“It’s all about Carl Cox and what I can do as an individual. For the very first time people are coming out for Carl Cox. You know, I am a very big name everywhere else in the world and it should be just as big in the U.S So far this tour has been sell-out, every single gig. I’ve been able to go on and just basically smash the place to pieces with my music. And people are just sitting back and going, ‘now I know what Carl is all about.’ It’s about time they knew what I was all about, based on the reason why I’m still here in such a top-level way.”

Carl Cox. A huge man with a gaping, toothy smile and black, plastic-framed glasses, speaks with the accent of a proper Brit. He bought his first set of turntables at age 15 after “kidnapping” his parents’ Elvis, Aretha Franklin and Booker T and the MGs records to spice up his family’s parties.

In 1998, after modest success, Cox added a third table at dawn of the infamous Sunrise rave just outside London. Cox soon was referred to as the “Three Turntable Wonder.” Since then he has been spinning mainly acid house while establishing himself as one of the world’s leading DJs.

The Badger Herald recently chatted with Carl Cox during a tour stop in Canada. His new album Global was released late last month.

The Badger Herald: Are you excited for your show tonight?

Carl Cox: Yeah, I am. My tour manager just went down there to check the sound system out, and there’s people in the cold, waiting to get in. And I think it is sold out right now. And, uh, with that I am going to go and eat the best steak Calgary has to offer.

BH: So during your tour have you noticed anything really different between the electric scene in the United States and Canada compared to Europe?

CC: There is a lot of difference, actually. I mean, now people are starting to understand who Digweed and Paul Oakenfold are. But you know what country is really hot right now and people are really getting into? Spain. France kind of tailed off a bit, but is really coming back. More music is coming out of France. You know, Americans and Canadians now are getting to understand it’s not just because it’s trance music, it’s what’s creating the scene, what the scene is blowing up. It’s a succession of all sorts of things that enables electronic music to excel.

BH: How do you fit into the scene?

CC: For myself, I kind of have played my style of music which makes people happy. Of course there is a lot of the little bit of the techno sound of what I’m really into, but meanwhile I have something to say for what I can achieve with what I do. I think people begin to realize that I am not in it for the stardom, the drugs or the women. I’m in it because I actually really enjoy music. And I know that I have the talent to put my music into a place where it is understood from a party point of view.

And every time I step up to the turntables I am always smiling, I’m happy to be there. It’s not like a chore or a pain. And if I have to play and extra half an hour or hour more, I’ll do it. If I have to do an encore against the police, security guys and the managers of the club, and then you know, I’ll try and do it (laughs). I’m gonna get shot (laughs)! But meanwhile, these people can see that I’m there for them.

B: Is there a particular city on the tour that you specifically enjoyed?

C: Uh, if I have to name names, ha ha ha ha, then I did a party in L.A. at a club called Circus. The club is awesome. L.A. people normally are really kind of like ‘yeah, you look good, that’s cool, hey, hey, hanging out, hey what’s going on? Oh there’s a DJ playing nice music … but you know, we’ll only stay for like an hour or so and then we’ll check out like a sushi bar somewhere and then take a limo back to the hotel room.’ No (laughs). They stayed there until four o’clock when [the set] started to finish. I went on at twelve, so I had already done a four-hour set.

B: Do you feel that your new record Global is different from what you have produced before?

C: No. All it is doing, really, is representing where I am at right now. So you get in my club, you’re going to get Carl Cox music, and that way you get the CD and it’s exactly the same. You know, so rather than it being something a bit more avant-garde or a little bit more trancy or progressive or something that I wouldn’t do to sell it, then it wouldn’t make any sense. You know, what makes sense is following a career path or sound of what I am about and this is a good representation of that. So for me, I am really–kind of am pleased to know that people are taking this album at face value.

B: Are you excited for the Ultra Electronic Music Festival in Miami?

C: Yeah, I played there last year and it was amazing. Lots of people turned up for all sorts of music–drum and bass, Brazilian trance, house, it was all there. Meanwhile, I went on the Twylo stage and just really had a great time. You know, it was really cool to see a lot of kids who normally just drink beer and just try and grab women for spring break, actually dancing in the daytime, to dance music, which they wouldn’t have ever done before. You know, when you see The Grind on MTV, people think it’s all about that. It’s like, no (breaks into laughter).

B: What do you think the general age is, at the moment, for people attending your shows?

C: Well, most of the shows now have been about 21 and over, so it hasn’t really been about the kids with the glow sticks. It’s been 21 and over, you know, so it’s for people who want to be there and can afford to be there and their mum and dad know where they are, or not (laughs, again).

BH: So, what do you like to do when you are not spinning?

CC: I actually like to sit at home. Not moving at all, watching loads and loads of movies on my 5.1 system. I’m really into movies. I’ll get taken away by watching films, you know? And I do like a lot of peace and quiet. I mean, I live in the country and all.

B: Have you ever spun in Madison?

C: I haven’t, no.

B: Well, have you ever considered it?

C: No, I just think that I haven’t had the opportunity to. So if it ever came around, I would do my best to play there (laughs).

B: So as far as opportunity goes . . . would you ever be willing to book a date?

C: Well, you see, I have this super-duper agent called Paul Morris, and he basically will only allow me to work with the right people within any place I play. If it’s the right people, of course, I’ll go in. Otherwise, if it’s kind of like the deep South and I am the only black person there they want to shoot, then I’m not going (laughs long and heartily)! I watch a lot of films, you know (still laughing). ‘In the Heat of the Night.’ Sidney Portier. The list goes on (he continues to laugh).