Milk & Honey

Following her departure from the Preluders in 2005, Anne Ross came under the mentorship of producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen the subsequent year. Guided by him, she joined forces with his fiancée, Algerian-born vocalist Manel Filali, to establish Milk & Honey. The pair cultivated a sound built on polished Euro-dance rhythms, bold Arabic pop elements, and lyrics delivered in English, French, and Arabic, positioning the act as a deliberate East-meets-West project. Their official site described the music as "Ein phantastischer trip in den Orient mit einer berührenden melodie" ("A fantastic trip to the Orient with a catchy melody"). Issued by Warner in autumn 2006, their first single Habibi climbed to position 16 on the German pop charts. The follow-up Didi appeared in 2007 and reached only number 38 domestically, yet Warner proceeded with plans for the duo’s debut album Elbi, scheduled for late summer 2008.