| Bonkers | |
|---|---|
| Compilation album by various artists | |
| Released | 1996- |
| Genre | Happy Hardcore, UK Hardcore, Freeform, Gabber |
| Label | React Music Limited / Resist Music / All Around the World |
The Bonkers series was one of the leading happy hardcore compilation series in the UK. The first release was in 1996 on record label React (now Resist), it was available on 2xCD, 2xTC and 4xLP (Only the early albums) formats. DJs DJ Sharkey and Hixxy were signed by React and the pair released "Bonkers", the first in a series of albums which has become the best-selling hardcore compilation series of all time. The series is currently on its nineteenth release, with Bonkers: The Original Hardcore having been released on 11 May 2009.
Contents |
Bonkers 1-15 was also licensed to "Get over the records" in 2005 for Japanese branded releases.[1] With Japanese edition Bonkers vol. 1 on going on sale Oct 26th 2005 with a full TV advert in Japanese. "Get over the records" only released Bonkers 1-7 in the Japanese market and have since 2007 stopped releasing albums altogether.
Bonkers has also been licensed for local release in Australia via Central Station records.[1]
Frequent contributors to the Bonkers collection include: Hixxy, DJ Dougal, DJ Sharkey and Scott Brown.
In June 2008, Hardcore online news site 'happyhardcore.com' announced that British dance label All Around the World (AATW) had purchased the rights to Bonkers from what would have been volume 18, released in 2009. There was speculation about a change of label for some time, but AATW finally confirmed this. The UK Hardcore genre, which has seen a recent unprecedented rise in popularity, has already helped AATW in securing number one chart positions with its Clubland Xtreme Hardcore releases. The label also claim to want to make the Bonkers brand bigger, suggesting using Universal Music TV as their distributor for future releases, who they use for releasing their successful Clubland compilations. All Around the World re-started the Bonkers series on May 11, 2009 under the title Bonkers: The Original Hardcore and was mixed by Hixxy, Sharkey and Chris Unknown.
Bonkers has not had another release since. The record label AATW has been concentrating on their other two Hardcore compilations, Clubland Extreme Hardcore and HTID. It is still unknown to many if AATW plans to have a follow up release to their 2009 CD Bonkers "Original Hardcore". Or if the series has ceased permanently.