Content area
Full Text
by Paul Sullivan
Despite an initially slow media interest, Cascada's rapid rise to fame has seen them feature regularly in the higher echelons of both the singles and albums charts in the UK. We talk to the German act about their remarkable progress from local dancefloors to the stage of the World Music Awards
Cascada's story begins back in 2004, when Bonn-based vocalist Natalie Horler met Cologne producers Yanou (Yann Peifer) and DJ Manian (Manuel Reuter).
At the time, Yanou and Manian had been making their mark on the European dance and trance scenes; Yanou having scored a number one hit in the UK in November 2002 with Heaven as part of DJ Sammy & Yanou featuring Do; Manian with a string of successful club tracks and remixes under such guises as Tune Up!, Bolldozer, Ampire and Phalanx.
Though the producers carved separate niches in the German dance scene, the duo started to collaborate on remixes and commercial projects after coming across Natalie Horler, a British singer, raised in nearby Bonn by English parents, who was looking for a break.
Immediately recognising her potential, the producers set about re- recording their track Miracle with Horler on vocals. The song quickly caused a stir in German clubs and attracted the attention of US label Robbins Entertainment. Robbins released Miracle and other tracks, such as Bad Boy and Everytime We Touch, in the US, the latter - a version of the song by Maggie Reilly - propelled the trio to chart success, first in the US, then in the UK.
By retaining the emotive chorus of the original but adding adrenalin-fuelled Euro-pop beats, Cascada had created a euphoric dance anthem overnight - one that entered the Top 10 in a number of countries worldwide, hitting the top spot in Ireland, Sweden and the US Dance chart and landed at number two in the UK.
Eager to capitalise on this rapid success, Cascada drummed up a debut album, also called Everytime We Touch, released in the UK and Ireland via All Around The World in March 2006. The album also peaked at number two in the UK. After...