Carl Cox wins DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2017 highest techno category

Carl Cox has been revealed as the winner of the Highest Techno category in this year’s DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll. The British icon came in at No. 62 overall.

Unofficially known as the Nicest Man In Dance Music, Carl has taken a bit of time out to do other things besides DJing this year.

“I’ve been running the Carl Cox Motorsport team,” he told DJ Mag after scooping the Highest Techno gong again. And one look at the group’s Facebook page suggests they’ve had some great successes of late.

“I’ve also been enjoying a bit of life outside of the routine I’ve had for the last 30 years,” Carl continues, explaining how he’s been having a few weekends away from DJing for pretty much the first time since before the acid house explosion in the '90s.

He’s still played more than 50 shows this year — and most of these were pretty epic, of course.

He helmed a couple of his mammoth Pure Carl Cox shows in Ibiza, helping to rejuvenate ‘sleeping giant’ Privilege in the process, while also guesting on the White Isle with Music On and HYTE.

He played some choice festival dates too (Ultra, Mysteryland, Sonus), as well as shows for old buddies like Nic Fanciulli (The Social) and Yousef (Circus). Oh yes oh yes!

Martin Garrix was revealed as the winner of the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs Poll 2017, with the 21-year-old Dutch superstar retaining his title after becoming the youngest ever No.1 DJ last year.

There were over a million legitimate votes cast for the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs Poll this year — a marginal increase on 2016’s million-smashing achievement — with the standings seeing 15 new entries, seven re-entries and five non-movers.

The rise was undoubtedly due in part to further opening up the voting process to China this year via a fully updated and translated validation mechanism.

The influence of the White Isle is still strong. Solomun has had another massive year in Ibiza with his +1 residency at Pacha, and this has paid off with a debut chart placing for the DIYnamic man at No.81.

Similarly, Maceo Plex has also had another successful year at Pacha and charts 10 places lower, while South African hero Black Coffee debuts at No.85 — almost certainly due to his hugely successful residency at Hï Ibiza, the new superclub that occupies the same space in Playa d’en Bossa as the fabled Space.

Bridging the gap between the underground and the mainstream, Eric Prydz has also had a good year. The ‘Pjanoo’ man took on his first weekly Ibiza residency — also at Hï Ibiza — and is up 32 places to No.34.

Australian trap n’ bass DJ Alison Wonderland is a new entry, while several stalwarts have reversed back into the Top 100 — as befi ts their stature.

Richie Hawtin is back in the poll at No.80 after slipping out last year, but he’s not the Highest Techno DJ as the one and only Carl Cox has once again taken that accolade. Coxy is up 12 places to No.62, without so much as a sniff of a vote-for-me campaign.

Also representing main stage techno, Paul Kalkbrenner is back in the 100 for the first time since 2012, while in the next 50 Loco Dice, Marco Carola, Adam Beyer, Jamie Jones, Green Velvet, Seth Troxler, Nina Kraviz and Kolsch have all made an appearance.

Meanwhile, Disclosure have popped their toes back into the Top 100, and Andy C — once again the Highest Drum & Bass DJ in the poll — has reaped the rewards of a hectic year by doubledropping himself back in at No.77.

The Top 100 DJs poll used to be swamped by trance spinners until the rise of EDM a few years back, but it seems like the sound is having a resurgence. Not only is trance fi gurehead Armin van Buuren up, but former winner Paul van Dyk is up nine places and the Above & Beyond trio are up 20 places off the back of their huge arena shows. ATB is also up to No.54, while Ferry Corsten jumps up nine places in the wake of his ‘Blueprint’ album.

There’s still a smattering of hardstyle DJs in the hallowed hundred, and Angerfist has had to surrender his Highest Hard hat to Headhunterz, who has returned to the hardstyle scene after a spell exploring more mainstream music.

Check out the full DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll results here.