Deee-Lite

Deee-Lite was an American house and dance music group formed in New York City. The group's single "Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album, World Clique (1990), was a top-ten hit in multiple countries. In December 2016, Billboard ranked them as the 55th-most successful dance artists of all time.

History

1986–1989: Background and early history

The band began in 1986 as a duo, in New York City, with Lady Miss Kier (legal name Kierin Magenta Kirby, primarily on vocals) and Supa DJ Dmitry (born in USSR as "Dmitry Brill") as DJ. The two then became a trio when Korean-Japanese DJ Towa Tei joined the group in 1988.

Beginning in 1986, Kier and Dmitry performed their songs monthly at various downtown New York nightclubs; in 1987, Kier bought an Akai S900 sampler, which influenced their sound tremendously. She also bought a Casio FZ-series sampler, which was used almost exclusively on their debut album. Sampling played an important role in their music leading them to name their production company "Sampladelic". From the band's inception, Kier designed their promotional posters and club fliers, and was also the graphic designer for all three of their albums and 12" singles. The group played at hip-hop and house clubs, at both gay clubs and straight establishments, and at the New York drag festival Wigstock. They also opened for Native Tongue Movement's De La Soul and Jungle Brothers. As described by Rolling Stone, "they were drawing vivid, multiracial, pan-sexual crowds...". Part of the band's appeal was their inclusivity, as noted by Mademoiselle magazine: "as a group, they're a festival of individuality; as a band, they're a party anyone can attend." These live shows garnered a steady following, and attracted future third member Towa Tei as a fan.

In 1988, Towa sent Kier and Dmitry a bedroom demo tape he had made, and they realised he, like them, also enjoyed a fusion of funk and techno. Towa and Dmitry began jointly-programming the band's computer. Although Towa did not play any instruments, he was a record collector and added various sounds and samples. Kier and Dmitry invited him to join the group that year, and together the three produced their first album. Kier wrote all the lyrics and melodies, and also asked bass guitarist Bootsy Collins to join-in on recording sessions. Dmitry played guitar, keyboard, and bass, while Towa gathered samples for fill-ins and grooves. Collins introduced the trio to The Horny Horns, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Mudbone Cooper, and Bernie Worrell, and also helped assemble their touring ensemble. Together, Deee-Lite would produce their first and second albums under their own production company, Sampladelic.

1990–1997: Album releases and fame

In 1990, the group released their first album, World Clique, preceded by the debut single "Groove Is in the Heart", which became a hit in many countries, including No. 1 in Australia and topping the Billboard US Dance Club Songs chart. The song features vocals from Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) as well as a bass guitar loop sampled from Herbie Hancock's "Bring Down The Birds" (1967), with additional vocals by collaborator and funk musician Bootsy Collins. In 1992, they released their politically-charged second album, Infinity Within. The album failed to chart as high as their debut, but they still managed two Top 10 dance hits in the US with "Runaway" and "Pussycat Meow".