Reviews & Previews: The Screen Behind the Mirror

Billboard January 2000

Enigma mastermind Michael Cretu has been remarkably low-key during the electronica revolution despite the fact that his early compositions can easily be viewed as a key catalyst in starting the club-rooted movement. With The Screen Behind The Mirror, Cretu claims his rightful place among the top-shelf artists of electronica, offering well-crafted material that could elevate the genre to a new level of creativity and mainstream credibility. Cuts like the percussive, yet dreamy (the) Gate and the sweeping, cinematic Push The Limits are rich with complex melodies, insinuating rhythms, and the kind of hooks that make radio programmers sit up and take notice. In fact, the instantly memorable, hip-hop-inflected Gravity Of Love, which features an enchanting lead vocal by Olive's Ruth-Ann, has the makings of a smash. It's an excellent introduction to one of the first must-hear albums of 2000.

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