Carl Cox speaks out on how to make it as a DJ: “Try to lead, not follow.”
The icon reveals the secrets to his success...
Carl Cox has opened up about what has given him such an enduring success as a DJ in a new interview.
Cox came to the end of his 15-year residency at Space Ibiza last September, as the White Isle nightclub closed its doors for the last time at the end of the summer.
But his busy summer schedule looks set to continue as last month he revealed that he will start his Pure Carl Cox Ibiza night with two parties at Privilege Ibiza this summer.
Speaking about the secrets to his lasting success in a new interview with In The Mix, Cox said, “I’ve always played what I believe is my sound and what’s made me who I am over many years.
“I’ll play something as obscure as you like, which you can’t find on Shazam, and then tip into something that you may know or you might’ve heard, or even a very popular tune.
“I try to lead, not follow. I try not to compromise. I try not to be seen to be someone that’s just playing the top twenty Beatport records you could buy off the shelf, because that’s too easy.
“I also mix and layer all sorts of things over a record to disguise the actual original sound of what it was to begin with, to give my sets a sense of creativity.
“But that’s the reason why you go out: to hear music you don’t hear on MTV, your local radio, or even what’s on the charts.”
In the interview Cox was also asked whether he’s a cat or dog person, answering, “Cats. I wasn’t expecting that!“
The British icon also shared a classic mix from the Space Ibiza Terrace in 2004 on his Global Radio show earlier this month.
Rob McCallum is DJ Mag’s deputy digital editor. Follow him on Twitter here.
