Alice DeeJay
Encyclopedia
Alice DeeJay was an electronic music
group, who achieved success from 1999 to 2002.
s Pronti (born Sebastiaan Molijn), Kalmani (born Eelke Kalberg) and DJ Jurgen
with Marc Lee-Smith remixing and the DJ's From Mars lead singer Judith Anna Pronk
. They also had background dancers: Mila Levesque and Angelique Versnel.
After the successful years of Alice Deejay, Pronk, Levesque and Versnel left the group. Now, Pronk works as a freelance hair and make-up artist around the world. She is represented by Touche Models in Amsterdam
. Lee-Smith continued his studies by completing a degree in Sports Science in London. Levesque graduated from the Lucia Marthas Dance Academy. After Alice Deejay, she is still active in the world of dance. She released the single "Lift Me Up" in 2003 for a lollipop commercial. The video played on the Box for months and she reached the Top 20 in Holland. She has been hired as a model by L’Oreal, Oasis, Urban Outfitters and the designer Anoosh. She is now known as Mila Lazar.
In 2004, Versnel started her own company (AV Performing Productions), which gives training lessons (and creative complete choreographies) to artists, bands and commercial shows.
, United States
. After completing four years at the dance academy (as well as high school study) at Alvin Aley
in New York
, she became a part of Alice Deejay.
Alice DeeJay launched their career in July 1999 with the single
, "Better Off Alone", credited to DJ Jurgen presents Alice DeeJay. In the UK
, the song went platinum
and reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart
, and #3 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play, also reaching #27 on the Billboard Hot 100
. Alice Deejay achieved success with the follow-up single "Back In My Life" in November of the same year.
The group's first and only album
was Who Needs Guitars Anyway?, which was released on April 11, 2000. It entered the Top Ten
of the UK Albums Chart
.
Alice DeeJay made the UK Top 20 with three more tracks: "Will I Ever", "The Lonely One" and "Celebrate Our Love", although each single's chart position was lower than its predecessors.
Alice DeeJay won the award for their hit single, "Better Off Alone", in the category Best Chart Act, defeating other nominees such as All Saints
, Jennifer Lopez
, Eiffel 65
, and Vengaboys
. Alice Deejay also performed a cover version
of the Mel C (of the Spice Girls
) song "I Turn To You" in live performances.
American rapper Wiz Khalifa
sampled "Better Off Alone" in his 2008 single, Say Yeah
.
.
A new act called Candee Jay
was formed in 2004. Candee Jay shared many similarities with Alice DeeJay, and had two major hits.
On December 1, 2007, Pronti and Kalmani were brought to Los Angeles
, under the title "Alice Deejay" for "Winter Fresh" by Fresh Entertainment.
They were brought out again for "Fresh" in April 2008, performing for the last time as "Alice Deejay".
Alice Deejay returned in 2010 on a UK nightclub tour, entitled "Best Hits Tour". Their first return appearance was on 3 April at club Powerhouse in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Alice Deejay and Vengaboys
producers, Danski and Delmundo have returned, and are working with Alice Deejay and the Vengaboys again after almost ten years.
Pronti and Kalmani have now resurfaced as the driving force behind Dash Berlin
, who made their debut onto the Top 100 DJ list for DJ Magazine as the 15th top DJ in the world.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
group, who achieved success from 1999 to 2002.
Members
The group consisted of record producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s Pronti (born Sebastiaan Molijn), Kalmani (born Eelke Kalberg) and DJ Jurgen
DJ Jurgen
DJ Jurgen is a DJ, remixer, producer, and artist from the Netherlands.He is best known for producing Alice DeeJay's international dance hit, "Better off Alone" in 1999; and for his 2000 Eurodance hit "Higher & Higher", featuring English vocalist, Karen David.Jurgen still DJs, but he is usually...
with Marc Lee-Smith remixing and the DJ's From Mars lead singer Judith Anna Pronk
Judith Pronk
Judith Anna Pronk is a female singer/DJ who is currently a make-up artist.-Profile:Pronk began displaying her talents at the age of six when she took up ballet but, by age 18, she became involved with the Dutch club scene, where she added vocalist and DJ duties to her resume.She hooked up with DJ...
. They also had background dancers: Mila Levesque and Angelique Versnel.
After the successful years of Alice Deejay, Pronk, Levesque and Versnel left the group. Now, Pronk works as a freelance hair and make-up artist around the world. She is represented by Touche Models in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Lee-Smith continued his studies by completing a degree in Sports Science in London. Levesque graduated from the Lucia Marthas Dance Academy. After Alice Deejay, she is still active in the world of dance. She released the single "Lift Me Up" in 2003 for a lollipop commercial. The video played on the Box for months and she reached the Top 20 in Holland. She has been hired as a model by L’Oreal, Oasis, Urban Outfitters and the designer Anoosh. She is now known as Mila Lazar.
In 2004, Versnel started her own company (AV Performing Productions), which gives training lessons (and creative complete choreographies) to artists, bands and commercial shows.
Early days and success
Versnel began her education as a dancer at the School of Performing Arts in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. After completing four years at the dance academy (as well as high school study) at Alvin Aley
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, she became a part of Alice Deejay.
Alice DeeJay launched their career in July 1999 with the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Better Off Alone", credited to DJ Jurgen presents Alice DeeJay. In the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the song went platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and #3 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play, also reaching #27 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Alice Deejay achieved success with the follow-up single "Back In My Life" in November of the same year.
The group's first and only album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
was Who Needs Guitars Anyway?, which was released on April 11, 2000. It entered the Top Ten
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
.
Alice DeeJay made the UK Top 20 with three more tracks: "Will I Ever", "The Lonely One" and "Celebrate Our Love", although each single's chart position was lower than its predecessors.
Alice DeeJay won the award for their hit single, "Better Off Alone", in the category Best Chart Act, defeating other nominees such as All Saints
All Saints (band)
All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...
, Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65
Eiffel 65 is an Italian three-piece group formed in the late 1990s and best known for pioneering in pitch-correction and autotune, and for their international hit "Blue ". Their other hit singles include "Move Your Body" and "Too Much of Heaven", all of which appeared on their album Europop,...
, and Vengaboys
Vengaboys
Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going...
. Alice Deejay also performed a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Mel C (of the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
) song "I Turn To You" in live performances.
American rapper Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
sampled "Better Off Alone" in his 2008 single, Say Yeah
Say Yeah
"Say Yeah" is the first single from rapper Wiz Khalifa released on Warner Bros. Records. The song was produced by Johnny Juliano and samples Alice DeeJay's 1999 single "Better Off Alone."-Charts:...
.
Decline and reformation
The group had not performed publicly since November 9, 2002, when they played seemingly their last gig in UtrechtUtrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
.
A new act called Candee Jay
Candee Jay
Candee Jay is a Dutch electronica artist. She is produced by Pronti and Kalmani, the production duo who worked with fellow Dutch artist, Alice Deejay.-Career:...
was formed in 2004. Candee Jay shared many similarities with Alice DeeJay, and had two major hits.
On December 1, 2007, Pronti and Kalmani were brought to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, under the title "Alice Deejay" for "Winter Fresh" by Fresh Entertainment.
They were brought out again for "Fresh" in April 2008, performing for the last time as "Alice Deejay".
Alice Deejay returned in 2010 on a UK nightclub tour, entitled "Best Hits Tour". Their first return appearance was on 3 April at club Powerhouse in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Alice Deejay and Vengaboys
Vengaboys
Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going...
producers, Danski and Delmundo have returned, and are working with Alice Deejay and the Vengaboys again after almost ten years.
Pronti and Kalmani have now resurfaced as the driving force behind Dash Berlin
Dash Berlin
Dash Berlin is a progressive-trance project created in 2007 in The Hague, Netherlands by Eelke Kalberg and Sebastiaan Molijn . The front man of the group is the DJ Jeffrey Sutorius...
, who made their debut onto the Top 100 DJ list for DJ Magazine as the 15th top DJ in the world.
Singles
- 1999 "Better Off Alone" (UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#2)(US #27) - 1999 "Back In My LifeBack In My Life"Back In My Life" is a 1999 song by Alice DeeJay from the album, Who Needs Guitars Anyway?.- Chart performance :The song peaked at #4 on the United Kingdom in November, 1999. Though not as successful as the previously released single "Better Off Alone" in the US, it still managed to peak at #27 on...
" (UK #4) - 2000 "Will I Ever" (UK #7)
- 2000 "The Lonely One" (UK #16)
- 2001 "Celebrate Our Love" (UK #17)
External links
- Information on 'final performance'
- [ Alice DeeJay Allmusic page]
- About Dance Music interview with Pronti and Kalmani
- Alice DeeJay Discogs page