Audio By Carbonatix
Carl Cox may be one of the best Detroit DJs who actually hails from Manchester, UK. Not that the tribal-house guru hasn’t repeatedly blazed through Motor City during his quarter-century of jockeydom. It’s just that he bottles a particular blend of soul tech, futurescape electro and throbbing club vibe that’s so hard house/garage, so American, that many assume the stocky vinyl vet is a native. Currently, Cox is stateside in support of his debut major-label mix CD, Carl Cox Global. (He’ll stop at the opulent Church on Thursday, February 21, with some seriously up-tempo wax in tow.) Global, released on FFRR/Strictly Rhythm, features only a couple of well-known dance artists — Angel Moraes (“Turn It Up”) and DJ Disciple (“Treble & Bass”) — in order to focus on quality cuts from Oxia (the retro “Nation”), Bryan Zentz (the brooding “Watch the Sun”) and Simulation (the bouncy “Simulation”). While staying true to his four-on-the-floor philsophy, Cox lays down a tribal-house style that avoids the pots-and-pans grind of many tribal DJs. With richly produced drum beds and just a sprinkling of vocal samples, Cox’s sound is warm and organic in comparison with that of peers like Armand Van Helden or Victor Calderone. While Cox is always a crowd-pleaser in a live setting, his tense style may take some getting used to. Once you get comfortable in his world, however, Global is a dance-floor treat.
Will you step up to support Westword this year?
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
