Hixxy

Hixxy, or DJ Hixxy, (real name Ian Hicks, born 1975) is a British disc jockey and electronic music producer known for his innovative work in the UK happy hardcore scene, co-founding the Raver Baby record label, and the Bonkers compilation album series.

Hixxy
Birth name	Ian Hicks[1]
Born	(1975-08-03) August 3, 1975 (age 49)[2]
Origin	Portsmouth[3]
Genres	Happy hardcore, Rave
Occupation(s)	Record producer, Disc Jockey
Website	www.hixxy.com

Career

Hixxy began performing as a disc jockey at age 15 under the mentorship of DJ Ramos, and quickly became known on the English rave circuit.^[4]

Hixxy came to prominence in 1995 when he and DJ Sharkey released their track "Toy Town", which is considered "a classic of the genre, a riot of scruffy breaks and sugar-sweet vocals that signalled a schism in rave history when it was released".^[5][6] Being considered pivotal in the hardcore scene, "Toy Town" led to React Music releasing the first of the Bonkers compilations in 1996, with Hixxy and Sharkey mixing. The Bonkers series stretched to 19 volumes, with Hixxy as a regular contributor, and while critical reception was varied, the series was credited as the "dawning of a new era" in the UK rave music scene.^[7][8]

By the early 2000s Hixxy's sound had evolved, releasing tracks that adopted the more mainstream trance sound but with hardcore-inspired beats per minute.^[6] In 2004 Hixxy founded Hardcore Till I Die, a business for his musical events, through his record label Raver Baby.^[9] That same year John Peel, a BBC Radio 1 DJ who was a supporter of the hardcore scene, invited Hixxy to do a mix on his show.^[10][11] The mix was subsequently released on CD by React Music under the title Bonkers: Hixxy Mix as Heard on the John Peel Show.^[12] The following year Hixxy partnered with Darren Styles to follow up the Bonkers series by initiating another popular compilation mix series called Clubland X-Treme Hardcore, which fellow artist MC Storm claimed to be "another massive turning point for hardcore".^[8][9]

Hixxy has a prolific touring and performance record, both nationally in the UK and internationally with shows in the United States and Australia.^[13][14] As of 2023 Hixxy continues to perform live, often with fellow hardcore innovators such as DJ Dougal at events including the Bang Face Weekender in Southport.^[15][5][16]

Discography

Selected singles

Title	Artist	Release date	Peak chart positions	Certifications
			UK Dance
Toy Town	Hixxy, Sharkey	1995 (1995)[5]	24[17]

Selected mix albums

Title	Mixed by	Release date	Peak chart positions	Certifications
			UK Comp
Bonkers	Hixxy, Sharkey	1996 (1996)	25[18]	UK: Silver[19]
Bonkers 2: Now We're Totally Bonkers	Hixxy, Sharkey	1997 (1997)	10[20]
Bonkers 3: A Journey into Madness	Hixxy, Sharkey, Dougal	1997 (1997)	31	UK: Gold[21]
Bonkers 4: World Frenzy	Hixxy, Sharkey, Dougal	18 June 1998 (1998-06-18)	8[22]	UK: Silver[23]
Bonkers 12: The Dirty Dozen	Hixxy, Sharkey, Scott Brown, Breeze & Styles	April 2004 (2004-04)	7[24]
Hardcore Til I Die	Hixxy, Darren Styles, Breeze	2004		UK: Gold[25]
Bonkers: Hixxy Mix as Heard on the John Peel Show	Hixxy	2004[12]
Clubland X-Treme Hardcore	Darren Styles, Breeze, Hixxy	2 May 2005 (2005-05-02)	1	UK: Gold[26]
Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 2	Darren Styles, Breeze, Hixxy	6 February 2006 (2006-02-06)	1	UK: Gold[27]
Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 3	Darren Styles, Breeze, Hixxy	11 December 2006 (2006-12-11)	11	UK: Gold[28]
Best of Bonkers	Hixxy & Re-Con, Sharkey & Druid, Scott Brown	15 January 2007 (2007-01-15)	9[29]
Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 4	Darren Styles, Breeze, Hixxy	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	7	UK: Gold[30]
Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 5	Darren Styles, Breeze, Hixxy	8 December 2008 (2008-12-08)	15	UK: Silver[31]
Bonkers: The Original Hardcore	Sharkey, Chris Unknown, Hixxy	11 May 2009 (2009-05-11)	8[32]

See also

• Kutski
• Gammer
• Slipmatt

References

1. "Hixxy". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
2. Birchmeier, Jason. "Hixxy". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
3. "Hixxy Biography". Active Talent Agency. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
4. Shapiro, Peter (1999). Drum 'n' Bass The Rough Guide. Rough Guide. p. 88. ISBN 9781858284330.
5. Ravens, Chai (11 March 2020). "Happy hardcore will never die: the life of rave's most juvenile subculture". Dazed and Confused. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
6. S, Ian (19 August 2021). "Gone to a Rave #35: High on a Happy Vibe – The Rise and Fall of Hardcore". The Ransom Note. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
7. Roberts, Joe (10 March 2019). "Happy hardcore will never die: An ode to the Bonkers series". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
8. Edwards, Amber (11 June 2022). "DJ Hixxy set to perform at Plymouth's DEPO". Plymouth Herald. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
9. Hodgson, Jaimie (20 July 2021). "'Why Don't We All Go Bonkers?' – The Rise and Fall of Happy Hardcore". Vice. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
10. Mugan, Chris (7 December 2002). "His station's saving grace". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
11. "John Peel Tracklistings: 17/3/2004". BBC. 17 March 2004. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
12. "Bonkers: Hixxy Mix as Heard on the John Peel Show". MusicBrainz. 2004. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
13. "Get Ready For HTiD USA 2018 with This Hardcore Playlist!". EDM Identity. 4 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
14. "Hixxy Past Events". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
15. Jolley, Ben (6 December 2019). "Bang Face Weekender locks Perc, Sherelle, Hixxy & Dougal Bonkers reunion, more in second wave". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
16. "Hixxy Tour Dates". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
17. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 24 September 1995 - 30 September 1995". Official Charts. 1995.
18. "Official Compilations Chart Top 100 18 May 1997 - 24 May 1997". Official Charts. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
19. "Resist Various Artists Bonkers - Mixed By Hixxy & Sharkey". BPI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
20. "Official Compilations Chart Top 100 18 May 1997 - 24 May 1997". Official Charts. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
21. "Resist Various Artists Bonkers 3". BPI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
22. "Official Compilations Chart Top 100 24 May 1998 - 30 May 1998". Official Charts. 24 May 1998. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
23. "React Various Artists Bonkers 4 - World Frenzy". BPI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
24. "Official Compilations Chart Top 100 18 April 2004 - 24 April 2004". Official Charts. 18 April 2004. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
25. "Aatw/Umtv Various Artists Hardcore Til I Die". BPI. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
26. "Aatw/Umtv Various Artists Clubland X-Treme Hardcore". BPI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
27. "Aatw/Umtv Various Artists Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 2". BPI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
28. "Aatw/Umtv Various Artists Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 3". BPI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
29. "Official Compilations Chart Top 100 21 January 2007 - 27 January 2007". Official Charts. 21 January 2007. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
30. "Aatw/Umtv Various Artists Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 4". BPI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
31. "Aatw/Umtv Various Artists Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 5". BPI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
32. "Official Compilations Chart Top 100 17 May 2009 - 23 May 2009". Official Charts. 17 May 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.

External links

• Hixxy discography at Discogs
• Hixxy at AllMusic