he avows. “I believe the mix to be the very best in new “The thing is,” he pleads passionately, “We have to
music that is out there right now. I was asked to do other adapt to change. I have. I’m still interested in what
mix albums and I turned them down so I could give this happens next. I can’t revel in what it was like in the
the full benefi t of what I believe it needs as a release, past. For me that is what it was like at that time, now
above and beyond anything Global Underground has ever it’s a new day, a new generation. A lot of people are still
done. Because it’s quite easy to say to Nick Warren if you crying, ‘’88 was where it was at’. OK, fi ne. But that was
go to Tel Aviv we’ll do the mix from Tel Aviv. I’m quite sure 20 years ago. I had an amazing time, I was really proud
Nick would have a story to tell – ‘Well, I jumped on the to be part of it, for sure, but here I am in the 21st
plane, I got to Tel Aviv, the gig was fantastic and there’s Century releasing one of the most infl uential CDs of my
the music.’ And that’s it. But my story of Burning Man career for the next generation to be inspired by.
goes much deeper and has a lot more history, purely Fantastic.”
based on the fact I was asked to go many, many times,
and only now did I feel it was right for me to go. And That’s why he’s bringing back his much-missed In-Tec
then, based on everything I saw, and what I heard, and imprint this year. Now a wholly digital operation, he
to relay that to this release, and showing people that it aims to release 12-14 tunes a year. He’s also putting
can be done, in all sorts of different ways. And if you’re the fi nishing touches to his new artist album.
not experiencing a certain something in your life, then Working on it in Australia — where he now lives for
maybe this gives you the chance to do that.” a few months every year – he describes it as his
fi rst truly dancefl oor album. He hopes to
Momentous release it at the end of 2010, with
Like we say, you can take Carl Cox out of 1988, but you 12-inches to come this side of the
can’t take 1988 out of Carl Cox. The beliefs he espouses summer.
might seem outdated, even naïve to some, but that’s So in a world constantly
their loss because Carl Cox has lived through some pretty defi ned by change and our
momentous times in the last 25 years and he is willingness, or unwillingness,
testament to the transformative powers of music, its to meet that change, it’s
potent, celebratory qualities. From spinning rock ‘n’ roll, comforting to know that some
calypso, reggae and soul music at his parents’ house things will always stay the same. Carl Cox has
parties to his most recent gigs, the ethos is always the always known that it’s quality not quantity that
same; sharing music with people. matters. In the past he managed to combine the
As a youngster, he consumed music in a voracious two effortlessly. Now, as he approaches his 50th
fashion. Every new musical trend he lapped up eagerly. birthday, he realises that he has to slow down.
Funk, disco — even Pink Floyd! — he devoured all music. To an extent. You see, no matter how hard he
So much so, that by the time the ’80s arrived he already tries to take things easy, his restless spirit
had a massive record collection. Most people thought keeps pulling him along.
about these records after the fact, he reckons. He was “I’m still preaching what we should be listening
already there. The same with acid house. He endearingly to,” he laughs. “I’ve still got it. It’s what I’ve
boasts about how he was there at the start, how when always been about. I’m still here to save the
everyone else was listening to rare groove, he was world from bad music.”
already experimenting with this new warped house
music, because, as he puts it, “it was the future”.
A MATTER OF F.A.C.T!
And so when Oakenfold, Nicky Holloway, Danny Rampling
and Johnny Walker came back from that fateful holiday in
Five favourite mix albums
Ibiza (he had been asked to go, but he was too busy
working), he was ready.
“At the time, no-one knew who Carl Cox was,” he refl ects. Danny tenaGlia ‘GlObal unDerGrOunD 017:
“I had my own soundsystem (which he had built — he lOnDOn’ (Global Underground)
was always good with his hands, being a carpenter, “I love Danny Tenaglia — he was on-point on this release.
builder and painter and decorator before making it big), The way he put all those records together — he let one record
but I also had an amazing collection of music. One person play for 10 minutes. I would have mixed three in that time. He gets
for sure, apart from Paul Oakenfold who let me play at big props for that.”
Heaven on a Monday night, was Danny Rampling. He
knew that I had all this music and he invited me to play at carl cOX ‘F.a.c.t.’ (React) 1995
the fi rst two Shooms. It meant I could unleash all these “I just wanted to highlight the worldwide techno scene at that time. It embodied
records on an audience that was prepared for what I was where I was at the time — ahead of the game, for sure. It sold over 250,000 copies and
going to play. But even at the fi rst two Shooms you had took me to another level.”
people in Afro wigs coming to listen to rare groove.
Which didn’t happen!” JeFF millS ‘the eXhibitiOniSt’ (React) 2004
“Jeff is amazing. He’s relentless. Sometimes you just have to have a bit of Jeff Mills in the car!
Folklore Listening to this album would always get me pumped up before playing a set.”
Since then, Carl Cox has gone into musical folklore. He’s
the DJ that people who know nothing about dance music nOrman Jay ‘GOOD timeS 6’ (Resist) 2006
have heard of. He was one of the fi rst DJs to appear on “He comes from the same era as me — he grew up with the same tunes I did. This
Top Of The Pops in 1991 with his crossover tune ‘I Want album just goes all over the place — Rufus & Chaka Khan next to House Of Pain
You Forever’. He was a hardcore pin-up boy, before and The Clash. You’re constantly thinking, ‘Wow! Where did that come
reinventing himself as the face of UK techno. His 1995 from?’. It’s not about the mixing, it’s all about the music.”
mix album ‘F.A.C.T.’ was a revelation, shifting 250,000
copies, while his Ultimate Base night in London and his rOni Size ‘thrOuGh the eyeS’ (Full Cycle) 2000
Ibiza residencies are the stuff of legend. Heck, he even “He’s the master. He absolutely defi nes drum & bass for me — especially
did a spot of acting in the 1999 clubbing caper Human his collective, Reprazent. And this mix captures everything I love about
Traffi c. As such, he’s ideally placed to comment on the drum & bass. He absolutely rocks it.”
current situation in clubland — particularly given the
tumultuous changes of the last decade.
028
www.djmag.comw.djmag.com
DJ482.carl cox_feature.indd 28 18/1/10 15:42:44
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