"Toy Town" is a

happy hardcore Happy hardcore, also known as 4-beat or happycore, is a subgenre of hardcore dance music or " hard dance". It emerged both from the UK breakbeat hardcore rave scene, and Belgian, German and Dutch hardcore techno scenes in the early 1990s ...

track by British duo Hixxy and Sharkey. Released in 1995, the single was a hit in the UK clubbing scene, peaked at number 24 in the UK dance singles chart, and had a pivotal impact in the UK rave music scene with a move away from breakbeat towards the newer happy hardcore "cheesy" sound.

History

The track, written and produced by Hixxy and Sharkey, was inspired by the earlier "toytown techno" phase characterised by tracks such as " Charly" by

the Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured Rapping, MC and vocalist Maxim (musician), Maxim, dancer and occasi ...

. It starts with a chopped

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, and goes on to feature "sugar sweet" vocals, a "bouncy kick" and an "ultra-cheesy stab pattern". It has elements of

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

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, gabba and

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

. Playing at the high

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

characteristic of the "speedrush" of the genre, by the end of the track it has been described as going towards "unstoppable mania". In 1994, it became a club "anthem", and following release on the Essential Platinum label in 1995 it peaked at number 24 in the UK Dance Singles official chart and sold copies. The reception of the track was divided, with both support and detraction. MC Magika stated it "was a fork in the road" that "almost destroyed the scene in its current form". On the one hand it was considered a "breath of fresh air" due to the lack of breakbeats, that appealed to a newer generation, but on the other many found the sound to be "cheesy". The "juvenile" hardcore sound, being high tempo with pitched vocals and catchy choruses and samples, had been expected to herald the "death of rave" but the success of the track was cited as opposing evidence. The "cult" success of the track led to interest from the React record label. As a result, Hixxy and Sharkey were signed to the label to create the '' Bonkers'' hardcore compilation series, which went on to have at least 19 releases from 1996 to 2009, achieving both chart and sales success even if not attaining the critical cachet of "cooler" sounds. "Toy Town" was the first track on the first compilation. In a 2011 retrospective article

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

DJ Kutski stated that the track is a "classic" and "the definition of the UK hardcore sound".

Track listing

* "Toy Town" ('Noddy & Bigears' Mix) - (6:13) * "Toy Town" ('In Ya Face' Mix) - (5:16) * "Toy Town" (Bass-D, F. Noize and Potato Remix) - (3:23)

Charts

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1995 singles 1995 songs Happy hardcore songs