"Deee-lite"
(1986 - active) U.S.A.
Musical group
Former fashion student Lady Miss Kier (born Kier Kirby in Youngstown, Ohio) and Super DJ Dimitry (born Dmitry Brill in the Ukraine) got together under the Deee-Lite moniker in New York City in 1986, adding Jungle DJ Towa Towa (born Towa Tei in Tokyo) a year later.
Although driven by the pop success of an extraordinary single, the group's first album, World Clique, was a solidly groove-a-licious effort, perfectly posed between uptown danceabilities ("Good Beat") and downtown drolleries ("What Is Love?"). The trio's striking visual appeal - equal parts psychedelia and kitsch - helped immeasurably, as well.
Expanding on its vocabulary of techno, ambient, house, rap and funk, Deee-Lite's 1992 follow-up Infinity Within upped the overt political messages - "I Had A Dream I Was Falling Through A Hole In The Ozone Layer" is a typical title - but lacked the focus to deliver a hit. Replacing Towa with DJ Ani, Deee-Lite's third album Dew Drops In The Garden met a similar fate.
In 1995, Towa released a solo album, Future Listening!, tossing bossa nova, jazz, electronica, Ryuichi Sakamoto, odd noise and a gazillion samples into the mix. Deee-Lite plays raves these days, and the world of international DJs awaits their next record.
Written by Don Waller
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