DJ Sharkey or Sharkey (born Jonathan Kneath on 25 July 1974) is a former British record producer, disc jockey and rapper who remains today retired from music production and is now involved in teaching music technology. Sharkey is known to have co-created a style of "hardcore techno" known as "freeform" or "freeform hardcore". Sharkey initially became known as an MC at "hardcore rave" events in Great Britain in 1993. In 1995, he moved into music production, teaming up with DJ Hixxy to release the track "Toytown", which proved one of the most significant signature tunes of the UK's Happy Hardcore style in the 1990s. This led both Sharkey and Hixxy to being signed by the UK's leading dance music label, React Music, and the pair released "Bonkers", the first in a series of albums which has become the best-selling hardcore compilation series of all time. "Revolutions", a release on React, reached 53 in the UK charts, and Sharkey consequently released the album "Hard Life" in 1998. Sharkey also produced mixes for Bonkers 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. Volumes 4 and 5 achieved silver sales status in the UK with Bonkers 3 reaching gold status. In 2001 Sharkey made his first appearance on the eurodance compilation Dancemania series, at Speed 6, along with Hixxy. He was also invited to mix on BBC Radio One in 2003, performing John Peel's Essential Mix.
Links To Peel[]
Peel was a fan of Happy Hardcore and later on its follow up UK Hardcore, which comprised of many artists including Sharkey. Sharkey himself collaborated with Pete Richardson (K-Complex) under the name of Safe n' Sound with Marc Smith to produce the Identify The Beat track, which reached number 9 in the 2002 Festive Fifty. Sharkey himself performed a session mix (called the Bonkers mix) for Peel's show in 2003 and both Sharkey and Hixxy were also interviewed by the man himself on 09 March 2004.
Ken Garner's book, The Peel Sessions book, mislabels Sharkey's session as 'Bonkers', which is the record label that released many Happy Hardcore tunes.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- Safe n' Sound
- 2002 Festive Fifty (with Marc Smith): Identify The Beat #09
Sessions[]
John Peel's Sharkey - Bonkers Mix
The Bonkers Mix. Recorded: Unknown. Broadcast: 21 January 2003. Repeated: None. No commercial release.
- Ham & Robbie Long - Get Hard
- Scott Brown - Pilgrim (Kevin Energy & K-Complex Remix)
- Ethos & Dan Devotion - Party Zone
- Sharkey & K Complex - Delusion
- Marc Smith vs Safe n' Sound - Identify The Beat
- Sharkey & AMS - Mind Control
Other Shows Played[]
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is certainly incomplete. Please add further details if known.)
- 1998
- 20 May 1998: Product Of Society (Sharkey's Hardcore Society Mix) (12") React
- 16 July 1998: The Awakening (album - Hardlife) React
- 1999
- 20 February 1999 (BFBS): The Warning (12") Nu Energy (with Eclipse)
- 2002
- 12 December 2002 (Radio Eins): Where's The Party At? (12") Bonkerz (with Robbie Long)
- 2003
- 13 February 2003: Where's The Party At? (12") Bonkerz (with Robbie Long)
- 19 February 2003: Where's The Party At? (12” single) Bonkerz (with Robbie Long)
- 19 February 2003 (Radio Mafia): Where's The Party At? (split 12" with AMS - Wheres The Party At? / Mind Control) Bonkerz (with Robbie Long)
- 20 February 2003 (Radio Eins): Where's The Party At? (12") Bonkerz (with Robbie Long)
- 29 May 2003: Delusion (12") Hecttech (with K Complex)
- 05 June 2003 (Radio Eins): Delusion (12") Hecttech (with K Complex)
- 16 October 2003: Where's The Party At? 12" Bonkerz (with Robbie Long)
- 30 October 2003 (Radio Eins): Where's The Party At? 12" Bonkerz (with Robbie Long)
- 13 November 2003: Incorporeal Being (12") Synthetix (with AMS)
- 18 November 2003: Pulsive (12") Synthetix (with K Complex)
- Safe n' Sound (with Pete Richardson)
- 15 March 2001: You Got Dat Rush
- 26 February 2002: Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 27 February 2002: Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 28 February 2002: Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 07 March 2002: Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 20 March 2002 (BBC World Service): Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 21 March 2002 (Radio Mafia): Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- March 2002 (FSK): Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 04 April 2002 (Radio Eins): Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 18 April 2002: Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 18 April 2002 (Radio Mafia): Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 30 May 2002 (Radio Eins): Sensations (12") (with Simon Apex)
- 26 December 2002: 'Identify The Beat (12 inch)' (Nu Energy) (with Marc Smith) FF #09
- 19 June 2003 (Radio Eins): Sensations (12") (with Simon Apex)
- 27 October 2004: Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)
- 23 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): Identify The Beat (12” single) Bonkerz (with Marc Smith)