The duo (Edmée Daenen, 20, and MC/DJ/writer/producer Flor “Da Rick” Theeuwes, 28) have brought a highly original approach to their debut album, LISTEN TO YOUR HEART, released July 19, 2005 in the US: it’s a clearly mainstream creation -- but hardly watered-down, built as it is from entirely uncompromised elements of global dance styles, with a balanced slate of often unexpected cover tunes, and an equally surprising and solidly-written set of heartfelt original pop ballads. 

First and foremost, we try to maintain a unique style for all songs we do,” says Flor. “But as with every song, there are many great classics which we look up to. We respect a lot of artists in pop-dance, and all other music.” Edmée adds: “It's impossible to name a specific artist or group as an influence, because we listen to a lot of different styles of music.” Their eclectic, enthusiastic and indisputably fresh perspective on the pop songbook is reflected in their eye-opening dance treatment of Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen,” which Edmée delivers as trenchantly as the original writer; the hard-trance re-imagining of Rushlow’s 2005 top 20 country song “I Can’t Be Your Friend;” and their remake of Sniff ‘N’ the Tears’ 1979 “Driver’s Seat.” In D.HT.’s cover of Paul Davis’ “I Go Crazy,” the listener almost waits expectantly for a hard beat to drop -- but the song is instead carried by the modern production and Edmée's touching vocal.

D.H.T. had begun life five years ago as a hard-dance outfit, when Flor’s encounter of Edmée as a 15-year-old studio singer immediately changed the group’s concept.  She was too young to join the group in its many local club gigs, but recorded several songs, including the eventual album tracks “My Dream” and “Why.” With “Listen to Your Heart,” as Edmée turned 18, she began performing onstage with D.H.T.

Released by impart productions in Belgium early in 2004, the single “Listen to Your Heart” spread from its immediate welcome in local clubs and reached the top 20 on the Belgium singles chart. Subsequently, and the group was called to perform in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. The record was picked up for the American market by Robbins, the label which has carved a unique niche for itself in the dance-starved U.S. pop radio of recent years by breaking a string of European club and rhythmic crossovers by DJ Sammy, Ian Van Dahl, Lasgo, Milky and Narcotic Thrust. The eventual flood of radio play came as a total shock, admits Flor. “Over the years, we’ve grown musically. We only made dance music prior to recording ‘Listen to Your Heart,’ and the moment we made the ‘unplugged’ version was a turning point. You could say D.H.T. was growing up.  Our ambitions got bigger -- but what’s happened has exceeded all our expectations.” Edmée and Flor began their first major tour of the U.S. in mid-June 2005 to support the massive success of the single -- the first top 5 pop radio hit by a Belgian act since the run of the dance act Technotronic, in the early 1990s.

The album hits and holds an impressive consistency of production value, vocal performance, and musical ambition. But according to Flor, one critical uniting aspect is that's whether it is a happy song or a love ballad, we think emotion is what bonds any artist with a listener.” LISTEN TO YOUR HEART is, therefore, not only the title single of D.H.T.’s first album as a major international breakout act -- but also an invitation addressed to everyone who encounters this surprisingly warm and distinctly different dance-pop album.

Tracklist
1. Listen To Your Heart (Radio edit)
2. I go crazy
3. At Seventeen
4. I Miss You
5. Someone
6. Drivers Seat
7. I Can’t be your friend
8. My Dream
9. Sun
10. Why
11. Depressed
12. Listen To Your Heart (Edmée’s unplugged vocal edit)