Dancing in outer space with Carl Cox

As Carl Cox’s residency gets into full flow at Ibiza’s legendary Space, Carl recalls days gone by on the white isle…

As Carl Cox aficionados will know, following the big man’s sold out residency at Space in Ibiza last year, he was asked back for an eight week residency this year.

Those who have witnessed Carl Cox’s three-deck mastery will testify that the man is a living legend. This year’s Ibizan sessions will do little to harm his reputation.

Next week Carl will spin one of his exclusive terrace sets at Space while Leeds’ Back 2 Basics crew of hedonists provide support.

Earlier in the year Carl said: “Last year I felt we had really given something back to the island. People were coming from all over the world for this one night and we really gave them an experience they wouldn’t get anywhere else.

“Every night was a massive party. This year I’m planning to go back for more of the same. I want people to get a night of great music at the same great price as last year.”

Only last week Carl spoke exclusively to Space’s website on his arrival on the white isle after a traumatic couple of days having to deal with striking British Airways staff: “I unfortunately had to fly from London. I was supposed to be in Turkey over the weekend. And the British Airways were going on strike. They cancelled all flights over the weekend to all destinations.

“I ended up staying the weekend, seeing friends, but now I’m feeling a bit fresher because I’m not coming from a party.”

At least British Airways didn’t break with the age old tradition of losing the tools of the DJs trade, “I’ve lost one bag, but I do have a hell of a lot of other records.” Which was lucky for the hordes that had assembled for Carl’s set last Tuesday.

Carl Cox may be one of the most popular DJs in Ibiza, if not the world, but it has not always been the case. At the age of fifteen, Carl bought his first set of decks and started to play as many parties as he could, discovering that he buzzed off a crowd. By the 1980s Carl’s musical tastes changed; from soul to disco and to hip-hop but it wasn’t really until he moved to Brighton in 1986 that he found, along with so many others, the pure thrill of house music.

Carl talked to Space about his early days, in particular an early Ibizan experience when he hired a Fiat Panda and slept in it for three nights with his sister. A far cry from the jet setting five star existence superstar DJs enjoy today: “I couldn’t afford to stay anywhere else. I just needed to come to Ibiza and broaden my horizons. Learn more about being in a different country on my own and not going with school, or with mum and dad or anything. It was like an adventure. I think I was about 17 or 18 years old and it was kind of like ‘I’m taking charge of my life, I’m going to Ibiza, I’ve got no money, but what ever happens, happens.

“Ibiza was the first place I drove on the other side of the road. I came in the dark. I had no idea of where I was going. I came from humble beginnings and I still meet some of those old friends today who I see around. It’s just fantastic when this island catches you in some way and you feel compelled to become a part of it.”

Like we said, a far cry from life as a modern superstar DJ and the attendant perks that the lifestyle enjoys: “Normally it’s me, Ian my road manager and I have some friends coming over tomorrow. It just grows bigger as the season goes on. I’ve one record label, Intec Records and I’ve got three staff there and with Cosmack my management company – there’s at least five people there – and then it goes into accountants and financial advisers and possibly Ian Hindmarsh who books me. He normally meets me or arranges people to meet me and two security plus a promoter and a dedicated driver so it ends up being an entourage wherever I end up playing.”

As one of the hardest working DJs on the circuit, it came as a bit of a surprise to Carl when asked of any impending plans for retirement: “There’s no chance. It’s an addiction, it’s a drug and I can’t stop. There’s no way, I’ve been DJing for 33 years now and you’re asking me to chop off one of my balls, I just wouldn’t do it.”