent as Saâda Bonaire, 1992 still captures the group’s spirit of boundary breaking creativity. It’s a small miracle that it even exists, and it’s well worth hearing for anyone who enjoyed the group’s first compilation or the pliable dance and pop sounds of the early ’90s. — AMG



Track List:
01 - Woman
02 - To Know You Is to Love You
03 - Extremes
04 - So Many Dreams
05 - Running
06 - Okay It's Over
07 - That's Right
08 - Lovelife
09 - Your Prince
10 - 7th House
11 - Move from the Heart
12 - Follow Your Mind


Media Report:
Genre: disco, electronic, synth-pop, world
Country: Germany
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits


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