Technotronic

Technotronic was a Belgian electronic music project formed in 1987 by Jo Bogaert, best known for the 1989 single "Pump Up the Jam", which features vocals by Ya Kid K. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Later that year, the single was followed by the album of the same name, which peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200. They achieved further success with the singles "Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)" and "Move This". Technotronic went on to release the albums Body to Body (1991) and Recall (1995). Technotronic was formed in 1987 by Jo Bogaert. Bogaert gained popularity in Europe as a solo artist with various new beat projects, including Acts of Madmen and Nux Nemo. Ya Kid K joined the project as a vocalist, Bogaert adopted the stage name Thomas De Quincey, and in September 1989, they released the single "Pump Up the Jam". Ya Kid K was initially uncredited for her contributions to the song. A front for the act was put together (in a way similar to other Eurodance acts like Black Box and Milli Vanilli), utilizing Congolese-born fashion model Felly Kilingi who was presented as the group's vocalist. She appeared on the single's cover art which was credited as "Technotronic featuring Felly" and also appeared in the music video for the song. The song became a worldwide success, eventually reaching No. 2 on both the US Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart in late 1989 and early 1990. The success of the project's first single led to the release of the album Pump Up the Jam in late 1989, which featured vocals by Ya Kid K and MC Eric, but still featured Felly Kilingi on the cover. The album peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200 in the US and reached No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart. Following the release of the album, Ya Kid K was revealed to be the main vocalist for the songs, with Bogaert admitting "[Felly] didn't have much to do with the record. Me, Eric and Ya Kid did it all. We needed Felly to help promote the group at first - to create this image". In January 1990, they released their second single "Get Up! (Before The Night Is Over)", which was a No. 7 hit in the US and a No. 2 hit in the UK. The music video for the song features both Ya Kid K and Felly, though Felly's vocals do not appear on the song. That year, Technotronic made appearances on Saturday Night Live, The Arsenio Hall Show, and It's Showtime at the Apollo. In February 1990, Ya Kid K and Bogaert collaborated with the group Hi Tek 3 and released the single "Spin That Wheel", credited as "Hi Tek 3 featuring Ya Kid K". Further singles released from Pump Up the Jam: The Album were "This Beat Is Technotronic" (US Dance No. 3, UK No. 14) which featured MC Eric instead of Ya Kid K, and "Rockin' Over The Beat" (UK No. 9). Beginning in April 1990, Technotronic became an opening act for Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour. Following the tour, Ya Kid K departed from the group. ... Source: Article "Technotronic" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.