B.B.E.

Three producers teamed up in 1996 to form "B.B.E.". The name was formed by the initials of their forenames (Bruno Quartier, Bruno Sanchioni & Emmanuel Top).

They were no strangers to the scene, having produced many techno and trance classics under various guises (such as Plexus, Public Ambient, Introsik and Dr. Phibes) individually or as members of other groups. Most famously, Bruno Sanchioni was half of the legendary "Age Of Love" duo (which spawned the eponymous single that has been remixed countless times since its 1990 inception) and Emmanuel Top had already made a name for himself individually, thanks to acid-soaked techno anthems like Turkish Bazar & Acid Phase as well as superb trance pieces such as Fusion.

However it was only in 1996 that the three producers gained worldwide fame, thanks to the classic track "Seven Days And One Week". It was released roughly around the same time as Robert Miles' "Children", and really caught the zeitgeist of where trance would progress to in the years that followed. Featuring an instantly memorable (yet incredibly simple) riff, Seven Days And One Week set a template that many producers imitated. Most notably, Kai Tracid appeared to base most of his early work with B.B.E. in mind (although it would be unfair to single him out as he is a fine producer in his own right).

The follow up single "Flash" was almost as successful. The single edit (007 Mix) drops into minor keys with a fantastic abandon that reminds me of Vangelis' Blade Runner "End Titles". Paul Oakenfold championed the Club mix (which keeps the hook on a single key to maximise the tension), but to be honest all the mixes are worthy of investigation.

B.B.E. released their third single, entitled Desire, with various in-house mixes and also remixes. While Three 'n One, Way Out West and Tyrome created decent remixes the main mix was without a doubt the "Age Of Club" mix. Referencing "The Age Of Love" by association alone, this mix still stands in my mind as one of the most haunting and beautiful trance tracks of all time.

An album was released in 1998 entitled "Games". It was, shockingly, not bad for a dance album. The group included obligatory radio edits of their hits, but there were also a few good album cuts such as Tales Of History and New Romantic.

It was decided that another fantastic album track, Symphonic Paradise, would be released as the fourth single. Sadly, the single version was issued with a commercial vocal and funky house section which really downgraded the impression that B.B.E. had acquired to that point.

It was to be their last release of any impact.

Nonetheless, B.B.E. are legends of trance music and shall always be so.