Cascada

Initially named Cascade, the act encountered legal obstacles that prompted a switch to Cascada, the polished and buoyant Euro-dance outfit built around producers DJ Manian and Yanou together with vocalist Natalie Horler, though Horler is at times billed independently as Cascada herself. Born in Bonn, Germany, to English parents, Horler cultivated broad musical tastes while growing up. Upon reaching 18 she supplied studio vocals for assorted producers and thereby connected with DJ Manian and Yanou, the latter already known for his work with DJ Sammy on the global dance hit “Heaven.” The trio cut the single “Miracle” in 2004 while still operating as Cascade, adopting Cascada—Spanish for “Waterfall”—on the follow-up pressing. The track spread through German clubs and soon drew the interest of Robbins Entertainment, the U.S. label that had earlier steered Euro-dance acts DJ Sammy and D.H.T. onto American charts. Robbins issued “Miracle” again and paired it with the subsequent singles “Bad Boy,” “Everytime We Touch,” and “How Do You Do!,” the last a cover of Roxette’s 1992 song. The decisive breakthrough arrived late in 2005 once DJ Sammy and Yanou came across Scottish vocalist Maggie Reilly’s recording of “Everytime We Touch”; the group’s version became an international success by mid-2006, topping the American dance charts and reaching the pop Top Ten. The album Everytime We Touch appeared the same year and gathered the prior singles plus covers of Savage Garden’s “Truly Madly Deeply” and Kim Wilde’s “Kids in America.” Cascada resurfaced in 2008 with the single “What Hurts the Most” and the album Perfect Day. Two years later “Evacuate the Dancefloor” scored worldwide success as the title track of their 2009 album. Original Me arrived in summer 2011, offering a disc of fresh material alongside a bonus disc compiling the group’s internationally released singles to date, while 2012 brought It’s Christmas Time and its interpretations of familiar holiday songs.