Kirsty Hawkshaw

Kirsty Hawkshaw (born 26 October 1969) is an English electronic music vocalist and songwriter. In addition to her work as a solo artist, she is known as the lead vocalist of early 1990s dance group Opus III, and her collaborative work with other musicians and producers.

Kirsty Hawkshaw
Background information
Born (1969-10-26) 26 October 1969
London, England
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1991–present
LabelsCoalition/EastWest, Mainline/EMI, Nettwerk, Magnatune
Websitekirstyhawkshaw.co.uk

Career

Kirsty Hawkshaw is the daughter of the late British production music/film music composer and disco record producer Alan Hawkshaw, who was known for composing themes for TV programmes such as Grange Hill[1] and Channel 4 game show Countdown. Her mother is German-born Christiane Bieberbach.[2]

At a rave in 1990, she was noticed by producers Ian Munro, Kevin Dodds and Nigel Walton, who at the time were known as A.S.K. and were signed to MCA Records UK. The trio had released a single called "Dream", when she was invited to appear on stage as their dancer. It was through this meeting that they would form a dance act called Opus III. Their first single, a cover version of the song "It's a Fine Day" from their debut album Mind Fruit, was an international success and Top 10 hit on UK Singles Chart,[3] and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1992. A reversed sample of Hawkshaw's singing from this track was used in the Orbital track "Halcyon", the music video for which featured Hawkshaw. Opus III also had another US number 1 hit on the same chart in 1994 with "When You Made the Mountain", from their second and final album, Guru Mother.

In a 2009 interview, she recalled her decision to end her association with Opus III, saying she felt that she did not want to be part of a "commercialized" act, wanted to go in a different direction, and felt that she did not have sufficient input in writing and production, which led to conflict with the rest of the band; she has also ruled out any plans for a reunion if it ever happens. She has also been critical of the dance music industry more broadly, especially performers lip synching other people's songs, and using original artists' vocals without permission or credit.

After the group broke up in 1994, Hawkshaw pursued a solo career and has since been in demand by other acts in the dance, house, Eurodance, trance, and electronica community, including Tiësto, Delerium, BT, Fragma, Seba, and Paradox, among others.

Her solo single "Fine Day" peaked at number 62 in the UK Singles Chart in November 2002.[4]

Hawkshaw contributed a track titled "Telephone Song" to the children's compilation album For the Kids Too!, released in 2004.

On 10 October 2005, she released Meta-Message, a collection of older and newer songs, after a growing interest in her out-of-print album, O.U.T.

The record label Magnatune released her ambient album, The Ice Castle, in 2008.

Collaborations
  • 1992 "It's A Fine Day" (with Opus III)
  • 1992 "I Talk To The Wind" (with Opus III)
  • 1994 "When You Made The Mountain" (with Opus III)
  • 1996 "Valencia" (with Rachid Taha)
  • 1997 "Isolation" (with Pulusha)
  • 1999 "Online" (with Warm & Viv Grant)
  • 1998 "State Of Grace" (with Swayzak)
  • 1999 "Stereo" (with Stereo People)
  • 1999 "Where The Sidewalk Ends" (with Silent Poets)
  • 2000 "Dreaming" (with BT) – UK No. 38[4]
  • 2000 "Hidden Agenda" (with Sandor Caron)
  • 2000 "Inner Sanctum" (with Delerium)
  • 2000 "Nature's Kingdom" (with Delerium)
  • 2000 "Running Down The Way Up" (with BT & Hybrid)
  • 2000 "Visions" (with Ian Pooley)
  • 2001 "Battleship Grey" (with Tiësto)
  • 2001 "It's In The Music" (with Warm)
  • 2001 "Stealth" (with Way Out West) – UK No. 67
  • 2001 "Urban Train" (with Tiësto) – UK No. 22[4]
  • 2002 "Nommo" (ALBUM): "Killing Me / Whisper" (with Slovo)
  • 2002 "Sertão Blues" (with Slovo)
  • 2002 "Underwater Lady" (with Harmonic 33)
  • 2003 "Blackout" (with Hybrid)
  • 2003 "Calling You" (with Ikon)
  • 2003 "Science Of Life" (ALBUM) (with Dave Hewson & Derek Austin)
  • 2004 "Don't Sleep Tonight" (with Clashing Egos)
  • 2004 "Just Be" (with Tiësto) – UK No. 43[4]
  • 2004 "Walking On Clouds" (with Tiësto)
  • 2004 "Maris Stella" (with Digitonal)
  • 2004 "Sincere For You" (with Lange)
  • 2005 "All I Want" (with Hybrid)
  • 2005 "Faith In Me" (with Pole Folder)
  • 2005 "Halcyon And On And On (Live)" (with Orbital)
  • 2005 "Reach For Me" (with Jamie Cullum & Steve Isles)
  • 2005 "Split" (with Mr. Sam)
  • 2006 "Don't Look Behind You" (with Judie Tzuke)
  • 2006 "Fleeting Instant" (with Delerium)
  • 2006 "Just For Today" (with Hybrid)
  • 2006 "Insight" (with Mr. Sam)
  • 2006 "Lodestar" (with Mr. Sam)
  • 2006 "Lyteo" (with Mr. Sam)
  • 2006 "Love Is A Rose" (with Pentatonik - Simeon Bowring)
  • 2006 "The Last One And The First" (with Pentatonik - Simeon Bowring)
  • 2006 "Outsiders" (with Tenishia)
  • 2006 "Radio Waves" (with Fragma)
  • 2006 "Silent Stars" (with Pole Folder)
  • 2006 "The Chauffeur" (with Sleepthief)
  • 2006 "View To Me" (with Future Funk Squad)
  • 2007 "Beatitude" (with Duderstadt)
  • 2007 "Heaven Sent" (with Andrew Bennett)
  • 2007 "Loverush" (with Loverush UK!)
  • 2007 "Reasons To Forgive" (with Tenishia)
  • 2007 "Skimming Stones" (with Sleepthief)
  • 2007 "Time Is Running Out" (with Ikon)
  • 2007 "Voyage To Isis" (ALBUM): "Star·Kindler / The Phoenix Effect" (with Delta-S)
  • 2007 "You Will Feel Love Again" (with OpenCloud)
  • 2008 "Fine Day 2008" (Kirsty Hawkshaw vs. Kinky Roland)
  • 2008 "Good To Be Alive (Healing Angel)" (Kirsty Hawkshaw vs. Arnold T.)
  • 2008 "Invisible" (with Tenishia)
  • 2008 "Invisible Walls" (with Nektarios & Jan Johnston, as Nektarios meets F-used)
  • 2008 "Juneau / Glaciation" (with Alaska)
  • 2008 "Love Calls" (with Headstrong)
  • 2008 "Love Is No Possession" (with JJoy)
  • 2008 "Love Like Blood / Sunbathing" (with Outrage & Aperture)
  • 2008 "Time Stand Still" (with OpenCloud)
  • 2009 "Devotion" (with Seba)
  • 2009 "Face To Face" (Kirsty Hawkshaw vs. Elucidate)
  • 2009 "Fearless Soul (Hybrid Mix)" (with Harry Gregson-Williams & Hybrid)
  • 2009 "Out Of Reach" (with Hue Jah Fink)
  • 2010 "A Million Stars" (with BT)
  • 2010 "One Day" (with Mr. Sam)
  • 2010 "The Joy (Face To Face)" (with Seba)
  • 2010 "The Mesozoic Era" (ALBUM): "Amzinai / Sundog" (with Alaska)
  • 2010 "Two Trees" EP: "After The Rain / Meteors / Dreaming Of Now" (with Ulrich Schnauss)
  • 2011 "Back In Time" (with Liquid Kaos)
  • 2011 "Clocks (Dandelions)" (with The Felt Dolls)
  • 2011 "Falling (Chillout)" (with Tenishia)
  • 2011 "Let Us Think" (with Secret Society & Outrage)
  • 2011 "The Light" (with Seba & Paradox)
  • 2011 "Whisper" (with Blu Mar Ten)
  • 2012 "Connected" (with John B)
  • 2012 "Dawn" (with Nektarios)
  • 2013 "4K" (with Lii)
  • 2013 "Clear Rain" (with Rasmus Faber)
  • 2013 "Let It Go" (with Tobias Zaldua)
  • 2013 "Nothing Can Replace" (with Seba)
  • 2016 "Motion" (with Eshericks)
  • 2018 "The Sandshaper" (with Sleepthief)
  • 2018 "The Wood Beyond The Wall" (with Sleepthief)
  • 2019 "Smoke" (with Trance Arts & Jan Johnston)
  • 2019 "It's A Fine Day 2K19"
  • 2020 "Love Is All We Need" (with Öona Dahl)
  • 2021 "Morph" (ALBUM): "Serenity" (with Öona Dahl)
  • 2022 "Hourglass" (Accuface X Kirsty Hawkshaw X Trance Arts)

References
  1. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (17 October 2021). "Alan Hawkshaw, Countdown and Grange Hill composer, dies aged 84". The Guardian.
  2. The Champ (The Hawk Talks), Alan Hawkshaw autobiography, published 2011.
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 408. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 246. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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