Destination Eschaton

Last updated
"Destination Eschaton"
The Shamen-Destination Eschaton.jpg
Single by the Shamen
from the album Axis Mutatis
Released7 August 1995 (1995-08-07) [1]
Genre Techno
Length3:55
Label One Little Indian
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) The Shamen
The Shamen singles chronology
"Phorever People"
(1992)		"Destination Eschaton"
(1995)		"Transamazonia"
(1995)
Music video
"Destination Eschaton" on YouTube

"Destination Eschaton" is a song recorded by Scottish band the Shamen, released in August 1995 by One Little Indian as the first single from the band's sixth album, Axis Mutatis (1995). The song was written by Colin Angus and Richard West, and features vocals by American guest vocalist Victoria Wilson James. It was a hit in several countries in Europe, peaking within the top 10 in Finland (6) and Scotland (9). In the UK, it peaked at number 15 in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on 13 August 1995. In the US, "Destination Eschaton" reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by German director Nico Beyer and William Latham, featuring the band performing aboard a spaceship.

Contents

Critical reception

John Bush from AllMusic complimented the song as "enjoyable". [2] Larry Flick from Billboard called it "one of the act's better efforts." [3] Steve Baltin from Cash Box described it as "a futuristic, fast-paced techno assault on the ears." He added, "The Shamen have already set themselves up as hit makers in the clubs, this new single should enjoy similar dance/club success. Particularly impressive is the enunciation they give to the vocals, showing that techno is not just about the beat, but words, as well. However, in this case, the beat is the star." [4]

In his weekly UK chart commentary in Dotmusic , James Masterton viewed it as "a well made single". [5] Paul Lester from Melody Maker wrote, "It sounded like a compelling piece of commercial techno, and it felt good to have Colin Angus, an intelligent pop star and a decent human being to boot, back in the charts." [6] A reviewer from Music & Media commented, "Very misleading—it's not as instantly catchy as their past singles, but rest assured memorability will grow with each spin. The Shamen remain on the top as the most melodic dance outfit." [7]

Track listings

  1. "Destination Eschaton" (Beatmasters 7-inch) — 3:55
  2. "Destination Eschaton" (Destination Islington) (Shamen Deep Melodic Techno Mix) — 6:40
  1. "Destination Eschaton" (Album Version) — 3:55
  2. "Destination Eschaton" (Vission Lorimer Dome Mix) — 4:16
  3. "Destination Eschaton" (Hardfloor 12-inch Vocal – Destination Krefeldton) — 7:25
  4. "Destination Eschaton" (Shamen Deep Melodic Techno Mix – Destination Islington) — 6:40
  5. "Destination Eschaton" (Sounds of Life Vocal Mix) — 6:47
  1. "Destination Eschaton" (Destination Nemeton original version) — 6:47
  2. "Destination Eschaton" (Shamen Deep Melodic Techno Mix) (Destination Islington) — 6:40
  3. "Destination Eschaton" (Shamen Acid) (Escacid) — 5:55
  4. "Destination Eschaton" (Hardfloor Vocal) (Destination Krefeldton) — 7:25
  5. "Destination Eschaton" (Hardfloor Instrumental) (Destination Komotion) — 7:22

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardfloor</span> German electronic music duo

Hardfloor is a German electronic music duo, consisting of Oliver Bondzio and Ramon Zenker. Their most famous track is "Acperience 1" and chosen by Feargal Sharkey as one of his 'Inheritance Tracks' when interviewed on UK's BBC Radio 4.

Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of rap, techno and Eurodisco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use of rich vocals, sometimes with rapped verses. This, combined with cutting-edge synthesizers, strong bass rhythm and melodic hooks, establishes the core foundation of Eurodance music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shamen</span> Scottish electronic dance music band

The Shamen were a Scottish psychedelic band, formed in 1985 in Aberdeen, who became a chart-topping British electronic dance music act by the early 1990s. The founding members were Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie. Peter Stephenson joined shortly after to take over on keyboards from Angus. Several other people were later in the band. Angus then teamed up with Will Sinnott, and together they found credibility as pioneers of rock/dance crossover. When rapper Mr. C joined, the band moved on to international commercial success with "Ebeneezer Goode" and their 1992 Boss Drum album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Ready for This</span> 1991 single by 2 Unlimited

"Get Ready for This" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch music group 2 Unlimited. It was released in 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, Get Ready! (1992). Originally, the single was produced as an instrumental, titled the "Orchestral Mix". It became a hit and conscious of their popularity, Wilde & De Coster wanted a more accessible, formatted formula for their project to grow. Ray was then asked to write lyrics and add a rap to the track. On Ray Slijngaard's suggestion, Anita Doth joined as the female vocalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Love</span> 1995 single by Ace of Base

"Lucky Love" is a 1995 song recorded by Swedish group Ace of Base. It is taken from their second album, The Bridge (1995). The song became their fifth worldwide single, and was the first single from the album to be released in Europe; the acoustic version of the song was the second single in the United States and Canada. "Lucky Love" also became the group's first number-one hit in Sweden and it also peaked at number-one in Finland. The single peaked within the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Hungary, Israel, Spain, and Zimbabwe. The song's lyrics describe the feeling of being a teenager in love and never forgetting that feeling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful Life (Ace of Base song)</span> 1995 single by Ace of Base

"Beautiful Life" is a song by Swedish band Ace of Base, released on October 20, 1995 from their second album, The Bridge (1995). In North America, it was the first single released from the album; in Europe, it followed "Lucky Love" as the second single. Co-written by band member Jonas Berggren and produced by him with Denniz Pop and Max Martin, the single reached number 15 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart in December 1995. It reached number one on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart and Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. In 2017, BuzzFeed ranked "Beautiful Life" number 51 in their list of The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s.

Material released by the Shamen.

The Beatmasters are an English electronic music group who gained success in the UK in the late 1980s with four top 20 hit singles. They then went on to produce and remix records for many other artists. The group's string of chart hit singles include "Burn It Up", "Hey DJ! ", "Who's in the House" and "Rok da House". The latter, having been recorded in 1986, is one of the earliest examples of hip house and most likely the first song of the genre. Hip house is a subgenre of house music which features rap vocals performed over a house rhythm track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twilight Zone (2 Unlimited song)</span> 1992 single by 2 Unlimited

"Twilight Zone" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance act 2 Unlimited, released in January 1992 by Byte Records as the second single from the act's debut studio album, Get Ready! (1992). The UK release of the single was the first 2 Unlimited single to include the vocals of Anita Doth, as they had not been featured on their breakthrough hit "Get Ready for This". However, Ray Slijngaard's rap verses were once again removed. The instrumental "Rave" version of the song sounds different from the original "Not Enough" version, with a more hi-NRG style with more bass and added cowbells. The music video was directed by David Betteridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Needs Love Like That</span> 1985 single by Erasure

"Who Needs Love Like That" is the debut single of English synth-pop duo Erasure. The song was released in the UK on Mute Records in 1985 as a prelude to their debut album, Wonderland (1986). The accompanying music video was directed by John Scarlett Davies and produced by Nick Verden for Aldabra. While the original 1985 release enjoyed only minor success, the later "Hamburg Mix" version reached the top 10 in both the UK and Ireland.

<i>Axis Mutatis</i> 1995 studio album by The Shamen

Axis Mutatis is an album by the electronic dance music group The Shamen which was released in 1995. The album did not receive as much positive feedback as their previous album, Boss Drum, nor was it as popular, but Axis Mutatis still remained a fairly successful release, with the band eventually releasing four music videos for it. A Deep Dish remix of "Transamazonia" appeared on the WipEout soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missing (Everything but the Girl song)</span> 1994 single by Everything but the Girl

"Missing" is a song by English musical duo Everything but the Girl, taken from their eighth studio album, Amplified Heart (1994). It was written by the two band members, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, and was produced by Watt and John Coxon. It was taken as the second single off the album on 8 August 1994 by Blanco y Negro Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It initially did not achieve much success until it was remixed by Todd Terry and re-released in 1995, resulting in worldwide success, peaking at or near the top of the charts in many countries. The release of the remixed version of "Missing" gave an indication of the band's future experimentation with more electronic dance music on subsequent albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Move Any Mountain</span> 1991 single by the Shamen

"Move Any Mountain" is a song by Scottish electronic music group the Shamen, first released under the title "Pro›gen". With an official remix by the Beatmasters, the song was re-released in the UK in summer 1991 and was their first top-10 single, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart. It was included on the band's second album, En-Tact (1990), and is also their only top-40 hit in the US, where the song peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humpin' Around</span> 1992 single by Bobby Brown

"Humpin' Around" is a song by American singer Bobby Brown. It is rumored that the song was originally titled "Fuckin' Around", with the name later changed to make it more radio friendly, and to avoid potential censorship. The song contains an interpolation of "Dancing Days" by Led Zeppelin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Next Is the E</span> 1992 single by Moby

"Next Is the E" is a song by American electronica musician Moby, released in October 1992 as the third single from his self-titled debut album (1992).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phorever People</span> 1992 single by the Shamen

"Phorever People" is a song by Scottish electronic dance music band the Shamen. It features vocals by singer Jhelisa Anderson and was released in December 1992 as a single from their fifth album, Boss Drum (1992). The single topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and was another hit for the group in the UK, going to number five on the UK Singles Chart. It also became a top-10 hit in Denmark and Ireland, while reaching the top 20 in Austria, Finland, France and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LSI (Love Sex Intelligence)</span> 1992 single by the Shamen

"LSI (Love Sex Intelligence)" is a song by Scottish band the Shamen with vocals by Jhelisa Anderson. Having been remixed by the Beatmasters, it was the first single taken from their fifth album, Boss Drum (1992). Released in July 1992, it achieved success in Finland, where it reached number one, Sweden, where it peaked at number four, and the United Kingdom, where it rose to number six. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "LSI" peaked at number 16. Its music video was directed by Mathew Glamorre. The CD single also contains a remix of "Make It Mine", a song from the En-Tact album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Bring Me Joy (Mary J. Blige song)</span> 1995 single by Mary J. Blige

"You Bring Me Joy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Joel "Jo-Jo" Hailey, and Chucky Thompson for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while overall music production was helmed by Combs and Thompson with the vocal tracks being produced by Jo-Jo. The song is built around a sample of "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" (1977) by singer Barry White. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Ekundayo Paris and Nelson Pigford are also credited as songwriters. "You Bring Me Joy" served as the third single from My Life and peaked at number 29 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, also topping the Hot Dance Club Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yé ké yé ké</span> 1987 single by Mory Kanté

"Yé ké yé ké" is a song by Guinean recording artist Mory Kanté. It was released in 1987 as a single from his third studio album, Akwaba Beach. The song became an international hit; it was one of Africa's best-ever selling hits as well as being a European number one in 1988, making it the first ever African single to sell over one million copies. The song was a top five hit in France, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, where it topped the chart for two weeks. A remix, the "Afro Acid Mix" was especially made for UK release, where it reached No. 25. In 1994, German techno duo Hardfloor remixed the song and released this new version with moderate success. A Bollywood song, "Tamma Tamma Loge", also used the music in this song.

Victoria Wilson-James is an American-born British singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she performed in various theatre plays and musicals as a teenager. Following the release of her debut single "I Want You in My Movie", she was recruited by Jazzie B to join a newly reformed line-up of R&B group Soul II Soul. Managed by her bandmate, Jazzie B, the group became one of London's best-selling groups of all time. Their second album, Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade (1990), which achieved gold-status in the US and UK, featured the top-charting single "A Dream's a Dream" with Wilson-James on lead vocals.

References

  1. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 5 August 1995. p. 31.
  2. ↑ Bush, John. "The Shamen – Axis Mutatis". AllMusic . Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  3. ↑ Flick, Larry (2 September 1995). "Dance Trax: Moorish Crosses Gender Barriers With 'I'm Your Man'" (PDF). Billboard . p. 30. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  4. ↑ Baltin, Steve (7 October 1995). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . p. 7. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Masterton, James (13 August 1995). "Week Ending August 19th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  6. ↑ Lester, Paul (26 August 1995). "Singles". Melody Maker . p. 36. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 12, no. 35. 2 September 1995. p. 11. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  8. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 250.
  9. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 12, no. 34. 26 August 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 12, no. 36. 9 September 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  12. ↑ "M-1 TOP 40". M-1.fm. 27 August 1995. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 13 August 1995 – 19 August 1995". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  14. ↑ "Shamen – Destination Eschaton". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  15. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 13 August 1995 – 19 August 1995". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "Billboard Hot Dance Breakouts" (PDF). Billboard . 16 September 1995. p. 30. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  17. ↑ "Billboard Hot Dance Breakouts" (PDF). Billboard . 7 October 1995. p. 32. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  18. ↑ "1995 in Review: European Dance Radio 1995" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 12, no. 51/52. 23 December 1995. p. 23. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.