Biography
And One, a German synth pop group, came together in Berlin during 1989. Steve Naghavi and Chris Ruiz, both DJs and producers, encountered each other the year before at a local dance club, where shared enthusiasm for pioneering industrial outfits such as Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb forged their connection. Their later dual synthesizer and beatbox approach drew directly from Depeche Mode. After signing with the fledgling Machinery label, the band released its debut single “Metal Hammer” in 1990, a notable club success that led to the first album, Anguish, recorded with input from newly recruited member Alex Two. They closed 1991 with the techno-oriented charity single “Aus der Traum,” first titled “Saddam Hussein,” created to benefit Greenpeace. The angry, cynical Flop! arrived months afterward and prompted Ruiz’s departure as he left to launch a solo career. New drummer Joke Jay joined for the EP Monotonie, which revisited the electronic body music leanings of their earliest recordings. By contrast, the 1993 album Spot became their most commercial and accessible work yet, spawning the mainstream pop hit “Life Isn’t Easy in Germany.” Alex Two exited soon after, and replacement keyboardist Rick Schah helped shape 1994’s I.S.T., widely regarded as the group’s most ambitious and challenging release. Ruiz appeared as a guest on the 1995 single “Deutschemaschine,” ending their extended run with Machinery. A bidding war ensued, and Virgin secured the band for the 1997 album Nordhausen. A year later came 9.9.99. 9 Uhr, which yielded the hit “Get You Closer.” After the follow-up Virgin Superstar, Joke Jay resigned, while Ruiz returned to And One full-time in 2001 and featured on the MP3-exclusive single “Amerika Brennt,” the band’s response to the September 11 attacks. Entering its third decade, And One slowed its release pace. The next full-length, Aggressor, finally reached stores in 2003, and Bodypop appeared in 2006 after a three-year interval.
Albums
