Summary
Biography
Techno house project set up by Belgian producers duo Jean-Paul De Coster and Phil Wilde. The songs are performed by Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth. 2 Unlimited are the first to successfully make a crossover between underground hardcore techno and mainstream pop.
Full biography
Members
Jean-Paul de Coster
componist, producer
Ray Slijngaard
rap, tekstdichter
Phil Wilde
componist, producer
Anita Dels
tekstdichter, zang
Former members
Romy van Ooijen
zang
Marjon van Iwaarden
zang
Biography
Techno house project set up by Belgian producers duo Jean-Paul De Coster and Phil Wilde. The songs are performed by Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth. 2 Unlimited are the first to successfully make a crossover between underground hardcore techno and mainstream pop.
1991
Belgian producers duo Jean-Paul De Coster and Phil Wilde have already scored several hits under the names Bizz Nizz and T99 when they score another underground hit in Britain as 2 Unlimited with the instrumental track Get Ready For This. Because they want to take the project on the road they contact rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth. At that moment Ray works in the kitchen of Schiphol Airport and Anita works at the administrative department of the traffic police. Besides their day jobs they also perform as dancer and singer respectively. The vocal version of Get Ready For This also becomes a hit.
1992
Ray and Anita travel the world to promote 2 Unlimited. Besides Europe, they also go to India, Turkey, Korea, Japan, South America and Africa. In August they score a hit with The Magic Friend. Two weeks before every official release 12" white labels are distributed among the club DJ's.
1993
No Limit is released. The first single taken from the second album No Limits dominates the charts for weeks on end and holds the number one position in 35 European countries. In June and July the band travels to the US and in August they're off to Asia. August also sees the release of the single Faces. The fourth single to be released is Maximum Overdrive. Ray and Anita travel to Eastern Europe and Russia. In the meantime several national (2 Brothers On The Fourth Floor) and international (Culture Beat) acts try to follow into 2 Unlimited's footsteps. 2 Unlimited is awarded Best Selling Dutch Act at the World Music Awards and the readers of the British pop magazine Smash Hits choose them as Best Dance Act.
2 Brothers On The 4th Floor
1994
The single Let The Beat Control Your Body is released, followed by 2 Unlimited's third album Real Things. MTV broadcasts a three-hour special about the band. 2 Unlimited performs at the Parkpop festival in The Hague. With the single Twilight Zone 2 Unlimited finally succeeds in entering the Billboard Hot 100 Singles.
1995
Ray and Anita receive the Popprijs ('Pop Award'). Here I Go becomes 2 Unlimited's 12th successive single that enters the Top 10. Nothing Like The Rain is the first ballad to be released on single. Four years after its official release Get Ready For This finally enters the Billboard Hot 100 Singles. Ray sets up his own record company called Raymar Productions (later Rayvano Records). He signs several dance, hiphop, jungle and R&B artists. The label's most successful act is T.O.F. with the single Funk It Up. Hits Unlimited, which contains the band's biggest successes, is released.
T.O.F.
1996
In April Ray Slijngaard and Anita Doth announce that they will leave 2 Unlimited because they can no longer identify with the musical course of De Coster and Wilde and because they earn much less than the two producers. So far the band has sold over 20 million records worldwide. After the break-up Ray concerns himself with his record company and his family and Anita starts working for music station TMF and Radio 538.
Ray Slijngaard
1997
Ray records a song with R&B girl group Dignity and also releases his first solo-single 3X A Day. Both fail to reach the charts.
Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo Dignity Klubbheads Pearl
1998
De Coster and Wilde present their new single Wanna Get Up in March. Singers Romy van Ooijen and Marjon van Iwaarden have replaced Ray and Anita. A new album is released in April.
1999
Ray forms V.I.P. Allstars. The first single, When It's My Turn Baby, also features Orpheo (formerly Késhaw) and female rapper Strezz. Anita also starts a solo career. In April her single Universe is released, which fails to enter the charts. She records her debut album in New York, London and Amsterdam with producers Todd Terry (Robin S. and Cher), Steve Mac (Boyzone) en Adamski (Seal). The second V.I.P. Allstars single, Mamacita, is released in August.
Anita Doth KéShaw
2000
Marjon van Iwaarden leaves 2 Unlimited to pursue a solo career. Anita Doth releases her second solo single. DJ's Razor & Guido, DJ Jean and Robin Albers remix the old 2 Unlimited hits before they are re-released.
Anita Doth DJ Jean
2002
After performing for the Stichting Doe Een Wens ('Make A Wish Foundation') Anita Doth and Linda Estelle (T-Spoon) and Des'ray (2 Brothers On The Fourth Floor) decide to form the Diva's of Dance. The trio performs disco and dance classics from the '80s and '90s completed with their own chart successes.
2 Brothers On The 4th Floor Diva's of Dance T-Spoon
2009
Ray Slijngaard and Anita Doth are together on a stage for the first time since 1996. This happens on 11 April during I Love The 90's - The Party, in Belgium. Their first appearance on a Dutch stage is during Queen's Day in Amsterdam on 30 April. During the launch of the website Top40.nl in June, 2 Unlimited receives the Top 40 Decennium Award, because the band was the most successful Dutch act of the 90's in the charts.
Ray & Anita
2010
The first single to be released after Ray and Anita's reunion is In Da Name Of Love (January).
Discography
In the discography you will find all recordings that have been released listed chronologically. We restrict ourselves to the title, the type of audio, year of publication or recording, label, list of guest musicians, plus any comments on the issue.
Albums
Get Ready
|
Type and year
|
CD, 1992
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 1002
|
|
Chart position
|
14-03-1992, Albumlijst, 47 weeks, number 17
|
No Limits!
|
Type and year
|
CD, 1993
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 1012
|
|
Chart position
|
22-05-1993, Albumlijst, 69 weeks, number 1
|
Real Things
|
Type and year
|
CD, 1994
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 103-2
|
|
Chart position
|
18-06-1994, Albumlijst, 50 weeks, number 1
|
Hits Unlimited
|
Type and year
|
CD, 1995
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 1062
|
|
Chart position
|
11-11-1995, Albumlijst, 42 weeks, number 6
|
2 Unlimited II
|
Type and year
|
CD, 1998
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 598 100-2
|
|
Chart position
|
09-05-1998, Albumlijst, 4 weeks, number 55
|
Get Ready For This
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1991
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5006
|
|
Chart position
|
30-11-1991, Top 40, 10 weeks, number 10
|
The Magic Friend
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1992
|
|
Label
|
CNR, 181.12235-015
|
|
Chart position
|
22-08-1992, Top 40, 11 weeks, number 5
|
Twilight Zone
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1992
|
|
Label
|
CNR, 1810543
|
|
Chart position
|
08-02-1992, Top 40, 14 weeks, number 1
|
Workaholic
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1992
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5013-008
|
|
Chart position
|
23-05-1992, Top 40, 9 weeks, number 6
|
Faces
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1993
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5024
|
|
Chart position
|
14-09-1993, Top 40, 11 weeks, number 2
|
Maximum Overdrive
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1993
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5-025
|
|
Chart position
|
20-11-1993, Top 40, 15 weeks, number 5
|
No Limit
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1993
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5-016
|
|
Chart position
|
06-02-1993, Top 40, 17 weeks, number 1
|
Tribal dance
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1993
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5-020
|
|
Chart position
|
08-05-1993, Top 40, 11 weeks, number 2
|
Beyond Limits
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1994
|
|
Label
|
Philips, 819 1021
|
Let The Beat Control Your Body
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1994
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5026
|
|
Chart position
|
12-02-1994, Top 40, 10 weeks, number 2
|
No One
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1994
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5033
|
|
Chart position
|
01-10-1994, Top 40, 12 weeks, number 2
|
The Real Thing
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1994
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5031
|
|
componist
|
Peter Bauwens
|
|
Chart position
|
21-05-1994, Top 40, 11 weeks, number 1
|
Do What's Good For Me
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1995
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5044
|
|
Chart position
|
14-10-1995, Top 40, 6 weeks, number 13
|
Here I Go
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1995
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5037
|
|
Chart position
|
18-03-1995, Top 40, 6 weeks, number 5
|
Nothing Like The Rain
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1995
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 5040
|
|
Chart position
|
17-06-1995, Top 40, 10 weeks, number 6
|
Jump For Joy
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1996
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 96525
|
|
Chart position
|
10-02-1996, Top 40, 7 weeks, number 7
|
Spread Your Love
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1996
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 9606-5
|
|
Chart position
|
11-05-1996, Top 40, 7 weeks, number 17
|
Edge Of Heaven
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1998
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 59804-5
|
|
Chart position
|
18-07-1998, Top 40, 3 weeks, number 35
|
Never Surrender
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1998
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 59811-5
|
|
Chart position
|
12-09-1998, Top 40, Tip
|
Wanna Get Up
|
Type and year
|
CDS, 1998
|
|
Label
|
BYTE, 59800-5
|
|
Chart position
|
28-03-1998, Top 40, 10 weeks, number 10
|
No Limits
|
Type and year
|
Video, 1993
|
|
Label
|
Unknown
|
Hits Unlimited
|
Type and year
|
Video, 1995
|
|
Label
|
Unknown
|
Audio/Video
Video
2 Unlimited - Get ready f...
2 Unlimited - Maximum Ove...
2 Unlimited - No Limit HD
2 Unlimited - The Real Th...
2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone
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