Donna Regina - The Early Years

Track listing:

1.driving in your car
2.water so blue
3.a paris
4.folllow the sea
5.make my heart happy
6.veena rain
7.dream in black
8.planet me
9.cool moon
10.morning mood
11.full silver moon
12.clouds in your eyes
13.douce - amiere
14.touch of spring
15.lazing away

The early history of one of the most important electronic-pop bands from Germany.

Maybe you think, Donna Regina's first album was “Quiet Week in the House” on Karaoke Kalk in 1999? You're wrong! Donna Regina appeared on the German avant-pop scene in the beginning of the 90's and has released before the Karaoke-Kalk period 5 albums:  "Almaty" (1993), "Her Beautiful Heart" (1995), "Jungle" (1996), "Follow the Sea" (1997) and "Planet Me" (1998). All of these CD's are unavailable for a long time.
"The Early Years," a compilation album that brought together the best songs from the first five CDs, was released on the polish label Gusstaff Rec. The album consists of 15 songs, each briefly described by Regina and Günter on the cover. The cover features also a general commentary on the album by Steffen Irlinger, who joined the band in 2000.

Regina Janssen about this album:
" Sometimes people ask us what we have been doing before our "karaokekalk years" - on "Early Years" those people will find the answer - we chose our favourite songs from our first 5 albums - go and listen for yourselves if you want to know!"

Günther Janssen:
"The songs on  Early Years had been originally released by Strange Ways (a record label in Hamburg). The former label owner Lothar Gärtner gave us (and Gusstaff Records in Poland) the permission to use the tracks of that period (1992 to 1998) for this special compilation. After having received the finished copy of it, he told me he was pleased with the album, being such a  nice way for 'new fans' to discover our old stuff. Sadly, a few months later, he died. He would have been delighted with this official international distribution of the Early Years."

Review from boomkat.com:
“Ahead of the undoubted flood of platitudes which will accompany the truly supine 'Slow Killer' LP, the folk over at Gustaff Records have kindly collated a treasure trove of early material from Donna Regina, so all those who need to cheat on their homework know where to look... Comprised of material recorded between 1992 & 1998, 'The Early Years' is heaving with unavailable gems (see the beatific 'Driving In Your Car') and curios (their only duet on 'Make My Heart Happy' alongside Pete Barany'), all accompanied by a blow-by-blow commentary in the sleeve notes. With a sound that was undoubtedly influenced by Slowdive et al and has gone onto shape the likes of Rosario Blefari, Emiliana Torrini and even Lali Puna, Donna Regina manage to make utterly beguiling pop songs which adhere to none of the rules normally associated with the genre. In possession of a gorgeous voice, Regina's lyrics may at times be nonsensical (the friendly fish narrative of 'Water So Blue'), but thanks to the melancholy tinted quality of both her voice and the accompanying instrumentation, it never once strikes you as twee. Lushly arranged and unassailably catchy, songs such as 'A Paris', the bucolic Sugacubes-esque 'Planet Me' and Pulp-sampled 'Clouds In Your Eyes', make a damn fine case for Donna Regina being one of the premier bands of the past decade. Gorgeous pop music.”