Bleep

Even within the spacious and explorative halls of electronic music there are some sounds that are simply too far ahead of their time. Take for instance, the German group Saâda Bonaire. Originally formed in the early 80’s by Breman-based DJ Ralph "von" Richthoven alongside vocalists Stefanie Lange and Claudia Hossfeld, the ill-fated Bonaire managed just one official single (1982’s “You Could Be More As You Are”) on EMI before fading away. Or so it seemed. A 2018 self-titled release revealed a trove of unreleased songs and archived promotion material from the mid 80’s, a visionary mix of disco, funk, reggae, and traditional eastern music.

Now, a third chapter of the Saâda Bonaire saga, sans Hossfeld and with the addition of vocalist Andrea Ebert has emerged in the form of yet another compilation entitled 1992. Collected from a previously unreleased early 90’s LP deemed “too bizarre” by German record labels, these tracks show that this groundbreaking band was still a going concern ten years after their all-too-brief moment in the pop machine. They also exhibit some incredible growth musically. Folding in jazz and more contemporary electronic sounds from trip-hop and house, tracks like “Woman” and “To Know You Is To Love You” pair sultry jazz with breakbeats and eastern vocal melodies into something entirely new and exciting. Knowing these recordings pre-date so much progression in dance, pop, jazz, and the avant-garde throws the starkness of their minor brilliance into further relief.

Listening back in 2022, 1992 retroactively sounds like a neat summation of all things cool in the 90’s, and the world is lucky these tapes were re-discovered in an East Berlin cellar. Saâda Bonaire is finally getting their due.