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.
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]