Deee-Lite

Best-known for their dance classic ‘Groove Is in the Heart’, the influence that dancepop legends Deee-Lite had upon their own genre over the course of their seven year career is certainly in no doubt whatsoever; hailing from New York City, the four-piece - comprised of Towa Tei, DJ Dmitry, Lady Miss Kier and DJ Ani thrilled crowds at dance clubs across the U.S. and Europe pretty much straight from the get go, after they formed in 1989. The fact that the bulk of their career was played out in the nineties is reflected in a sound that already seems decidedly retro, when you look back on it, but the very fact that ‘Groove Is in the Heart’ remains a staple of remixed and sampling today should tell you all you need to know about how genuinely forward-thinking Deee-Lite could be. During their heyday, their live shows offered up more than they typical dance fare, too, with live instrumentation bringing their impressive back catalogue to life. A lack of record label support did little to hinder touring for their final studio album, Dewdrops in the Garden, which sold strongly as an underground hit; the band continue to pursue solo careers today, with a full-scale reunion looking highly unlikely at this point.