Jump to content

Tidy Trax

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tidy Trax
Founded1995; 29 years ago (1995)
FounderAndy Pickles and Amadeus Mozart (aka The Tidy Boys)
GenreHard House • Trance
Country of originEngland
LocationLeeds
Official websitewww.tidytrax.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Tidy Trax, currently known as Tidy, is a record label based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1995 by Andy Pickles and Amadeus Mozart, Tidy is known for promoting a style of hard house that is both fun and high tempo. It has featured a roster of hard house and trance artists, and hosts regular live events including the Tidy Weekender. Since 2005 the Tidy label also includes Tidy Two and Untidy.

History

[edit]

The Tidy Trax label was founded in 1995 by Rotherham-based Andy Pickles and Amadeus Mozart, who are also jointly known as DJ producers the Tidy Boys.[1][2] Pickles had previously worked on the Jive Bunny series of records, the financial success of which supported the foundation of the Tidy Trax label.[3][4] The label was at the forefront of the UK hard house and trance scenes in the 1990s and early 2000s, both running live events and releasing over 350 records. Tidy Trax was reported to have sold over a million records in one year.[3] From 2005 the popularity of the Tidy sound did wane, however the label had maintained a core underground fanbase and in the 2020s a resurgence in popularity has been reported.[3][5]

Artists that have been featured by the label include Andy Farley, Tony De Vit, Steve Blake, Lee Haslam, the Tidy Boys, Rob Tissera, Eats Everything, Charlotte de Witte, Hannah Laing, and Josh Butler.[6][7][8] Other artists included the Tidy Girls, a collaboration between Lisa Lashes, Anne Savage, Rachel Auburn, and Lisa Pin-Up. The Tidy Girls eponymous release achieved success in the UK official singles chart.[3][9] The cover CD of the February 2003 issue of Mixmag featured a "Tidy vs Frantic" mix between DJs Paul Maddox and Tom Harding.[10]

In 2005 Tidy Trax merged with its sister labels, Tidy Two and Untidy Trax, to form a single label called Tidy.[11] Also in 2005, the Ministry of Sound released a Euphoria compilation focused on the Tidy sound, which peaked at number 10 in the UK official compilation chart.[12] An album, featuring various artists, celebrating 20 years of the Tidy label peaked at number 11 in the UK official dance album chart in 2015.[13]

In 2021 Tidy celebrated its 25-year anniversary with its 18th live event held at the Pontins holiday park in Prestatyn.[5][7] In 2023 Tidy published a photobook, "The Cult of Tidy Volume One: 1995-2005", detailing the history of the label up to 2005.[6] The label is often credited by the dance music press of being a major innovator in the dance music scene, with its promotion of "fun" events and c. 135 BPM beats.[5][6][7][14]

Tony De Vit

[edit]

The Tidy Trax label regularly released the music of British DJ Tony De Vit, who is often credited as the "godfather of UK hard house". De Vit died in 1998, shortly after "the Dawn" was released by Tidy Trax, as a result of his contracting HIV. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of De Vit, in 2023 Tidy Trax released a compilation of remixes of De Vit's tunes, "TDV25 - The Remixes", by artists including Eats Everything, Nicole Moudaber, and Hannah Laing.[8][15]

Live events and the Tidy Weekender

[edit]

The Tidy Weekender is a regular live event organised and hosted by the Tidy label that has a roster of dance music performances, and has featured acts such as Judge Jules, Rob Tissera, Anne Savage and Fergie.[16] The first event was held over a 3-day period in 2002, at the Pontins park in Prestatyn, which was also the venue for the 25th anniversary event in 2021.[3] The 20th anniversary of the Tidy label occurred in 2015 and was celebrated at a Tidy Weekender in Southport.[16] In 2023 Pontins closed down the holiday park in Prestatyn, which had a significant impact on the Tidy "wet and wild weekender" which was to be held there.[17] Other live events promoted by the label include the "Cult of Tidy" tour.[18]

Selected discography

[edit]
Tidy Trax singles releases
Title Artist Year Peak
UK Singles
Peak
UK Dance
U Found Out[19] The Handbaggers 1996 55 8
Higher/You'll Know[20] Trauma 1998 96 5
Expression[21] Steve Blake 1999 32
Tidy Girls EP[9] Tidy Girls 1999 96 31
Coming on Strong[22] Signum ft Scott Mac 1999 66 5
The Dawn[23] Tony De Vit 2000 56 3
Unbelievable[24] Lisa Lashes 2000 63 18
Deep Swarm[25] Trauma vs Ian M 2000 12
Let's Rock[26] E-Trax 2001 60 20
Busted & Backwards Bitch[27] Guvnors 2001 80 12
I Don't Care[28] Tony De Vit 2002 65 2
What Ya Got 4 Me[29] Signum 2002 35 3
Unbelievable[30] Lisa Lashes vs Lab 4 2002 78 14
What Can You Do 4 Me[31] Lisa Lashes 2003 52 5
Intoxicating Rhythm[32] Anne Savage/Vinylgroover 2004 87 15
Mastermind[33] Enermatic 2004 100 23
Liberate/Here Comes The Pain[34] Lee Haslam 2004 71 9
Tidy Trax & Tidy album releases
Title Artist Year Peak
UK Comp
Peak
UK Dance
Keep It Tidy 1995-1998[35] Various 1998 66
Keep It Tidy - Vol 2[36] Various 2000 36
The Tidy Boys Annual[37] Various 2001 27
The Tidy Girls Annual[38] Various 2001 24
Keep It Tidy 4 2002-2004[39] Various 2004 56
Resonate 4[40] Various 2004 67
Tidy Weekender 12 - Live[41] Various 2007 75 32
Hard Dance Awards - The Album 2007[42] Various 2007 93 23
Tidy XX - Celebrating 20 Years Of Tidy[13] Various 2015 77 11
TDV25 - The Remixes[8] Tony De Vit / Various 2023

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Tidy Boys". UK Festivals Guide. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2024. Legendary Hard House pairing from Rotherham, individually known as Andy Pickles and Amadeus Mozart, a duo who through their work as pioneers of the biggest label in Hard Dance music, Tidy Traxx
  2. ^ Pell, Damion (16 November 2022). "The Cult Of Tidy – Volume One". Decoded Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e Roberts, Joe (14 July 2021). "How Tidy Trax embodies the loud, proud spirit of Northern hard house". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024. The Tidy Boys and their label Tidy Trax epitomised the early '00s hard house scene, at one point selling a million records a year.
  4. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 208. ISBN 0-7535-0427-8.
  5. ^ a b c Schaitel, Matt (27 April 2021). "Tee Up with The Tidy Boys on 25 Years of Hard House". EDM Identity. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024. Enter 2021, a full twenty-five years after opening their book to write in. Tidy as a brand continues to morph over the years. As sub-labels combine to entertain the fans and keep the music alive the scene grows, retracts as fans get older, then welcomes a new wave into the fray
  6. ^ a b c Guttridge-Hewitt, Martin (26 January 2023). "New photobook tells the story of legendary hard house label Tidy Trax". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "TIDY 25TH ANNIVERSARY". DMC World. 19 March 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Guttridge-Hewitt, Martin (13 July 2023). "Tidy Trax commemorates Tony de Vit's 25th anniversary with compilation featuring Patrick Topping, Nicole Moudaber, more: Listen". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  9. ^ a b "TIDY GIRLS EP". Official Charts. 1999. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Frantic vs Tidy". Mixmag. February 2003.
  11. ^ "IS TIDY TRAX THE LABEL OF THE DECADE? VOTE NOW". Mixmag. 1 March 2017. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024. Andy Pickles and Amadeus Mozart, AKA The Tidy Boys, created Tidy Trax in 1995. The sister/sub labels Untidy Trax and Tidy Two joined with Tidy Trax in 2005 to form TIdy, representing UK hard house and trance music.
  12. ^ "TIDY EUPHORIA". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  13. ^ a b "TIDY XX - CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF TIDY". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Tidy Weekender - The Weekend Strikes Back". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  15. ^ Heskett, Tibor (22 September 2023). "A NEW DOCUMENTARY ABOUT LEGENDARY BRITISH DJ TONY DE VIT IS COMING OUT". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  16. ^ a b Johnson, Emma (25 February 2015). "Tidy Boys gearing up for a Birthday Weekender held in Southport - Liverpool Echo". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Pontins closes Prestatyn and Camber Sands holiday parks". BBC. 30 November 2023. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Tidy presents the tidy boys 'open to close'". Resident Advisor. 2023. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  19. ^ "HANDBAGGERS Songs". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  20. ^ "HIGHER/YOU'LL KNOW". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  21. ^ "EXPRESSION – STEVE BLAKE - Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  22. ^ "COMING ON STRONG". Official Charts.
  23. ^ "THE DAWN". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 23 July 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  24. ^ "UNBELIEVABLE". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  25. ^ "DEEP SWARM". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  26. ^ "LET'S ROCK". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  27. ^ "BUSTED & BACKWARDS BITCH". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  28. ^ "I DON'T CARE". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  29. ^ "WHAT YA GOT 4 ME". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  30. ^ "UNBELIEVABLE – LISA LASHES VS LAB 4 - Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  31. ^ "WHAT CAN YOU DO 4 ME". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  32. ^ "INTOXICATING RHYTHM". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  33. ^ "MASTERMIND". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  34. ^ "LIBERATE/HERE COMES THE PAIN – LEE HASLAM - Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  35. ^ "KEEP IT TIDY - 1995 - 1998". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  36. ^ "KEEP IT TIDY - VOL 2". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  37. ^ "THE TIDY BOYS ANNUAL". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  38. ^ "THE TIDY GIRLS ANNUAL". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  39. ^ "KEEP IT TIDY 4 - 2002-2004". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  40. ^ "RESONATE 4 – VARIOUS ARTISTS - Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  41. ^ "TIDY WEEKENDER 12 - LIVE". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  42. ^ "HARD DANCE AWARDS - THE ALBUM 2007". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
[edit]