ARKETIPO 187

MAX PIX #3: Deee-Lite’s World Clique (1990)

Many people think of essential party hits as those one hit wonders or synchronized line dancing tracks that are played at bat/bar mitvahs, quinces, weddings, and birthday parties such as the “Electric Slide,” “YMCA,” or (gulp) the dreaded “Macarena.” DJs all over the world, especially mobile and private party DJs rely on certain tracks because of the song’s staying power and familiarity. Not to say that these songs were always cheesy, its just the stigma that a popular song gets when 6-year-olds are dancing to it at a Pokeman themed bday party, or when your aunt, uncle, and abuelita jam to it at your sister’s wedding, it just loses it’s cool. Take it from me, I ran a mobile entertainment company for many years, and there is a definitive list of about 20 tracks that ALWAYS work that we would love to hate, but know would ignite the crowd.

But, I kind of want to set the record straight and shed light on one song and group in particular and focus on perhaps one of the most under appreciated groups and under publicized records of all time.

A lot of people peg Deee-Lite and their hit “Groove is in the Heart” as a flash in the pan. I gotta tell you I CRINGE every time I see a special on VHI or MTV about one hit wonders:

Lady miss Kier herself had this to say on YouTube in response to someone uploading a snipit from one of these VHI-type specials:

One word: Fierce.

The Truth is, in my opinion, the band formed in 1986 and were basically responsible for introducing dance music, mainly house music, to mainstream culture. “Groove is in the Heart,” despite it being a crossover hit, is still one of my favorite tracks from their debut album, and the most widely recognized single from “World Clique.” However, this masterpiece collection of early house tracks was an echo of the New York club culture that would eventually culminate in the club kid movement. Remember people —  this album was released in 1990 (technically 1989)!

Some of the follow-up singles included “Power of Love” and “Good Beat” (one of my other favorites for its swishy beat and infectious hooks) which are AMAZEBALLS. If you play these tracks today and credit Deee-Lite, people would ask “Really? The Groove is in the Heart people?”

The feel of the album as a whole is a Warholian work of technicolor pop art. The album is a groovy (no pun intended) melting pot of downtempo, jazzy intstrumentation, church organ based riffs, piano laden melodies, and a LOT of funk. The trio really put a face on DJ culture and Miss Kier’s look (as was noted in the VHI clip above) was responsible for a whole new wave of interest in the retro/70′s look, platforms and bellbottoms were cool again. I swear this is where that whole JNCO look was birthed (god I cant believe I used to wear those HAHA I could jump off a skyscrapper and float down like a parashoot with the amount of fabric in those. but thats a whole other subject) . Lady Miss Kier is a POWERHOUSE of energy and vocals, her New York snap oozes from her persona and I love her for it.

There are even several “filler tracks” that are soley sample based or instrumental that were a staple sound track to a big chunk of my life. For example, “Build the Bridge” rocks.

They released two albums afterwards that were not as commercially viable, but had thier moments: Infinity Within to me, was like a whole new genre: Political Dance Music. Tracks on the album touched on everything from Voting like “Vote Baby Vote” (which is a KILLER JINGLE to urge youth to vote that again I think NO ONE ever got wind of), safe sex, ozone depletion, and so on. They even collaborated with Arrested Development on “I.F.O.” and Michael Franti on “Fuddy Duddy Judge.” I like the album, but it doesn’t hold a candle to their final album as a groupL “Dewdrops in the Garden.”

MAX PIX #4: Deee-Lite’s Dewdrops in the Garden (1994)

After a mediocore response from fans and the media for “Infinity Within” (I think from being misunderstood and being LIGHT YEARS ahead of the times) the group sort of took the best of both albums and used their notoriety from years of touring and networking in the music industry to create their final MASTERPIECE  – HEARTBREAKING to know that it would be thier final album.

Lady Miss Kier had this to say:

“During the Gulf War and Bush years we felt it was important to use the platform we had in the media responsibly. Our new album is more about personal politics rather than global. We’re going back to our original concept. People have enough problems, they don’t need to hear it in music. Just making uplifting music is a political statement in itself. We want to strengthen their spirit on the dance floor so they can diffuse the dissatisfaction from daily global destruction.”

The album is definitive journey, laced like a killer DJ set, each track bleeds into the other and I can’t find ONE weak link in the entire album. If World Clique was unappreciated, Dew Drops in the Garden was like a secret stash that only the diehard Deee-lite fans were privy to. The album contains high energy diva-esque anthems, Utopian inspired techno bangers, rave anthems, and some amazing chillout and trip hop tracks. It is evident why the album has so many amazing tracks because of their inlisting some TOP NOTCH producers to collaborate on a number of the songs within the album.

“Bitter Sweet Loving” was coproduced by Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez and “Little” Louie Vega (Also known as Masters at Work, GODS of the early 90′s NY House scene). “Music Selector is the Soul Reflector” produced by junglist DJ Soul Slinger, and “DMT” by Armand Van Helden — an  added BONUS track for those who buy the CD — a hidden track remix of “Bring me your Love” by Johnny Vicious.

No amount of hype could put into words the embodied snapshot of the rave culture as a whole this album was. Once again Deee-lite and Miss Kier’s fashion tastes inspired a whole generation of club and rave goers.

Deee-lite “River Freedom” my favorite track from the album.

Although I have every album, remix album, maxi-single, bootleg, and white label ever made or stamped with Deee-lite’s name on it, I miss the group as a whole SOOOO MUCH. Each respective band member has had very successful DJ careers after the disbandment of Deee-Lite. Check out Lady Miss Kier’s Home site. One of those few artists who really interact with thier fan base today.

Dont forget to check out my other “MAX PIX” edition on Orbital’s “In Sides,” Portishead’s “Dummy” and Tricky’s “Maxinquaye” here on Arketipo 187.

Alex Ferbeyre (DJ Maximus 3000)

Alex Ferbeyre pka DJ Maximus 3000, is a chart topping producer, remixer, DJ, and founder/owner of the record label 8025 Alliance Music Group. DJ Maximus 3000 is also an experimental artist who has been working in the music industry since 1995. He has a background in music theory, journalism, and marketing and is the music editor of Arketipo 187 Magazine. Follow Ferbeyre on Twitter and Facebook or email him at max@arketipo187.com.

Tags: Arketipo 187, armand van helden, Deee-lite, Dewdrops in the garden, DJ Dimitry, DJ Maximus 3000, Groove is in the heart, House, Lady Miss Kier, Masters at work, Max Pix, MTV, one hit wonders, Party Music, rave culture, raves, Soul Slinger, Techno, Towa Tei, VH1, World Clique

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