Forming across a triangle of Leeds, Birkenhead & Bristol, the founding members of Tokky Horror  hadn’t met each other before the band signed their first record deal. The punk collective formed  during a pandemic, sending demo’s back and forth online to entertain themselves, coining the  tounge-in-cheek genre tag “virtual hardcore”. As founder Ava Akira states “the only way for city  kids to rave in 2020 was on the internet”. 

 Sonically the band is exactly how you would imagine that to sound. As frustrated thrash riffs  juxtapose hyperactive old school jungle breakbeats, producer Zee Davine (previously of  Queercore outfit Queen Zee) sets squelching 303 baselines against the dual attack of vocalists  Mollie Rush and Ava Akira. 

 The debut single “Girlracer” picked up acclaim from the likes of BBC 6 Music, Radio X and  Kerrang! who called the band “a drum n bass electro punk hybrid with huge Atari Teenage  Riot vibes”. The track was followed by the further release of covid isolation era home demo’s  suitably titled “Home Recordings 2020-2021”. The release was championed by London hip-hop  punks Nova Twins who chose Tokky Horror as their artist pick for their Reprezent Radio takeover,  as well as Riot Grrrls Dream Wife who chose to sample “Girlracer” for their compilation record  also featuring Kathleen Hanna (Le Tigre, Bikini Kill), Sleigh Bells, Shirley Manson, The Big Moon &  more. 

 Having provided official remixes for the likes of Wargasm, Courting, The Subways and She Drew  the Gun, it’s apparent that Tokky Horror are as at home within rock n roll as they are rave culture.  So it makes sense for the band to championed by other genre-mashers, such as Enter Shikari  who chose the band to support on their Music Venue Trust show, calling the decision an attempt  to “challenge their own audience” (make of that what you will). As well as sharing a stage with the  likes of Turnstille, Lynks, Scalping, and Girli. 

 In the words of Clash Magazine “Proudly claiming to “not be making electronic music any  better, just making punk music worse”, Tokky Horror are defined by a reluctance to take  anything seriously, sights focused solely on having a good time. They’re scrappy, they’re  energetic, and the set rouses movement within every member of the crowd. If they’re making punk ‘worse’, then maybe ‘worse’ punk is where it’s at.”