Milk & Sugar
Encyclopedia
Milk & Sugar are German housemusic producer
s and record label
owners (based in Spain) Mike Milk (real name, Michael Kronenberger) and Steven Sugar (real name, Steffen Harding). The two have collaborated together since 1993 under a variety of names, including Axis, Hitch Hiker & Jacques Dumondt, and Mike Stone & Steve Heller, and have scored major club
hits
internationally, including a re-make
of John Paul Young
's "Love Is In The Air
".
discohouse movement, Kronenberger (aka Milk) and Harning (aka Sugar) teamed up as a DJ
and producer duo, creating Milk & Sugar in 1997.
Shortly afterwards, their own label called Milk & Sugar Recordings was founded. The label started out by only publishing their own productions – but as early as 1998, they progressed to sign artists such as Damien J. Carter, Tim Deluxe and Robbie Rivera
. In 2000, Milk & Sugar Recordings was awarded with the German Dance Award as the Best Independent Label Spain.
Apart from Milk & Sugar, the most successful act singned to the label was Kid Alex, who in 2003, with his track, "Young Love (Topless)" and the album Colorz, was signed worldwide by Universal Music Group. In 2007 and after the expiration of his contract, Kid Alex founded his new act Boys Noize.
Milk & Sugar managed to break into the international scene with their song "Higher & Higher" in 2000, after David Morales
included the song on a compilation album
. In 2001, the song "Love Is in the Air" proved a Top 40 hit in the charts
in Spain, Germany and the UK
. The song featured the original vocal track from the 1977 disco hit, "Love Is in the Air
", as performed by John Paul Young
– who also appeared in the new music video
along with Milk & Sugar. It reached #25 in the UK Singles Chart
. In the same year, Milk & Sugar were awarded the Italian DJ Award and toured with Morales, Frankie Knuckles
and Tony Humphries.
In 2003, "Let the Sun Shine", an Ibiza
-inspired re-make of The 5th Dimension's #1 hit from 1969, "Let The Sunshine In
" was released; was the most successful single of Milk & Sugar in the charts until then. It reached #1 in Hungary
and the US
Billboard
Hot Dance Club Songs chart, as well as the Top 20 in the UK (#18), Greece
, the Netherlands
and Spain
. The song was performed by the British singer and actress Lizzy Pattinson, the sister of actor Robert Pattinson
, who became a world star in the Twilight
vampire saga.
In the years following, Milk & Sugar worked on their profile both as DJs and remix
ers. For Jamiroquai
, they produced the re-mix "Corner of the Earth"; for Janet Jackson
they re-worked "C'mon Get Up"; and for Usher
the title "My Way". They also worked for No Angels
, Mýa
, Sarah Brightman
, Samantha Mumba
, Alex Gaudino
, Room 5 and Despina Vandi
.
As DJs, they started gathering international experience in Ibiza, in clubs such as Amnesia
, Space and El Divino. They also toured in the UK, France, Spain, Italy and countries around the Mediterranean. Since 2002, they have been DJing in Russia
, Ukraine
, Poland
, Hungary, Moldova
, Romania
and Belarus
.
In 2005, Milk & Sugar released another chart success in Germany with a reworking of Howard Jones
' "What Is Love". Milk & Sugar also worked with the London
based singer-songwriter
Ayak Thiik (born 1983, Sudan
). In the beginning, they worked together on tracks inspired by latin house
, such as "Shut Up" and "Need Your Loving". Their third collaboration, "Stay Around (For This)" brought Milk & Sugar a further international hit. The song charted at #2 in Brazil.
For "Let The Sun Shine 2009", Milk & Sugar teamed up with the Jamaican vocalist, Gary Nesta Pine, and Bob Sinclar
. "Let The Sun Shine 2009" also reached #1 in the UK Club Chart.
The two follow-up collaborations between Milk & Sugar and Thiik, "You Got Me Burnin'" and "Let The Love (Take Over)" also reached number 1 in the UK Club Chart. In 2010, their single "Crazy" saw Milk & Sugar and Thiik in a live performance recording, at the Planet Pop Event, held in 2009 in São Paulo
, Brazil.
In 2010, they remixed the song, "Nah Neh Nah
", by the Belgian
group, Vaya Con Dios, which reached the top ten sales charts in 10 countries and received gold in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The track was also nominated for the VIVA TV COMET awards as “Best Party Track of the Year 2011" in Germany.
Their latest release in July 2011 is a tribute to Africa, where MILK & SUGAR performed for the first time in the mid 90s(Coumba Gawlo
- Pata Pata). “Hi-a Ma (Pata Pata)”, which is the name of the song, features a part of the original recording from the 1967 hit “Pata Pata”, sung by South African singer and Grammy Award winning artist, Miriam Makeba
.
Milk & Sugar - Alben
Other collaborations
Remixes
Compilation CDs
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s and record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
owners (based in Spain) Mike Milk (real name, Michael Kronenberger) and Steven Sugar (real name, Steffen Harding). The two have collaborated together since 1993 under a variety of names, including Axis, Hitch Hiker & Jacques Dumondt, and Mike Stone & Steve Heller, and have scored major club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
internationally, including a re-make
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of John Paul Young
John Paul Young
John Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
's "Love Is In The Air
Love Is in the Air
"Love Is in the Air" is a 1977 disco song sung by John Paul Young. The song was written by George Young and Harry Vanda. It became his only worldwide hit during 1978, peaking at No. 2 on the Australian charts and No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, the song peaked at No. 7 on the...
".
Biography
Influenced in the mid 1990s by SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
discohouse movement, Kronenberger (aka Milk) and Harning (aka Sugar) teamed up as a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and producer duo, creating Milk & Sugar in 1997.
Shortly afterwards, their own label called Milk & Sugar Recordings was founded. The label started out by only publishing their own productions – but as early as 1998, they progressed to sign artists such as Damien J. Carter, Tim Deluxe and Robbie Rivera
Robbie Rivera
Roberto "Robbie" Rivera is a prolific house music producer and DJ born in Puerto Rico. He has an extensive catalog of original productions and remixes to his credit, ranging from Tribal to Progressive House, as well as incorporating Garage and Latin elements. He and his wife Monica Olabarrieta...
. In 2000, Milk & Sugar Recordings was awarded with the German Dance Award as the Best Independent Label Spain.
Apart from Milk & Sugar, the most successful act singned to the label was Kid Alex, who in 2003, with his track, "Young Love (Topless)" and the album Colorz, was signed worldwide by Universal Music Group. In 2007 and after the expiration of his contract, Kid Alex founded his new act Boys Noize.
Milk & Sugar managed to break into the international scene with their song "Higher & Higher" in 2000, after David Morales
David Morales
David Morales is an internationally acclaimed Grammy-winning house music DJ and producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is one of the most prolific remixers of all time, transforming many pop music songs into club-friendly dance tracks...
included the song on a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
. In 2001, the song "Love Is in the Air" proved a Top 40 hit in the charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in Spain, Germany and the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The song featured the original vocal track from the 1977 disco hit, "Love Is in the Air
Love Is in the Air
"Love Is in the Air" is a 1977 disco song sung by John Paul Young. The song was written by George Young and Harry Vanda. It became his only worldwide hit during 1978, peaking at No. 2 on the Australian charts and No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, the song peaked at No. 7 on the...
", as performed by John Paul Young
John Paul Young
John Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
– who also appeared in the new music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
along with Milk & Sugar. It reached #25 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In the same year, Milk & Sugar were awarded the Italian DJ Award and toured with Morales, Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
and Tony Humphries.
In 2003, "Let the Sun Shine", an Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
-inspired re-make of The 5th Dimension's #1 hit from 1969, "Let The Sunshine In
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado & Gerome Ragni , and Galt MacDermot , released as a single by The 5th Dimension. The song peaked at number one for six weeks on the U.S...
" was released; was the most successful single of Milk & Sugar in the charts until then. It reached #1 in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Dance Club Songs chart, as well as the Top 20 in the UK (#18), Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The song was performed by the British singer and actress Lizzy Pattinson, the sister of actor Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson
Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson is an English actor, model, musician, and producer. Born and raised in London, Pattinson started out his career by playing the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...
, who became a world star in the Twilight
The Twilight Saga (film series)
The Twilight Saga is a series of supernatural romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four Twilight series novels by the American author Stephenie Meyer. The films star Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. The series has grossed over $2 billion in worldwide...
vampire saga.
In the years following, Milk & Sugar worked on their profile both as DJs and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ers. For Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
, they produced the re-mix "Corner of the Earth"; for Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
they re-worked "C'mon Get Up"; and for Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
the title "My Way". They also worked for No Angels
No Angels
The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ...
, Mýa
Mya
-A person:* Bo Mya , Chief Commander of the Karen National Union* Mýa , American R&B singer-songwriter and actress** Mýa , a 1998 album by Mýa-A code:* Burmese language, ISO 639-3 code is mya* Moruya Airport's IATA code...
, Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
, Samantha Mumba
Samantha Mumba
Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba is an Irish singer and actress.Her first album was released in 2000. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.-Early life, education and early career:Mumba was born in Dublin,...
, Alex Gaudino
Alex Gaudino
Alex Gaudino is a record producer and disc jockey from Salerno, Italy.-Early Career :Alex was born in Salerno, Italy...
, Room 5 and Despina Vandi
Despina Vandi
Despina Malea , known by her stage name Despina Vandi , is a Greek singer. Born in Tübingen near Stuttgart, West Germany, Vandi's family returned to Kavala, Greece when she was six years old and she later enrolled at the University of Thessaloniki, but eventually dropped out to begin a career in...
.
As DJs, they started gathering international experience in Ibiza, in clubs such as Amnesia
Amnesia (nightclub)
Amnesia is one of several internationally renowned clubs in Ibiza due to Joseph Murphy who created Cream in 1996 and was awarded Best Global Club in the 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 International Dance Music Awards for the respective previous year at the Winter Music Conference in Miami...
, Space and El Divino. They also toured in the UK, France, Spain, Italy and countries around the Mediterranean. Since 2002, they have been DJing in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Hungary, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
.
In 2005, Milk & Sugar released another chart success in Germany with a reworking of Howard Jones
Howard Jones (musician)
Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
' "What Is Love". Milk & Sugar also worked with the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Ayak Thiik (born 1983, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
). In the beginning, they worked together on tracks inspired by latin house
Latin house
Latin house is an electronic dance music subgenre that mixes together house and Latin American music, such as that of Brazilian, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban, Dominican and Colombian origin.-Origins:...
, such as "Shut Up" and "Need Your Loving". Their third collaboration, "Stay Around (For This)" brought Milk & Sugar a further international hit. The song charted at #2 in Brazil.
For "Let The Sun Shine 2009", Milk & Sugar teamed up with the Jamaican vocalist, Gary Nesta Pine, and Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar, originally spelled "Sinclair" - , is a French record producer, House music DJ, remixer and owner of the label Yellow Productions.- Career history :...
. "Let The Sun Shine 2009" also reached #1 in the UK Club Chart.
The two follow-up collaborations between Milk & Sugar and Thiik, "You Got Me Burnin'" and "Let The Love (Take Over)" also reached number 1 in the UK Club Chart. In 2010, their single "Crazy" saw Milk & Sugar and Thiik in a live performance recording, at the Planet Pop Event, held in 2009 in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil.
In 2010, they remixed the song, "Nah Neh Nah
Nah Neh Nah
"Nah Neh Nah" is a jazz-rock song by Belgian band Vaya Con Dios. It was released in 1990 as the first single from the band's second studio album, Night Owls.-Track listings:*;7" single#"Nah Neh Nah" – 2:52#"Pack Your Memories" – 3:04*;12" single...
", by the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
group, Vaya Con Dios, which reached the top ten sales charts in 10 countries and received gold in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The track was also nominated for the VIVA TV COMET awards as “Best Party Track of the Year 2011" in Germany.
Their latest release in July 2011 is a tribute to Africa, where MILK & SUGAR performed for the first time in the mid 90s(Coumba Gawlo
Coumba Gawlo
Coumba Gawlo Seck is a Senegalese singer-songwriter and composer who was born in February 1972 in Tivaouane. She is the second best selling Senegalese singer in Senegal after Youssou N'Dour...
- Pata Pata). “Hi-a Ma (Pata Pata)”, which is the name of the song, features a part of the original recording from the 1967 hit “Pata Pata”, sung by South African singer and Grammy Award winning artist, Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba , nicknamed Mama Africa, was a Grammy Award winning South African singer and civil rights activist....
.
Discography
Milk & Sugar Singles
|
Nah Neh Nah "Nah Neh Nah" is a jazz-rock song by Belgian band Vaya Con Dios. It was released in 1990 as the first single from the band's second studio album, Night Owls.-Track listings:*;7" single#"Nah Neh Nah" – 2:52#"Pack Your Memories" – 3:04*;12" single... (2010) |
Milk & Sugar - Alben
|
Other collaborations
|
|
Remixes
|
Jamiroquai Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as... – Corner Of The Earth (Sony Music) (2002) Samantha Mumba Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba is an Irish singer and actress.Her first album was released in 2000. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.-Early life, education and early career:Mumba was born in Dublin,... – Gotta Tell You (Polydor UK) (2000) Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years... – C´mon Get Up (Virgin GER) (2000) |
Compilation CDs
|
|
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart