Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the minimalist masterpiece that formed the basis for Energy 52’s ‘Café Del Mar’…

Energy 52’s Café Del Mar is, for many, the quintessential 90s trance track. Produced by Paul Schmitz-Moormann (aka Kid Paul) and Harald Blüchel (aka Cosmic Baby), the track was the very first release on Sven Vath’s Eye-Q Records back in 1993.

In the late 90s, it would received a reinterpretation from a number of artists, including Oliver Lieb, Solar Stone and the double act of André Strässer and Sharam Jey, aka Three N One, who delivered arguably the all-time essential version.

It’s still being remixed today, with a 30-year remix boxset being released in 2025.

‘Energy 52’s Café Del Mar is one of the most iconic tracks in dance music,’ a press release to announce the re-release put it. ‘Over the years, Café Del Mar has achieved legendary status, regularly featuring in lists of the greatest dance tracks of all time. To put it simply, Café Del Mar is a cultural phenomenon, encapsulating the spirit of an era and influencing generations of artists and fans alike.’

But the genesis of the track actually goes back to the early 80s (1983 to be exact) and Belgian composer Wim Mertens, and his track Struggle For Pleasure.

Having penned a book investigating American Minimalism (Reich, Glass et al) in 1980, Mertens developed a reputation for sonic experimentation; as his official biography reads, “He often writes for unusual instrumentations: twelve piccolos, ten bass trombones, thirteen clarinets”.

His recording debut in 1980, For Amusement Only, was an electronic composition for pinball machines.

“I come from an intellectual background, but in 1980 I made the decision: What you see is what you hear,” Mertens told Flanders Today back in 2015. “Everything I want to say should be deduced from the music; you have to hear it. You have to understand me by listening.”

While he may not have envisaged his his Struggle For Pleasure would continue to enliven dancefloors more than 40 years after its release, the dance industry owes the now 66-year-old a sizeable debt of gratitude.