| Euro Pop is full of shooting stars- Technotronic, Culture Beat, Milli Vanilli, Boney M- but none as spectacular as 2 Unlimited. The idea of studio eggheads Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul DeCoster, 2 Unlimited's pretty public side was singer Anita Dels and Rapper Ray Slijngaard, whose rhymes were cruelly cut from most of their UK hits. While fusing the toughest of Techno with the plink-plonkiest of Pop, they stormed charts with 1991's atomic 'Get Ready For This' and Get Ready (1992), source of super smashes 'Twilight Zone', 'Workaholic' and 'The Magic Friend'.
These were nothing compared to 1993's No Limits, whose 'No Limit'- 'No no/ no-no-no-no/ No-no No-no/ No-no/ THERE'S NO LIMIT!' barked Dels- simulated the sound giant dinosaurs might make stomping on cities. If its chant-worthy chorus weren't enough, the 2 spoiled us with Ray's immortal insert 'Technotechnotechnotechno!'- their manifesto in a nutshell. Further dancefloor workouts- 'Tribal Dance', 'Faces', 'Maximum Overdrive' and 'Let The Beat Control Your Body'- ravaged charts and minds across the globe, and led to them being nicknamed '2 Untalented'.
But US success proved elusive and though Real Things (1994) topped the UK chart, 'The Real Thing', 'No One' and 'Here I Go' lacked sparkle. Luckily, they knew when to quit, releasing the neat retrospective Hits Unlimited (1995) before disappearing. Slijngaard and Dels formed production companies, had solo hits back home in Holland, and linger forever in the hearts of true music lovers. | 
