"Bonkers" is React's first venture into the world of Happy Hardcore, 4-Beat
          or Techstep as it has also been called. Happy Hardcore has become the
             post runner to jungle in the south on the rave scene, where it is the
 suburban cousin to the urban Drum & Bass, although the two styles are still played side
              by side at some events on the rave scene i.e. Tribal Gathering.

             Back in the midst of time (circa
             '92) the Hardcore rave scene
             divided into a Dark Side, which
             developed into Jungle, and a
                             Happy side
                             which
                             disappeared
                             back
                             underground
                             with a flurry of
                             breakbeat
                             activity only to
                             re-emerge
             defiantly as Happy Hardcore.
             Meanwhile across the
             European mainland Hardcore
             had become chart material
             which although ignored in
             England found favour with
             Scottish and Irish dance fans
             who have always liked a bit of
             fast stomping Euro Techno.
             Then suddenly the British DJ's
             start playing in Scotland
                      following the fusion in
                      sound between the
                      Scottish-Dutch Happy
             Gabba hybrid and the
             new improved harder
             Happy Hardcore sound
             and before you can say
             "Hardcore will never die"
             Technohead's "I Wanna Be A
             Hippy" single sells 300,000
             copies in the UK.
                                              Now React, who always strive
                                                   to deliver the finest
                                              contemporary collections have
                                              compiled "Bonkers" 35 of
                                              the most bangin' 4-Beat
                                                 monster dub plates
                                             selected and mixed by DJ Hixxy
                                               and MC Sharkey, recognised
                                              as the youngest and freshest
                                              talents on the Happy Hardcore
                                                         scene.

                                                      Bonkers reads like a
                                                      who's who of Happy
                                              Hardcore scene and features
                                               the hot plates from Dougal,
                                              Brisk, Slipmatt, Sy, Seduction,
                                             Eruption, Force
                                               & Styles, DJ
                                               Scott Brown,
                                               Marc Smith,
                                                  Druid,
                                              Vinylgroover, &
                                               Billy Bunter.
                                               For the label
                                              conscious the
                                                  vinyl come courtesy of
                                                Essential Platinum, United
                                              Dance Recordings, UK Dance,
                                              Kniteforce, Evolution, Inferno,
                                                    Impact, Universal,
                                                Stormtrooper, Quosh and
                                                       Clubscene.
 

 
                            Following his ascendance over the
                            last couple of years to the Hardcore
                             DJ elite, DJ Hixxy has conquered
                                Britain, Scotland, Germany,
                              Switzerland and the other place
                             where they like it nuts, Australia.
                           Based in Portsmouth, and aged only
                             20, Hixxy runs probably the most
                               influential label on the scene,
                             Essential Platinum, and is widely
                             regarded as top dog on the South
                                          coast.

                           MC Sharkey was recently voted No.1
                           MC on the rave scene, and although
                            he's never one to turn down a night
                            of coaxing the whistle posse, he will
                             now only be holding court at large
                           events as his DJ'ing consumes most
                               of the weekend. Hailing from
                               Plymouth Sharkey now lives in
                            Wokingham, Berkshire and he has
                             set up the Bonkers record label,
                                which is based in Mansfield.
                              Together Hixxy & Sharkey have
                            produced the biggest single yet on
                               the 4-beat scene, "Toytown"
                              (included on this site) is huge -
                           according to DJ Magazine "You may
                           not have heard it yet but at your local
                           rave barn it's bigger than Goldie and
                             Josh Wink mixing back to back".
 
 

                               mailbox@react-music.co.uk