| 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Netherlands |
| Genres | Eurodance |
| Years active | 1990-2001 |
| Past members | |
| Martin Boer Bobby Boer |
|
2 Brothers on the 4th Floor is a Eurodance band, consisting of the Dutch brothers Martin and Bobby Boer. Since their creation in 1990, the group has been fronted by Dutch singer Desire Claudette.
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The Boer brothers had already been experimenting with music in a small bedroom when they finally gained note in 1990, when their single Can't Help Myself was picked up by Dutch radio stations and became an international hit. The brothers then brought together rapper Da Smooth Baron MC and singers Peggy "The Duchess" and Gale Robinson to form their stage act. The release of their next single, Turn Da Music Up was somewhat less successful, but helped the band to gain name recognition.
2 Brothers on the 4th Floor made two hit singles together before separating. Martin Boer moved into a new professional studio and started making remixes under the name Dancability Productions, making remixes for artists such as Becky Bell, Twenty 4 Seven and Luv' (for their Megamix '93), while Bobby Boer designed record covers and CD inlays for other artists.
2 Brothers on the 4th Floor was revived by the Boer brothers in 1994. Bobby joined Martin in his studio and, after some time, released the single Never Alone. This single was the first to be launched with rapper D-Rock and singer Desirée Manders (stage name: Des'Ray). The song "Dreams", which the title song of the band's first album, was a song that captured the essence of Eurodance. Due to the genre's popularity when the song was released in 1994, the song became a hit both nationally and internationally. The band's renewed style and concept was accepted well by Dutch audience. Never Alone topped the charts for weeks and went gold. Dreams, the band's subsequent single, went straight to number one and remained on the charts for weeks (as well as reaching the top 30 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the United States) and Let Me Be Free, its successor, remained in the top ten nationally for some time.
In 1995 and 1996, 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor further widened their success with the singles Fly (Through The Starry Night), Come Take My Hand and Fairytales, changing their genre in happy hardcore. These singles topped the charts in various European countries. At the end of 1996, the band released the single There's a Key and its second album, 2. After 2, the band shifted styles and first recorded the single One Day, an R&B track that departed from their typical Eurodance style, before going back to their previous Eurodance style with the single I'm Thinkin' of U.
In March 1998, 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor released the single Do U Know, a mid to low tempo pop track. At the beginning of the fall of 1998, the single The Sun Will Be Shining was released. It contains remixes by Mark van Dale & Enrico, Dance Therapy and the Dub Foundation. Packaged with The Sun Will Be Shining was a CD-ROM featuring the videos of "The Sun Will Be Shining" and "The Making Of".
On February 5, 1999, the single Heaven Is Here was released. October 29 of that year saw the release of the single Living In Cyberspace. On June 16, 2000, the single "Wonderful Feeling" was released. On June 29, 2001, the single "Stand Up And Live" was released.
2 Brother on the 4th Floor never released its third album due to problems with, among other things, record companies. Currently, the band doesn't seem to exist anymore, although it is unclear whether they have split up. Des'Ray has a solo career, and D-Rock is working with the band E-Life. 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor's most recent performance was in January 2006 at The Zenith, Venray (NL).
2 Brothers on the 4th Floor announced a come back in 2008 with a first performance at I love the 90's - The party in Belgium, Hasselt on 12 April 2008 (http://www.ilovethe90s.be/), where they performed live in front of 21,500 people. They are currently actively touring again, with shows in various European countries, such as The Netherlands, Italy, Poland and Denmark. Their agenda is available on their site at http://www.2brothersonthe4thfloor.nl
Their music has also been used as part of the soundtrack for the Dutch movies "New Kids Turbo" (2010) and "New Kids Nitro" (2011), which helped their revival considerably, showcasing their music to a whole new, younger generation.
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Can't Help Myself" | Dreams |
| 1991 | "Turn da Music Up" | |
| 1993 | "Never Alone" | |
| 1994 | "Dreams (Will Come Alive)" | |
| "Let Me Be Free" | ||
| 1995 | "Fly (Through the Starry Night)" | 2 |
| "Come Take My Hand" | ||
| 1996 | "Fairytales" | |
| "Mirror of Love" | ||
| "There's a Key" | ||
| "Christmas Time" (Christmas version of "There Is a Key") | ||
| 1997 | "One Day" | |
| "I'm Thinkin' of U" | ||
| 1998 | "Do You Know?" | |
| "The Sun Will Be Shining | ||
| 1999 | "Heaven Is Here" | |
| "Living in Cyberspace" | ||
| 2000 | "Wonderful Feeling" | |
| 2001 | "Stand Up and Live" |