What A Deee-Lite!

Rarely does a band establish itself with just one hit record, but that's what Deee-Lite did last year with its irresistible, invigorating "Groove Is In the Heart."

The fun, slightly daffy tune was a dance-floor favorite that crossed over to the Top Ten, became an MTV favorite and even won widespread critical approval, which rarely happens to lighthearted dance tunes. It was the No. 1 dance-music single of 1990, according to Billboard, and was named single of the year in the prestigious, politically correct, oh-so-serious annual poll of rock critics conducted by the Village Voice.

The success of the tune also led to Deee-Lite's first national tour, which dances into the Moore at 8 p.m. Tuesday. It promises to be a colorful, lively performance with - and this is almost unheard of in dance-music shows - no prerecorded music. The three members of Deee-Lite will be backed by a real live band that includes funk legend Bootsy Collins on bass.

Much of Deee-Lite's appeal is because of the three colorful, cartoon-like characters who make up the band. Not only are they intriguing to look at - with their colorful updates of '60s and '70s pop-art fashions - they're also living proof of the internationalization of pop music.

The group is made up of a Russian immigrant deejay who came to this country in 1979; a Japanese computer freak who moved to New York in 1987; and a glamorous American fashion designer turned singer-dancer. All were habitues of New York's vibrant dance-club scene before they ever thought of becoming performers. Their paths crossed on the dance floors and deejay booths of hip clubs such as the Pyramid, Red Zone, Afrochine and The World.

The Russian, who goes by the name Super DJ Dmitry, and the Japanese, known as Jungle DJ Towa Towa, both worked the booths at discos, mixing their favorite dance tunes. Towa Towa also made his own dance tapes in his apartment, using synthesizers and computers to mix recorded music with electronic sounds.

Towa Towa met Dmitry when he brought one of his tapes to a deejay booth where Dmitry was working. Dmitry had already formed a musical partnership with Lady Miss Kier, whom he had bumped into, quite literally, while dancing in a club one night. The two had already decided to form their own group, for the purpose of making recordings. But it wasn't until Towa Towa entered the picture, with his expertise in synthesizers and recording techniques, that they found a way to do it.

What brought the three together was a mutual interest in the funk and soul music of the 1960s and '70s. Both Towa Towa and Dmitry were inspired by Parliament and Funkadelic - two freaky, funky groups formed by Bootsy Collins - as well as such soul stars as Al Green, Sly Stone and Chaka Kahn.

Using "samples," or snippets of music, from the recordings of their favorites, mixed with their own music (with classically trained Dmitry playing guitars and keyboards, Towa Towa creating the rest of the music on synthesizers, and Lady Miss Kier singing), they began performing in discos. They were already stars on the disco-dance circuit before the release of their one and only album, "World Clique."

The disc is an impressive collection of original dance tunes, with lyrics written by the band. While "Groove Is In the Heart" is the clear standout, the fact that the rest of the album is solid, with little filler, bodes well for the band. Deee-Lite appears to have a future.

How did this new band hook up with the legendary Bootsy Collins, who is also featured on the album? Towa Towa explained to Times freelance writer Tom Phalen recently that he just wrote him a letter.

"That was my first fan letter," he said. "We wrote him a letter together and sent him a tape of our music. We said, `We love your music and we are big fans. . . . Just give us a call if you like us.' And he did."

In preparation for the tour, Bootsy helped them put together a band, which is made up of six musicians and two dancers. Their first performance was for an audience of more than 100,000 at last winter's Rock in Rio festival.

Towa said the band has gotten tighter since that first scary gig, and that the show is even funkier than the record. He said the set includes several new songs slated for the next album.