L.A. Style
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electronic dance music |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Wessel van Diepen, Denzil Slemming (Michiel Van Der Kuy), FX (Frans Merkx), Foco (Alfons "Fonny" de Wulf), Ray Decadance (Muylle) |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Netherlands, Belgium |
Key people | Wessel van Diepen, FX (Frans Merkx) |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
L.A. Style was a Dutch electronic dance music ensemble created by producer and radio personality Wessel van Diepen (who later gained recognition for Nakatomi and Vengaboys), composer Denzil Slemming (also known as Michiel Van Der Kuy from Laserdance), along with FX (Frans Merkx), Foco (Alfons "Fonny" de Wulf), and Ray Decadance (Muylle) from the Belgian act Rofo. The group rose to fame with their 1991 release "James Brown Is Dead", which nearly broke into the top 50 on Billboard's primary singles chart, representing a significant achievement for electronic dance music artists.
Their 1992 track Balloony also attracted attention.
Career
Led by rapper, vocalist, and producer FX (Frans Merkx), L.A. Style merged Euro pop elements with rap, pioneering a fusion that expanded the audience for dance music. Prior to this, FX had achieved success with Infobeat through tracks like 'We Got the Funk' and 'Are U Ready'. Building on the momentum of "James Brown Is Dead", the group followed up with the popular single 'I'm Raving' and embarked on extensive tours across North America, Asia, and Europe, including appearances on MTV's 'The Grind'. FX and van Diepen were instrumental in pushing musical boundaries by integrating rap, rock, and techno styles, influencing contemporaries such as 2 Unlimited and 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor.
The band released a self-titled album along with multiple singles but experienced decline after FX left, ultimately disbanding in 1995. There have been recent talks about reuniting the original lineup; however, fans have shown preference for this approach instead of introducing new members. After L.A. Style, van Diepen has continued his career as a leading Dutch radio DJ, while FX collaborates with producer Fabian Lennsen and remains open to future studio collaborations.
Albums
- L.A. Style (1993)
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLD | AUS | US | |||
| "James Brown Is Dead" | 1991 | 1 | 7 | 59 | L.A. Style |
| "I'm Raving" / "L.A. Style Theme" | 1992 | 13 | 65 | — | |
| "God Shave the Queen" | — | — | — | Template:Non-album single | |
| "Balloony" | 1993 | — | — | — | L.A. Style |
| "Got to Move" | 1994 | — | — | — | rowspan="2" Template:Non-album singles |
| "Magic Trip" | 1995 | — | — | — | |