Name Nick Halkes Role Executive | Music group Kicks Like a Mule | |
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Record labels founded XL Recordings, Positiva Records Organizations founded XL Recordings, Positiva Records Similar Richard Russell, Liam Howlett, Tim Palmer, Keith Flint, Tim Dog | ||
Nick Halkes Guest Talk: Breaking Into The Music Industry (Part 1)
Nick Halkes (born Nigel Halkes) is a U.K. based music industry executive best known for signing a breaking dance act The Prodigy and being one of the founders of the XL Recordings label XL Recordings. He is now an artist manager, managing Liam Howlett (The Prodigy), DJ Fresh, Bad Company UK and more. He is also a part time lecturer on the music industry at University of Westminster. and runs the Reach Up club night and radio show with partners Andy Smith and Crissy Kybosh.
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Career
Along with Richard Russell, he formed early rave duo Kicks Like a Mule, enjoying chart success in 1992 with their debut single The Bouncer. This track was covered by fledgling new-rave outfit Klaxons in 2006.
Halkes has enjoyed major A&R success with The Prodigy in recent years with the album "Invaders Must Die" on which he co-wrote the title track and the subsequent album The Day is My Enemy on which he co-wrote three tracks
Halkes was one of the founders of independent record label XL Recordings where he signed and worked with acts such as House of Pain, SL2 and Liquid before taking up a position as a director at EMI and launching the Positiva label. The Positiva label enjoyed significant success under Halkes leadership with artists such as Reel to Real,Alice Deejay,The Bucketheads and more and is now home to David Guetta and Deadmau5 amongst others.
Halkes also currently oversees the careers of developing artists Catchment, One Bit and Engine-Earz Experiment and records sporadically under the Horx monicker