"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.
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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.
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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". |
 
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