Anyone who likes all four beats bumping hard on the floor has heard of Carl Cox. Considered "the greatest DJ in the world" by loyal fans and fawning critics alike, Cox jumped into the British dance scene in the late '70s and never looked back. He's a master of techno who knows how to keep a bit of groove in his mix.
Raised in Manchester, Cox picked up his first record when he was eight years old. Spinning his parents' soulful 45s, Cox began a lifelong love affair with his turntables. As a teenager, he chased after gigs, playing the latest disco (and later rare-groove) hits. Then came house. It was the mid-1980s; Cox was barely into his 20s, but he heard his calling loud and clear. By the end of the decade, Cox had made a name for himself within the British rave scene. He was known as the guy pushing acid house into new domains; when acid house finally exploded, Cox became an instant celebrity.
But Cox was more than a face behind the tables -- he was an innovator. During a 1989 set, he busted out three turntables instead of the usual two, an unheard of technique that would become his signature practice. With three decks in front of him, Cox made acid house multi-dimensional. He gave it depth and detail, filled it out, multiplied its layers.
Critics and fans loved him, but so did DJ and label-owner Paul Oakenfold. In 1992, Oakenfold signed Cox to a multi-record production deal with his label, Perfecto Records. Cox went on to score two Top-40 hits, including "I Want You (Forever)" and "Does It Feel Good to You." Yet, disheartened by the sound of his commercial successes, Cox decided to return to his groovy, techno roots for his follow-up recordings.
With the success of his definitive mix-compilation, "F.A.C.T.: Future Alliance of Communications and Tecknology" (1995), and his full-length debut, "At the End of the Cliché" (1996), Cox gained the support necessary to go in a new direction. He founded his own label and an international DJ agency, while continuing to experiment with innovative techno sounds. "Phuture 2000" (1999) was the studio result of that experimentation. Complete with dancey repetitions, dreamy vocals, and complex instrumental layerings, the album is as diverse as Cox's lengthy career and establishes him without a doubt as the king of British techno.
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