Illicit Dancing was released in 1999 by Sound5, a Stoke on Trent based production project formed by Danny Spencer and Kelvin Andrews. The duo operated within the UK electronic and dance scene and would later collaborate more formally with Robbie Williams as producers.
Williams appears on the track Surface Noise under the pseudonym Tipsy McStagger. The alias distanced the recording from his mainstream solo profile at the time, allowing him to participate in a club oriented side project without it being marketed as an official Robbie Williams release.
Musically, the material reflects late 1990s electronic production, with programmed beats and stylised vocal elements. The track differs markedly from the guitar led pop of I’ve Been Expecting You, which Williams was promoting during the same period.
Although a minor and relatively obscure credit within his discography, the collaboration foreshadowed Williams’ later work with Kelvin Andrews, who would go on to co produce material during the Rudebox era.