Editing Infinity Within

{{Infobox album
| name       = Infinity Within
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Deee-Lite]]
| cover      = Deee-Lite - Infinity Within album cover.png
| alt        =
| released   = June 23, 1992
| recorded   = July–December 1991
| studio     = The Looking Glass Studios<br>(New York City)
| genre      = [[House music|House]]
| length     = 60:41
| label      = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| producer   = [[Deee-Lite]]
| prev_title = [[World Clique]]
| prev_year  = 1990
| next_title = [[Dewdrops in the Garden]]
| next_year  = 1994
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Infinity Within
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Runaway (Deee-Lite song)|Runaway]]
 | single1date = May 28, 1992
 | single2     = Thank You Everyday
 | single2date = September 17, 1992
 | single3     = Pussycat Meow
 | single3date = November 16, 1992
}}
}}

'''''Infinity Within''''' is the second studio album by American [[house music|house]] and [[dance music|club/dance]] group [[Deee-Lite]]. Released in 1992 on [[Elektra Records|Elektra]], the second album, through its lyrical content, instrumentation, and overall tone, showcases the band's political activism as a more literal part of the music than on their debut album, ''[[World Clique]]'' (1990).

"Runaway", the lead single from the album, is Deee-Lite's fourth single to top the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Dance Music/Club Play|dance chart]],<ref name="Dance/Club Play">{{cite magazine | title = Deee-Lite Chart History | magazine = Billboard | url ={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=deee-lite|chart=Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales}} |access-date=2013-01-30}}</ref> helping to establish their success in the musical genre beyond ''World Clique''.

==Album description==
With its predecessor subtly focusing on global peace, joy, and unity, ''Infinity Within'' is overtly political, as evidenced by the phrase "Let's face it, it's a [[pro-choice]] album" appearing on the album cover and more importantly, with outspoken tracks encouraging the protection of the environment ("I Had a Dream I Was Falling through a Hole in the Ozone Layer"), sexual liberation through [[safe sex]] ("Rubber Lover"), the failure of the judicial system ("Fuddy Duddy Judge") and the importance of [[voting]] ("Vote, Baby, Vote"). The song "Vote, Baby, Vote" was made into a [[public service announcement]] which advocated the band's mission for voter registration and their support of the [[National Voter Registration Act of 1993|Motor Voter Bill]] to ease [[voter registration]].

While some music critics may not have recognized it, the move to more heightened social awareness on the second album was not a departure from ''World Clique'', but a natural progression for the band members.<ref name="Reflex">{{Cite news | last= Wright| first= Christian | title=Blinded by Deee-Lite| newspaper=Reflex Magazine| issue=25 | date=June 1992}}</ref> Inspired by the [[I Ching]], ''Infinity Within'' is meant to be more self-reflective and to counteract the global view of ''World Clique'', which lead singer [[Lady Miss Kier|Lady Kier]] felt was often misunderstood.<ref>{{Cite news | newspaper=Mondo 2000| issue=7 | pages=73 | year= 1992}}</ref> She explained the idea behind the album and its title by saying: {{cquote|The reason why we titled this new album ''Infinity Within''—to balance out [''World Clique''’s] idea of looking outward and thinking about unity—is if you look outward, you should look inward to see what you’re doing as an individual. Because people seem to be so passive—I’d like to see people turn their TV sets off and start protesting.<ref name="Reflex"/>}}

To further show their support of the environment, Deee-Lite pledged a portion of the album's profits to [[Greenpeace]]. Additionally, ''Infinity Within'' was the first Warner Music titles that was issued in an eco-friendly package called the Eco-pak.<ref>{{Cite news | newspaper=CD Review| pages=8 | date=September 1992}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Eco-Pak - CD History | publisher = Lazlo's CDHistory Machine | url =http://www.studio-nibble.com/cd/index.php?title=Eco-Pak |access-date=2013-02-01}}</ref> It was designed in 1991 by Ivy Hill Packaging, at the time a subsidiary of Time Warner, as a more environmentally friendly alternative to the [[longbox]] which was often discarded after purchase, and to facilitate proper display of CDs in music retail stores. The eco-pack was displayed in stores unfolded, to display titles in the same manner as longboxes. Upon purchasing a title and removing the plastic shrink wrap, the packaging was folded into the shape of a traditional CD [[Optical disc packaging|jewel case]], similar to a [[Digipak]]. By 1993, the use of the longbox was phased out as music retailers began replacing LP-sized sales racks with those to house jewelcase or digipak formats with the locking plastic frames (keepers); thus rendering the Eco-pak, in its original form, obsolete. As a result, ''Infinity Within'' is among the few titles ever released with the original Eco-pak design.

==Reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web | title = Infinity Within AllMusic review | publisher = [[AllMusic]] | url =http://www.allmusic.com/album/infinity-within-mw0000077543 |access-date=2006-01-14}}</ref>
| rev2      = ''[[Calgary Herald]]''
| rev2score = B+<ref>Muretich, James (1992-06-28). "Recent Releases". ''[[Calgary Herald]]''.</ref>
| rev3      = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''  
| rev3score = B<ref>{{cite magazine | last = Sandow| first = Greg| title = Infinity Within review |magazine=Entertainment Weekly | url =https://ew.com/article/1992/06/26/infinity-within/ |date= 1992-06-26|access-date=2013-01-30}}</ref> 
| rev4      = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating-Christgau|hm3}}<ref>[http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Deee-Lite Robert Christgau review]</ref>
| rev5      = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine | last= Wright| first= Christian | title=Infinity Within review | magazine= [[Rolling Stone]]| issue=634/635 | date=9 July 1992
}}</ref>
| rev6      = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev6score = (favorable)<ref>{{cite book | last = Kugelberg| first = Johan| title = Infinity Within review | publisher = Spin | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Jlr1EqbQvLgC&dq=spin+deee-lite+infinity+within+1992&pg=PT79 |date= August 1992|access-date=2013-02-01}}</ref> 
| rev7      = ''[[The Washington Post]]''
| rev7score = (favorable)<ref name="thewashingtonpost">Brown, Joe (17 July 1992). "Moving the Feet, Shaking the Mind". ''[[The Washington Post]]''.</ref>
}}
The album generally received mixed reviews. Despite a lukewarm response, [[Robert Christgau]] gave the album a very positive 3-star honorable mention. 

Joe Brown from ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote, "Out to prove they're not just cartoon characters or paper dolls, the retro-Hollywood styled [[Lady Miss Kier|Lady Miss Kier Kirby]], Super DJ Dmitry Brill and Jungle DJ [[Towa Tei|Towa "Towa" Tei]] try for some substance with their style this time out, interlacing the strained zaniness with messages ("Let's face it! It's a pro-choice album!" says the cover). Their concerns are similar to those of [[the B-52's]]: safer sex, environmental destruction, voter registration and extraterrestrial contacts. As for the music, recycling is the order of the day - while there's nothing as instantly infectious as "[[Groove is in the Heart]]", the band's blend of house Lite, R&B and eclectic sampling is more consistent, and the deceptively slight melodic hooks of "[[Runaway (Deee-Lite song)|Runaway]]" and "Heart Be Still" prove infuriatingly tenacious. Kier has developed into a more confident, relaxed singer, and the DJs (plus cameos by bassist [[Bootsy Collins]], hot rap outfit [[Arrested Development (group)|Arrested Development]] and several ex-JBs) provide perfect music for runway walking or Stairmaster stepping."<ref name="thewashingtonpost"/>

==Singles==
''Infinity Within'' yielded three commercial singles the year of its release. The first single, "Runaway", was released onto CD, cassette, and 12" vinyl in May 1992, three weeks prior to the album's debut. "Runaway" went on to top the ''Billboard'' Dance chart,<ref name="Dance/Club Play"/> making it Deee-Lite's fourth song to reach #1 on that chart. The commercial release of "Runaway", which was paired with the song "Rubber Lover", went on to top the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Single Sales chart as well.<ref name="Dance/Club Play"/> The single was accompanied by a music video directed by [[Gus Van Sant]], which received modest airplay from [[MTV]]. "Runaway" is the only single from ''Infinity Within'' for which a music video was produced.

"Thank You Everyday", the second single from the album, was released onto CD and 12" vinyl in September 1992. The single failed to chart. The third and final single from the album, "Pussycat Meow", was released solely onto 12" vinyl in November 1992. The single climbed to #6 on the ''Billboard'' Dance charts<ref name="Dance/Club Play"/> and #26 on the ''Billboard'' Dance Sales charts.<ref name="Dance/Club Play"/> A promotional CD single of "I Had a Dream I was Falling Through a Hole in the Ozone Layer" was released, but no commercial single was.

Aside from the success of "Runaway" on the dance chart, overall the three singles did not have as much impact as those released from ''World Clique''. As such, none of the singles from ''Infinity Within'' managed to chart on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].

==Track listing==
{{tracklist
| title1          = I.F.O. (Identified Flying Object)
| note1           = featuring [[Arrested Development (group)|Arrested Development]]
| length1         = 2:55
| title2          = Runaway
| note2           = 
| length2         = 3:54
| title3          = Heart Be Still
| note3           = 
| length3         = 4:11
| title4          = I Won't Give Up
| note4           = 
| length4         = 4:25
| title5          = Vote, Baby, Vote
| note5           = 
| length5         = 0:33
| title6          = Two Clouds above Nine
| note6           = featuring Jamal-ski
| length6         = 5:09
| title7          = Electric Shock
| note7           = 
| length7         = 4:49
| title8          = I Had a Dream I Was Falling through a Hole in the Ozone Layer
| note8           = 
| length8         = 5:39
| title9          = Fuddy Duddy Judge
| note9           = featuring [[Michael Franti]]
| length9         = 4:37
| title10         = Pussycat Meow
| note10          = 
| length10        = 3:50
| title11         = Thank You Everyday
| note11          = 
| length11        = 6:22
| title12         = Rubber Lover
| note12          = 
| length12        = 3:59
| title13         = Come on in, the Dreams Are Fine
| note13          = featuring Arrested Development
| length13        = 5:10
| title14         = Love is Everything
| note14          = bonus track
| length14        = 5:27
}}

All songs written by Deee-Lite, except:
''#1'', co-written by [[Arrested Development (group)|Arrested Development]],
''6'', co-written by Jamal-Ski, and
''9'', co-written by [[Michael Franti]] and Danny Madden.<ref name="CD booklet">CD booklet</ref>

==Chart performance==
{|class="wikitable"
!Chart (1992)
!Peak<br>position
|-
|Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="aus2">{{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/1eWXbd0|title=Deee-Lite ARIA Albums chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022|publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur.com|access-date= December 2, 2023}}  N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref>
|align="center"|117
|-
|[[UK Albums Chart]]<ref>{{cite web| title= Deee-Lite - Chart Stats|publisher= Chart Stats|url= http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/deee-lite | access-date = 2013-02-03}}</ref>
|align="center"|37
|-
|US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite magazine | title = Deee-Lite Chart History | magazine = Billboard | url ={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=deee-lite|chart=Billboard 200}} |access-date=2013-01-30}}</ref>
|align="center"|67
|-
|}

==Personnel==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Deee-Lite===
*[[Lady Miss Kier|Lady Kier Kirby]] – vocals
*Super DJ Dmitry Brill – guitar, keyboards, bass, drum programming, loop scooping, piano
*[[Towa Tei]] – keyboards, bass, drum programming, loop scooping

===Additional personnel===
*[[Bernie Worrell]] – clavinet (on track 3), clavinet and piano (8), synthesizer (9), [[melodica]] (14)
*[[Satoshi Tomiie]] – keyboards (11, 13)
*[[Bootsy Collins]] – guitar (3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14), bass (3, 10, 12, 14), backing vocals (12, 14)
*[[Catfish Collins]] – guitar (14)
*Robin Lobe – percussion (3, 13)
*Misha Masud – [[tabla]] (14)
*[[Maceo Parker]] – saxophone (3, 4, 6, 8, 9), flute (13)
*[[Fred Wesley]] – trombone (3, 4, 6, 8, 9) 
*Gary Mudbone Cooper, Danny Madden, Sahirah Moore, Sheila Slappy, Zhana Saunders – backing vocals
*[[Arrested Development (group)|Arrested Development]] – rap (1), African chant (13)
*Jamal-Ski (6), [[Michael Franti]] (9) – rap<ref name="CD booklet"/>
{{col-break}}

===Production===
*Deee-Lite – arranger, mixing, producer
*Fernando Aponte – assistant engineer	
*Shannon Carr – assistant engineer
*Dennis Mitchell – digital editing
*Dante de Sole – assistant engineer
*Rob Kempner – assistant engineer
*Lady Miss Kier – design 
*Michael F. Mills – art direction, package design
*John Parthum – assistant engineer
*Nick Phillips – artwork
*[[Mark Plati]] – engineer
*Herb Powers – mastering
*Mike Rogers – mixing
*Dana Vlcek – assistant engineer
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Deee-Lite}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Deee-Lite albums]]
[[Category:1992 albums]]
[[Category:Elektra Records albums]]