# Tidy Trax

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

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. Pickles had previously worked on the Jive Bunny series of records, the financial success of which supported the foundation of the Tidy Trax label. 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. 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.
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. 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. The cover CD of the February 2003 issue of Mixmag featured a "Tidy vs Frantic" mix between DJs Paul Maddox and Tom Harding.
In 2005 Tidy Trax merged with its sister labels, Tidy Two and Untidy Trax, to form a single label called Tidy. 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. 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.
In 2021 Tidy celebrated its 25-year anniversary with its 18th live event held at the Pontins holiday park in Prestatyn. In 2023 Tidy published a photobook, "The Cult of Tidy Volume One: 1995-2005", detailing the history of the label up to 2005. 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.

### Tony De Vit

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.

### Live events and the Tidy Weekender

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. 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. The 20th anniversary of the Tidy label occurred in 2015 and was celebrated at a Tidy Weekender in Southport. 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. Other live events promoted by the label include the "Cult of Tidy" tour.

## Selected discography

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