Van Helden was born in Boston on February 17, 1970 to a Dutch-Indonesian father and a French-Lebanese mother, but travelled around the world as a child spending time in the Netherlands, Turkey and Italy, as his father was a member of the US Air Force. At the age of thirteen, he bought a drum machine and started DJing two years later.
He returned to Boston in 1988 but also moonlighted as a DJ in Boston clubs. He attended Boston University. He quit his legal review job in 1989 to work as a remixer/producer for Mega-Mixx Productions DJ Remix Service (co-founded by his long time manager, Neil Petricone) where he reworked and re-edited a number of club records for the DJ-only service, including Shawn Christopher's "Another Sleepless Night." He also took up an occupancy at 'The Loft', Boston's leading nightclub.
Mega-Mixx's success was short lived. Mismanagement brought the company to a halt in early 1991. Later that year, he and Petricone, along with founding A&R coordinator, Tony Zeoli, launched X-Mix Productions, a similar DJ Remix service, which still exists today (http://www.xmix.com). Catching the attention of legendary Strictly Rhythm and Nervous Records A&R guru, Glady Pizarro, in 1992 Van Helden released his first official single "Stay On My Mind" under the psuedonym Deep Creed, through Nervous Records.
He released "Move It To the Left" (credited to Sultans of Swing) in 1992 on the Strictly Rhythm label, which became a moderate club hit. His first track to make the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart was "Witch Doktor" which made the top 5 in 1994.
The success of "Witch Doktor" led to opportunities to remix acts such as The Real McCoy ("Another Night", New Order ("Bizarre Love Triangle"), Blondie ("Atomic), Capella ("U Got To Know"), Lightning Seeds ("Jackie Lucky"), Deep Forest ("Marta's Song"), Jimmy Somerville ("Heartbeat"), Deee-Lite ("Dewdrops In The Garden") and Faithless ("Insomnia"). However, it was the "Professional Widow" remix that established him and became a dance hit around the world as well as a number one hit in the UK. Unfortunately, Van Helden did not receive a penny for this mix as he presented it uncommissioned, and thus was not entitled to compensation. However, it led to work remixing The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Puff Daddy as well as Daft Punk and the Sneaker Pimps, and adding to his reputation as one of the world's top house musicians.
Within dance music circles, Van Helden is widely credited for the introduction of the U.K. bred Speed Garage sound to the U.S. club scene with incredible set of remixes. The sound, identifiable by its deep bass subtones, long melodic breaks, and devestatingly hard hitting beats are exemplified in the following remixes beginning in 1995 with Jimmy Somerville "Heartbeat"; CJ Bolland's "Sugar Is Sweeter"; Faithless "Insomnia"; Tori Amos "Professional Widow"; Apollo 440 "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub"; and Sneaker Pimps "Spin, Spin, Sugar."
"Cha Cha" was another top ten dance hit from his first album Old School Junkies released in 1996, along with "The Funk Phenomena". A greatest hits album appeared the next year followed by a breakbeat album later in 1997. "U Don't Know Me," a collaboration with vocalist Duane Harden from the album, "2 Futur 4 U," was a number two hit on the Billboard dance chart, a Number one in the UK and a top 20 single on the pop charts in Australia and Canada.
In 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, Armand Van Helden explained, "You Don't Know Me was a perfect example of putting 2 simple things together, the beats from Jaydee's Plastic Dreams and a disco loop from Carrie Lucas."
Van Helden released the Killing Puritans album in 2000 which contained the dance hit "Koochy". His single "Why Can't You Spend Some Time" made the number 34 in the UK in 2001. His New York: A Mix Odyssey album released in 2004 produced two hits:
* "Hear my Name" reached number 7 on the Billboard dance chart, was top 30 on world and internet charts, made number 34 in the UK, and reached the top 40 in Australia; and
* "My My My" reached number 4 on the world internet charts, number 5 in the Belgian and Dutch charts, number 6 in Australia, number 15 in the UK and top 30 in the world dance charts.
In 2010 Van Helden teamed with A-Trak to form the duo Duck Sauce. They had an international smash hit with "Barbra Streisand," which used an ingenious sample from Boney M.
The tear drop
Armand van Helden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(drop it drop it drop it...)
A leviathan exhalation of extant laser lightning electricity
a jetflash furor of fervent flame ferocity
A spectacular son et lumiere of vivifying vivacity
a whizzbang dazzling display of explomongous luminosity . . .
A buttress breaching barrage blast
a tumultuous thunderbolt tirade
An antiseptic antidote against antipathetic anathemas
a cacophonous clamorcadenza, a column crumbling cannonade
A rolling rumbling tremorquake
that shakes the belly of the earth
That cleanses and purifies
and expedites a revitalizing rebirth
The Tear Drop
And now the teardrop is growing . . . growing
larger . . . larger . . . brighter . . . brilliantine
An ecospheric protoplasmic bubble
of translucent membranous crystalline
Containing a polysomatic fetus
of biogeniological perfection
Crafted out of the souls of Gods and Goddesses
Joined for incarnation
Olympus, Zeus, Yahweh, Jove
Rama, Brahma, Vidar, Kronos
Aphrodite, Zubird, Susanoo
Ahura Mazda, Logos
Immanuel, Jupiter, Hera, Epona
Angus, Hel, Hyperion
Vulcan, Apollo, Ninigino, Indra
Dylan, Aditi, Poseidon
Dharma, Lei Kung, Manitou, Hoder
Odin, Mars, Ganapati
Shiva, Papsukai, Horus, Ceres
Neptune, Ra, Parvati
Phoebus, Danu, Helios, Mohammed
Mikoto, Cupid, Dagon
Venus, Juggernaut, Ma Wang, Diana
Kala, Vanir, Persephone, Og
Juno, Neman, Frey and Freya
Isis, Kalki, Chandi, Garuda
Lug, Lir, Kali, Savitar
Yen Lo, Lahmu, Osiris, Buddha
Sarasvati, Kitra, Asapurna, Nina
Cheng Wu, Bhudevi, Tashmit, Bhaga
Thor, Gishbar, Eros, Daksha
Krishna, Inari, Lu Tung Pin, Baba
And Ashur, et al . . .
An amalgamation of holy headliners
all together . . . immersed in a holy embryo
Bathing in the holy waters of Amniotis
surrounded by a holy halo
A cosmic concertina of holy cooperation
between minds, bodies and spirits
In a past, present and futurama
concentrating into one single holy birth
on one single holy spot
the Alpha and Omega of plenipotent prana
Focusing all energy into a single moment
of singular meditation
Holding time and space in a static vacuum
of silent expectation . . . .
The Tear Drop
(drop it drop it drop it...)
*NOTE*
It took me almost an hour to get these lyrics!
I typed it up mostly myself before finding
the text they were copied from
The tear-drop is a song by Armand van Helden that features an imaginative, metaphorical interpretation of birth, rebirth, and spiritual growth. The lyrics are a rich tapestry of colorful imagery, comparing the process of birth with an intense, explosive force that cleanses and purifies the world. The opening lines describe this process as a "leviathan exhalation of extant laser lightning electricity," "a jetflash furor of fervent flame ferocity," and "a spectacular son et lumiere of vivifying vivacity." The author likens this to a "buttress breaching barrage blast" and an "annihilating eradicating avalanche of absolute absolution."
The chorus then expands on this theme, describing a "tear-drop" that grows larger and brighter, containing a fetus crafted from the souls of all the gods and goddesses from various cultures and mythologies. The song imagines all these gods and goddesses bathing the holy waters of Amniotis, surrounded by a holy halo, in a cosmic concertina of holy cooperation that culminates in a single, explosive moment of birth.
Line by Line Meaning
A leviathan exhalation of extant laser lightning electricity
A massive release of powerful electric energy in the form of laser lightning
a jetflash furor of fervent flame ferocity
A quick and intense burst of fiery energy
A spectacular son et lumiere of vivifying vivacity
A magnificent display of sound and light that brings life and energy
a whizzbang dazzling display of explomongous luminosity . . .
An impressive and dazzling show of explosive brightness
A buttress breaching barrage blast
A powerful and overwhelming explosion that breaks through barriers
a tumultuous thunderbolt tirade
A violent and loud outburst of energy like a thunderbolt
An annihilating eradicating avalanche of absolute absolution
A destructive and all-encompassing force that brings complete and final salvation
An antiseptic antidote against antipathetic anathemas
A cleansing and healing solution against harmful and hostile energies
a cacophonous clamorcadenza, a column crumbling cannonade
A loud and chaotic mixture of sounds and rhythm that breaks down structures
A rolling rumbling tremorquake that shakes the belly of the earth
A powerful and deep-moving earthquake that shakes the core of the earth
That cleanses and purifies and expedites a revitalizing rebirth
That cleanses and purifies everything, leading to a renewed and revitalized state
An ecospheric protoplasmic bubble of translucent membranous crystalline
A bubble made of a clear and glowing substance that seems alive
Containing a polysomatic fetus of biogeniological perfection
Containing a growing organism that is made of the perfect combination of genes and biology
Crafted out of the souls of Gods and Goddesses
Created from the essence of many powerful and divine beings
Joined for incarnation
Coming together to create a new entity in the physical world
An amalgamation of holy headliners all together . . . immersed in a holy embryo
A combination of many divine beings merged together into a single entity
Bathing in the holy waters of Amniotis surrounded by a holy halo
Being nurtured by the sacred waters and surrounded by divine light
A cosmic concertina of holy cooperation between minds, bodies and spirits
A harmonious collaboration of the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of existence
In a past, present and futurama concentrating into one single holy birth
Combining elements from the past, present, and future to create a sacred moment of birth
on one single holy spot the Alpha and Omega of plenipotent prana
In one sacred location where the beginning and end of all energy meet
Focusing all energy into a single moment of singular meditation
Bringing all energy and attention to a single moment of deep contemplation
Holding time and space in a static vacuum of silent expectation . . . .
Pausing time and space in a still and silent moment of anticipation
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ARMAND VAN HELDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind