Remembering Louise Dean

20 years ago today, Louise Dean was taken from us in a hit and run. She was 24.

Louise will be known to 90s dance anoraks as the vocalist for Shiva, one of the many acts that flooded into clubland as dance music exploded after the illegal party scene took a battering. The band's biggest hit, Freedom (below) was a passable enough intervention in the charts, full of gospel nods and tongue-in-cheek silliness, which was something of an antidote to the super serious club tunes coming off Perfecto and the like.

Louise left us just as things were taking off for her. As well as a heartbreaking tragedy for her family and friends, Louise's passing also robbed the dance scene of a coming star all set to be huge. I can remember her voice bellowing from the radio as Shiva's tunes circulated on Radio 1's niche shows. Louise's vocals could have graced so many classics and it's more than possible she would have gone onto considerable mainstream success. It's such a massive shame that today we have to talk about maybe and could-have-been.

I've just looked out the window. The sun is shining and the sky is blue, weather ideal for a choice slice of electronic music set to repetitive beats. Remember Louise and honour her memory by playing it loud. Very loud.