Not sure which trend to put this record in because it fits so many. EDM people take themselves so seriously that a good bit of satire (see Ylvis and Scandinavian Techno Dance Society) is often called for. The producers Danski and Delmundo, who also created Alice Deejay, spawned The Vengaboys in the late ’90s- initially as an underground act which quickly became a commercial pop success on the level of 2 Unlimited. Critics scoffed as records like “We Like to Party,” “Boom Boom Boom,” and “Up and Down” became chart and club hits around the world. After a five-year run, the group disbanded, and aside from “Rocket to Uranus,” a novelty record with Pete Burns (Dead or Alive) and Perez Hilton in 2010, they’ve been been quiet with releases as various incarnations of the live acts toured. Digging up the party classic “Hot Hot Hot” by Arrow (and most famously covered by Buster Poindexter) is a genius move. Thrown over the dirty dutch production (similar to RLP and Barbara Tucker’s take on “Respect”) with their trademark bouncy energy, it is pretty much a no-brainer. Adding in the cliches like the Spanish-flavored rap (like a discount Pitbull) and “if you didn’t come to party” refrain makes it even more fun. This is basically the exact opposite of Funkerman’s recent remix of Laidback “White Horse” – the Venga Boys have no aspiration of being cool and they know their place as cartoon characters and are in on the joke. This clearly comes through in the video, where the bus is back with original members (Kim, Denise and Robin) and later addition Donny frolicking on a tropical island paradise. There’s something for everyone – Brazilian girls booty bouncing and getting low, sexy Power Rangers, spoofs of retro-Madonna and Lady Gaga, as well as expertly-deployed metallic codpieces on both genders. Setting themselves up as Europe’s #1 Party Crew might be a bit of a stretch, but like everything else in their repertoire, it’s all meant as humorous fun for everyone.
Image courtesy of Vengaboys website.
