Aqua were a Scandinavian quartet (part Danish and part Norwegian) that seemed intent on adapting Abba's project to the world of melodic techno (the world of to Ace Of Base, so to speak).
Aquarium (MCA, 1997) contains all their hits. These are …
Aqua were a Scandinavian quartet (part Danish and part Norwegian) that seemed intent on adapting Abba's project to the world of melodic techno (the world of to Ace Of Base, so to speak).
Aquarium (MCA, 1997) contains all their hits. These are mostly lighthearted nursery rhymes, sung by Lene Grawford Nystrøm (former TV host) in the register of the dumb girl and counter-sung by René Dif (a former disc jockey) in a clownish baritone. The music is arranged by Claus Norreen and Søren Rasted, both specialists of electronic keyboards, and comply with the standards of the genre: exuberant polyrhythms, melodious counterpoints with crystalline timbres, eccentricity distributed sparingly, a sense of humor which is more Latin than Nordic. The music is plastic, artificial, malleable, and smooth. The group wins by virtue of truly memorable melodies. The arrangements transform everything into a disengaged game.
Those of Roses Are Red (their first hit), Happy Boys And Girls , Doctor Jones and Lollypop are first and foremost irresistible choruses, but also enthralling cadences. Orchestrations filled with “candy" effects also make them fun. It is an art that is sublimated in two classy "novelty” tracks like My Oh My and Barbie Girl , driven by glorious melodic progressions and a stolen drumbeat from hundreds of summer club hits. It's hard to ask for more from these techno-era music boxes.
Source: https://www.scaruffi.com/vol6/aqua.html
Tracklist:
A1 Happy Boys & Girls 00:00
A2 My Oh My 03:35
A3 Barbie Girl 06:57
A4 Good Morning Sunshine 10:10
A5 Doctor Jones 14:10
A6 Heat Of The Night 17:30
B1 Be A Man 21:03
B2 Lollipop (Candyman) 25:22
B3 Roses Are Red 28:56
B4 Turn Back Time 32:37
B5 Calling You 36:40
B6 Didn't I 40:10
Genre: Techno, Pop
Carrier: LP
Year of release: 1997 (2021)
Label: Maschina Records - MASHLP-094
Production country: Russia
Audio codec: FLAC
Rip type: image+.cue
Recording Format: 32/192
Distribution format: 24/192
Digitization source: by the author
Vinyl Condition Code: Mint
Playback device: sony ps-lx300usb
Recorder head: mm N-6516-1
Preamplifier: sony ps-lx300usb
ADC: no name
Digitizer program: audacity
Processing: noise in pauses
