Carl Cox

Carl Andrew Cox was born on July 29, 1962, in Oldham, England. He spent his early life in Carshalton, South London, and later moved to Brighton in his late teens. At the age of 15, Cox began his career as a mobile DJ, developing a passion for disco music. His entry into the music scene coincided with the rise of Chicago house music, which significantly influenced his early work. Throughout the 1980s, Cox established himself as a prominent DJ in the electronica industry, becoming recognized as one of the founders of the sound and a key figure in the emerging British rave scene. He gained recognition for his three-deck mixing technique, which was uncommon at the time.

In the early 1990s, Cox released his debut single, “I Want You (Forever),” on Paul Oakenfold’s Perfecto label. He continued to evolve his musical style, embracing techno, which was gaining popularity. During the mid to late 1990s, he operated Ultimate Base at the Velvet Underground club in London. A notable milestone was his performance during the Millennium celebrations on New Year’s Eve 1999, where he played in Sydney, Australia, and then again in Hawaii after crossing the International Date Line. From 1998 to 1999, he was a global resident DJ for BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix. In 1997, DJ Magazine recognized Cox as the first number one DJ in its inaugural Top 100 poll.

The 21st century saw Carl Cox establish a significant presence in Ibiza, holding a residency titled “Music is Revolution” at Space Ibiza from 2001 to 2016. He concluded this 15-year residency with a ten-hour vinyl and CDJ set. In 2004, he launched the “Carl Cox & Friends” arena at Ultra Music Festival, a concept that expanded to other major festivals globally, including Awakenings, EDC Las Vegas, and Tomorrowland. Following his Ibiza residency, Cox became the global ambassador for Ultra Music Festival’s techno and house music concept, Resistance, in 2017. He also founded his record label, Intec Records, in 1998, which was relaunched as Intec Digital in 2010. In 2018, he co-founded Awesome Soundwave, a label dedicated to live electronic music artists, with Christopher Coe. Beyond music, Cox established Carl Cox Motorsport in New Zealand in 2013, participating in motorcycle and sidecar racing, and most recently entered Extreme E in 2023 with Carl Cox Motorsport.