Age of Loneliness

"Age of Loneliness" is a song by German musical project Enigma, released on 8 August 1994 by Virgin and EMI as the third single from the project's second studio album, The Cross of Changes (1993).

"Age of Loneliness"
Single by Enigma
from the album The Cross of Changes
B-side"Principles of Lust"
Released8 August 1994 (1994-08-08)[1]
GenreNew age
Length4:14
LabelVirgin, EMI
Songwriter(s)Jeremy Coleman, Michael Cretu, Anne Dudley
Producer(s)Michael Cretu
Enigma singles chronology
"The Eyes of Truth"
(1994)		 "Age of Loneliness"
(1994)		 "Out from the Deep"
(1994)
Music video
"Age of Loneliness" on YouTube

Overview

The song can be regarded as a remixed version of an earlier Enigma song, "Carly's Song", where the song was originally more laid back and goes at a slower pace. The vocals in the song are whispered by Sandra Cretu.

The chant in this song is of Mongolian origin and has a tinge of Gregorian chanting in it. It is from the Mongolian traditional long song, "Tosonguyn Oroygoor", sung by Dechinzundui Nadmid.[2][3] For the "Enigmatic Club Mix", the beat of the song was pushed up a notch and laced generously with beeps of morse code throughout the song. The morse code spells out "I love you". For the "Jam & Spoon Remix", the song starts off with a short and relaxing piano piece. Although included in the "Age of Loneliness" single, it is exactly the same one found in the "Carly's Song" single.

In the music video for the song, the scene is set in New York City and entirely in sepia. People are seen floating through the air weightlessly but remain unseen by the surrounding people.

Critical reception

Angela Lewis from NME wrote, "Arabic chants swirl over a bed of synths, locked into a bubbly dance beat... it seems Enigma have pulled off another steaming cocktail of sophisticated pop."[4]

Sleeve

The background of the single cover is mostly white (or beige) and has a tarot card placed in the centre. The figure in the card might be seen as a wizard at first glance, but the person is actually a thin Santa Claus conjuring up toys. The number "7" which appears at the four corners of the card indicates that the song is the seventh track in The Cross of Changes.

Track listing
  1. Radio Edit – 4:14
  2. Clubby Radio Edit – 3:31
  3. Enigmatic Club Mix (128 bpm) – 6:23
  4. Jam & Spoon Remix (93 bpm) – 6:28
  5. Album Version – 5:19

Charts
Chart (1994) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[5] 79
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[6] 40
Scotland (OCC)[7] 19
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 21

References
  1. "Single Releases". Music Week. 6 August 1994. p. 21.
  2. "Norovbanzad - Under The Sun Of Placid World". YouTube. 30 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  3. "Namjilyn Norovbanzad". Dorimorkennels.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  4. Lewis, Angela (20 August 1994). "Singles". NME. p. 39. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  5. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 37. 10 September 1994. p. 13.
  6. "Enigma – Age of Loneliness" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  7. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
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