Saada 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
Saada 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 in 1984,
Saada Bonaire went on hiatus. When they reunited in 1991, the lineup featured
Richtoven, original vocalist
Stephanie Lange, and the Turkish-Kurdish musicians who 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
Saada 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
Saada 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
Saada 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,
Saada 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
Saada 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. ~ Heather Phares
![The Threepenny Opera (The Donmar Warehouse Production) [Original Cast Recording]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0605288124426_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "The Threepenny Opera (The Donmar Warehouse Production) [Original Cast Recording]")
