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1999

This year Sandra had a return to the scene of sorts, albeit with no new material. It is not clear whether the reason for the release of "My Favourites" was due to the awareness of Sandra's management that there exists continuous interest in her ( by internet web-sites, fan-mail, etc.) or was the release prompted by the common renewed interest in the 1980's music throughout Europe.
The release of the European double CD ( Virgin 8472712 ) was delayed more than once reportedly due to prolonged work on the art-work. Incidentally, the art-work remains one of the better aspects of that moderately successful release. The cover featured an old photograph of Sandra that fans could easily recognize as from the "Hiroshima" period of Sandra ; a matter that is evident by the uneven selection from her solo career as the CD contained almost all of her 1986 album "Mirrors". One CD contained the standard versions of the selected songs while the other contained newly re-mixed versions.

Michael Cretu had reportedly hoped for new ideas on the album, and so he kept his hands off the project and used the talents of long-time collaborators to re-mix t he tracks. Those collaborators are Peter Ries - who was credited for background vocals on the 1986 album "Mirrors" - and Wolfgang Filz, who co-arranged and co-performed the Trance-Techno Mix of "I Need Love" [5:58] (Sandra CD-single of 1992. Virgin 665 401..) The re-mixes were received with reservation for the beauty of the original songs could not have been enhanced by those re-mixes. Many fans argued that the songs did not sound out of date to begin with and there was no need for the re-mixing. Moreover, the re-mixing hardly enhanced the nostalgic quality of the songs. In other words, the release seemed rather redundant.

One single followed and that was the 1999 version of "Secret Land" in standard European CD-single ( Virgin CD 7243 895840 2 8 ), and a French promotional pressing ( Virgin CD VISA 4734/ LC 03098. ) The only seen promotional pressing of the album itself on CD was an acetate (CD-R) German recording of the standard CD (no re-mixes) with catalogue number 8472712 (later to be the standard CD number) dated 08/03/99. The single contained four tracks and all the re-mixing was by Ries and Filz. The sound was current and fresh; however, commercial success escaped the release of the single as much as it did the album. The interest in Sandra continues across the Web in several web-sites in a web-ring (see links) as one continuously would read messages of hope that there will be something new from Sandra. The video was directed by Thomas Job who later directed the video for "Gravity of Love" and "Push the Limits" by Enigma in the year 2000.

This was also a surpise year with high hopes of a new Enigma album coming out early, as rumors were flying that Cretu had been working at high speed on a new project with a different sound. But then out of the blue came world artist Andru Donalds. Cretu decided to produce an album for him after Donalds had auditioned in Ibiza for the forthcoming E4 album. The album "Snowing Under My Skin" contained two cover versions of previously released material: The title track and the first single to be released from the album: Air Supply's "All Out of Love". The title track, as explained earlier, was co-written with Manfred "Thissy" Thiers around an instrumental named "Collage" that Cretu had written during his collaboration with Thiers in 1988 through the project Cretu and Thiers. The new version was much longer and is marked by a considerably different break in the middle. The original break was played with synthesizers and was a lot shorter while Jens Gad played the new one on electric guitar. The piano line that defined the melody was less prominent in the new version and was played in a playful and moody way.

The album was written and produced in a period during which the public anticipated a new Enigma album. The work was rather intuitive and relaxed and had a fresh sound of pop music. Although the album contained no fast tempo tunes, with the exception of "Just for One Day", the sound was crisp and light-hearted. The singles did, however, contain dance mixes that were for the most part good. One ought to remember that a dance record is not achieved simply by speeding up any pop record and adding a fast beat. With a long history in Hi-NRG and dance music, Cretu knows that fact, but he also most likely hoped to introduce new ideas into his music by inviting DJ's and re-mixers to treat his music to new renditions.

The album explored the wide range of Andru Donald's voice and allowed for a variety of influences to be at play. However, the overall character of the music was that of Michael Cretu in being refined electronic music that is as far from the "street" as is Cretu in his life on Ibiza.
The first single "All Out of Love" on CD was numbered 7243 895731 2 1 . DINSD182 . PM 515. The album "Snowing Under My Skin" was issued in didpak in Europe on Virgin Records by the number 7243 8 47634 2 8. In Japan the CD was on Virgin Records and had the number VJCP 68138. The second single "Simple Obsession" had a promotional pressing in custom orange-coloured card sleeve in Germany with a number VGP 000262 and a standard release with the number 7243 896223 2 4 . DINS193 . PM 515.

The album exists on three Russian bootlegs as well: one is identical to the standard issue with no number; one entitled "Enigma V - Dream On"; and one entitled "Enigma V - Dream On The Full Version", both with unique covers showing the Sphinx, the Pyramids, crucifixes, Easter Island statues, etc.

In November 1999 as a prelude to the new Enigma album "The Screen Behind The Mirror" Virgin Records Germany released the first single "Gravity of Love". This gave fans an early indication of the style and feel for the new Enigma album. Full coverage of the single and album appear in 2000

Michael Cretu ~ "To make Enigma albums is something like alchemy, musical alchemy….you're after a certain goal and the results are something totally different from what you had in mind initially."

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