And One

And One

And One is a German synthpop group that forms in Berlin in 1989, with roots in the city’s club scene and an early sound shaped by electronic body music and related acts such as Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb. The project starts with DJs and producers Steve Naghavi and Chris Ruiz, who meet in a local dance club in the previous year and build a twin-synthesiser, beatbox-based approach influenced by Depeche Mode. The group remains active from 1988 to the present, and its line-up includes Chris Ruiz, Steve Naghavi, Alex Two, Joke Jay, Rick Schah, Annelie Bertilsson, Gio van Oli and Nico Wieditz.

Early releases and Machinery years

After signing to the new Machinery label, And One issues its debut single, “Metal Hammer,” in 1990. The track becomes a notable club hit and leads into the first album, Anguish, which includes contributions from newly added member Alex Two. In 1991 the group releases the charity single “Aus der Traum,” first titled “Saddam Hussein,” and produced to support Greenpeace. Later that year the album Flop! follows and marks Chris Ruiz’s departure as he leaves to pursue a solo career.

Line-up changes and wider recognition

With drummer Joke Jay added, And One records the EP Monotonie, which returns to the band’s earlier EBM influences. The 1993 album Spot is generally treated as the group’s most commercial and accessible release and produces the mainstream pop hit “Life Isn’t Easy in Germany.” Alex Two leaves soon afterwards, and Rick Schah joins on keyboards for 1994’s I.S.T., which is usually regarded as the band’s most ambitious and challenging record.

Later 1990s and 2000s activity

Chris Ruiz appears again on the 1995 single “Deutschemaschine,” which also brings And One’s long association with Machinery to an end. A bidding war follows, and the group signs to Virgin. Under that label it releases Nordhausen in 1997 and 9.9.99. 9 Uhr in 1998, the latter containing the hit “Get You Closer.” After Virgin Superstar, Joke Jay resigns, and Ruiz returns full-time in 2001. Ruiz then appears on the MP3-only single “Amerika Brennt,” which responds to the September 11 attacks. In the early 2000s the group’s pace slows, with Aggressor arriving in 2003 and Bodypop following after a three-year gap in 2006.

Style and genre

And One is identified with German synthpop, EBM, electro, electronic, futurepop, new wave and synth-pop. Its work combines club-oriented electronic rhythms with the darker industrial edge associated with early EBM, while later releases broaden into more accessible pop forms.