Background The Fall of a Rebel Angel is the first release from Enigma since its 2010 fan collaboration track "
MMX" to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the musical project, and its first studio album since
Seven Lives Many Faces (2008).
Michael Cretu, Enigma's founder, principal composer and producer, spent one year "testing and experimenting" for a new Enigma studio album prior to recording. The two had previously worked together during Cretu's time as a solo artist in the 1980s, writing the German lyrics to his 1985 hit single "
Samurai". A video update posted on 19 January 2016 revealed that five months were left to complete the album, during which three songs had yet to be completed. The album features four guest artists: Brazilian singer-songwriter Mark Josher, Indonesian singer
Anggun, Nanuk as female voice in intro, and English electro-pop duo
Aquilo. First used to record "MMX (The Social Song)", Merlin is roughly one third the size and weight of Alchemist and incorporates an
Apple Mac Pro computer running the
Logic Pro digital audio workstation software, an
LG 21:9 aspect ratio monitor, three 3 terabyte
LaCie hard disks, a
Mark of the Unicorn analogue/digital interface, an 88-key keyboard, and
surround sound speakers.
Story The Fall of a Rebel Angel is a
concept album formed of 12 "chapter-like" tracks Cretu described the story as a "symbolic journey to redemption – with everyone to define his individual path" combined with "psychedelic undertones". He quotes from various literature, religious, and pop culture sources to aid the story which includes themes of sexuality, faith, and death. In one chapter, the character wanders through an imaginary town and encounters a priestess whose god is the
Marquis de Sade, thus becoming a continuation of the story to "
Sadeness (Part I)", the worldwide hit single from Enigma's debut album,
MCMXC a.D. (1990). The story concludes with the individual breaking their reflection in the water of a lake, accepting responsibility for his life. == Release ==