Deee-Lite

Too far ahead of their time to have been accorded the respect they deserved, Deee-Lite not only presaged the crotch-level charm of post-house dance pop, but co-opted enough of the '60s peace-and-love aesthetic to fool mainstream media into thinking their music was wholesome and innocent.

Instead, Deee-Lite's deceptively frothy dance pop, with its deep grooves and strong sense of soul, eased the way for electronica's brief stand as the Next Big Thing. Of course, because Deee-Lite's music emphasizes song structure as much as rhythm tracks, the group was never pigeonholed, and as such had more pop appeal than most dance acts.

Even so, whatever inroads "Groove Is in the Heart" -- the big hit from World Clique -- might have made, Deee-Lite's moment in the spotlight was relatively short. Infinity Within did an admirable job of expanding on the post-hippie optimism of the debut, but Dew Drops in the Garden -- recorded after the departure of DJ Towa Tei -- seems more dippy than hippie.

Sampledelic Relics is a nice collection for hard-core fans, but is ignorable otherwise. The Very Best is an apt single-disc summation of the group's efforts, but those interested in further examination would do well to acquire DJ Towa Tei's Sound Museum. (J.D. CONSIDINE)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide