By GERRY GALIPAULT

(March 3, 1994)

'Sweet Lullaby," a Pygmy sleepsong fused with pulsating dance music, is the year's biggest leftfield hit.

It even caught Eric Mouquet napping.

The French composer, who joined in on fellow musician Michel Sanchez's vision of introducing indigenous vocal music to the world three years ago, is overwhelmed by America's embracing of their 550 Music/Epic debut album "Deep Forest."

"We never expected this," Mouquet said in his halting English, "because in the beginning we just did it for our own pleasure and we just played the music we want.

"We didn't expect this success. It's a big surprise."

The Grammy-nominated "Deep Forest," recorded in 1991 and just now nearing gold status in the States, was a project conceived by Sanchez, who's long been passionate about ethnic music. His goal was lofty: take the Pygmy chants of Central Africa and the music of other ethnic groups, most of which he already had on tape, and sample them with modern pop-dance rhythms.

Mouquet, in turn, provided the ambient dance overlays.

"Before 'Deep Forest,' " Mouquet said, "I composed rhythm & blues albums for friends in Europe, and I liked for the musicians on these albums to play live. I have many musician friends in Paris, and I asked Kenny Moore, the pianist from Tina Turner, to play with us.

"He told me that Michel was a very good musician and we met and it was the beginning of our collaboration. One night after dinner, he played me the melody of 'Sweet Lullaby,' and that for me was the beginning of 'Deep Forest.' "

There is no group name; Mouquet and Sanchez are intent on keeping the concept as the main focus.

They composed and recorded the songs in 1991 at the Syn Sound studio in Brussels. Several months later, the album swept through their homeland, but only recently, largely through exposure from the "Sweet Lullaby" video directed by Tarsem (who did R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion"), has it piqued American interests. For the week ending March 5, "Sweet Lullaby" and "Deep Forest" were at identical spots (No. 78) and climbing on Billboard's singles and albums chart.

"I think the success of 'Deep Forest,' " Mouquet said, "will introduce these kinds of cultures to people around the world. If 'Deep Forest' can do that everywhere, it's a good thing."

For their next project, Mouquet and Sanchez hope to incorporate cultural riches from other regions. They plan to go back into the studio later this month and are also arranging for a U.S. tour later this year. (A percentage of the proceeds from "Deep Forest" go toward the Pygmy Fund.)

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