by Michael Sutton 　　During the mid-'80s, numerous synth pop acts dreamed of becoming the next Depeche Mode. Celebrate the Nun could have been buried in the glut of Depeche Mode doppelgangers; however, top-drawer songwriting and consistently catchy hooks lifted Celebrate the Nun above the mass of wannabes. Celebrate the Nun was formed in Germany in 1986 by H.P. Baxxter and Rick Jordan. In 1988, the band released their first single, "Ordinary Town." Two tracks from the group's 1988 debut LP, Meanwhile -- "She's a Secretary" and "Will You Still Be There" -- ignited in American clubs; the band even landed on Billboard's dance charts, reaching number five. When Celebrate the Nun's second album, Continuous, appeared in 1991, synth pop was already starting to lose its commercial viability in the U.S. Alternative radio stations began tightening their play lists to satiate America's newfound craving for grunge; consequently, Celebrate the Nun was unable to graduate from cult status, and they eventually split up. In the summer of 1993, Baxxter and Jordan, along with DJ Jens Thele and Ferris Bueller, started remixing records as the Loop, working on songs by Holly Johnson, RuPaul, and Tag Team, among others. In 1994, the foursome evolved into the techno outfit Scooter; a year later, Scooter released their first album, And the Beat Goes On.