[9/29/05][SEA][18+] USC presents --CARL COX & EVIL NINE--

[USC Events]

USC Events & Southern Comfort proudly present:




THE ROAD TO VOODO featuring



CARL COX - intec | london | uk

How do you measure a DJ's popularity? By club bookings, remix credits, solo releases, and mix CDs? By branding, sponsorship and endorsements? Through glamour quota and celebrity status? Or by radio, television and movie appearances?

By any of these criteria, Carl Cox could claim he's got the love. Ultimately, though, it's the paying public that makes or breaks - and more importantly, maintains - a DJ's popularity. And in that case Carl Cox absolutely has got the love. Time and again, when music magazines print their end of year polls, it's Carl Cox who tops them. Alongside accolades from NME, Dancestar and countless other organizations all over the world, Carl was also awarded the IDA 'DJ Of The Year' two years in a row, and in 2002 Muzik Magazine [RIP] named him ‘Best British DJ’, as well as offering him a regular column.

Across the globe, when club crowds are asked who they most want to have spin, it's Coxy they request. Promoters who need an arena to go off at three in the afternoon, or a club to stay full until the early hours, know that Carl's their man. He may not be a household name, but in the scene itself, he's a living legend, as big as they come. Quite simply, Carl Cox is the People's DJ.
A musical ambassador since he was in short trousers, a professional DJ since his early teens, a veteran of acid house and a champion of techno, Carl Cox emits a love of his work that is dangerously infectious. Check him when he's behind the turntables and you can't mistake his ecstatic visage, dripping with sweat as his head bobs up and down to the beat, his hands pumping the air whenever they're not manipulating the turntables, his body swaying back and forth, frequently taking to the mike to share word on the latest underground tune he's about to break. You name it, Carl's been there and done it, but he's never lost sight of the point of it: playing music, breaking tunes, spreading love, celebrating life.

Now, having extricated himself from his own thriving but overly time-consuming business empire, Carl is finally concentrating on his solo career. In 2002 he released the critically acclaimed ‘Global’ compilation, which received ecstatic reviews in abroad range of titles including Q, Independent on Sunday, Big Issue, Mixmag and DJ.

Born in Manchester, Carl and two sisters were raised in the suburbs of south London. Carl's parents had emigrated from Barbados, and brought their Caribbean party spirit with them - especially for the annual harvest festival of 'crop-over.' While mum cooked and made the punch, dad lined up music on a turntable that could drop discs on top of each other. But when the records ran out, it was young Carl who'd be by the player, checking which b-sides would work, searching other tunes to keep the parents going.

"It just hit me," says Carl of his early engagement with destiny. "Instantly, I became 'Cox's boy,' who put on good music wherever my mum and dad went for a party. People would say to them 'Don't forget to bring Carl.' I would go record shopping with my dad. And then I would hear something - a new James Brown record I thought was brilliant and I knew they would dance to - and get him to buy it."

Carl's enthusiasm for black dance music was boosted in the mid-70s when London was granted an independent radio station, Capital, with an American soul DJ, Greg Edwards. "The first time he played 'Running Away' by Roy Ayers, I was completely in heaven," recalls Carl. "I didn't need any women in my life, not my family, not anything. I was like 'This is it. If they make more records like this, I will be so happy.' And they did! The Blackbyrds, Norman Connors. . ." On Fridays, Carl would go to a store in nearby Croydon "and just buy buy buy. All my friends thought I was nuts, because McDonalds had just come out, and they would all go out and buy double cheeseburgers, and I'd go off and get myself a record. They'd have come back and eaten it and gone 'wicked' and I'd come back and say, 'This record by Brass Construction is unbelievable!'"

Competition from American cheeseburgers notwithstanding, by 1976 soul music was everywhere, and Carl and friends, still in school uniform, would board the bus into central London for late afternoon sessions at the 100 Club and Crackers. In 1977, aged 15, Carl got a set of turntables and began working as a mobile DJ. Disco captivated him. "I liked how it was orchestrated in such a way that a record could take you somewhere," he enthuses, citing Sylvester's 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' because "it had a 4/4 beat, it had energy, it had breakdowns, and it had a diva singing his heart out - or her's!"

The early 80s saw Cox playing the same music as other young London DJs - rare groove (obscure funk), New York hip-hop, and electro. He was perfectly placed to hear Chicago house music in its earliest forms, and when the epic 'Acid Trax' by Phuture (a.k.a. DJ Pierre) came out in early '87, "I was just 'This is it.' I would do my parties, and I'd play old rare groove and hip hop and soul and I would say 'Right you've got to hear this, Phuture,' and people would just stop. 'What the hell are you doing?' I was just like, 'You've got to check this out, the 303s, the 909s...' I just had to go there. It's funny because all the people who thought I had freaked out then, are the people who are making the music now."

As a founder of the sound, Carl rode the exploding British rave scene. He played the opening night of Danny Rampling's legendary Shoom, co-promoted The Project with Paul Oakenfold, held a residency at the Zap Club in Brighton and at the Sunrise rave in 1988, hooked up a third turntable for his dawn-breaking set, got 15,000 kids back on their feet, and established a personal rep for three-deck wizardry.

The next step was to make music, and Carl's 1991 debut single for Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto label, 'I Want You,' gave him a top 30 hit and a Top of the Pops appearance. Two more singles also made the charts. But Carl was a reluctant pop star and as the masses moved onto fluffy house and trance, and the hardcore created jungle, Cox retreated into the club world that had nurtured him and instead embraced the underground sounds of techno.

"Techno drives home somewhere," he says of his core music. "It takes you to an element of surprise, not knowing where you're going. It's scary but wonderful at the same time." A 1995 mix CD, 'F.A.C.T.', became a techno benchmark, selling over 250,000 copies. His own 1996 EP 'Two Paintings and a Drum' again broke the British top 30. With then-wife Rachel running the business side, Carl set up Ultimate Music Management, which counted Josh Wink and Laurent Garnier among 27 clients. There was the Ultimatum record label, for which Cox recorded his third top 30 UK single 'Sensual Sophis-ti-cat.' And inevitably there was a weekly London techno club, Ultimate B.A.S.E., for which Carl was resident.

Carl also began traveling to America, thanks to a deal with Moonshine, which saw the Stateside release of 1997's 'F.A.C.T. 2' (recorded live in L.A.); 1998's 'The Sound Of Ultimate B.A.S.E.'; Carl's second studio album 'Phuture 2000' ('At The End of the Cliché,' his debut, was only released in the UK); and that same year's 'Mixed Live', recorded at the Crobar in Chicago.

Carl famously brought in the Millennium in Sydney, then traversed the International Date Line to do it again in Hawaii. His most treasured performances, though, have been for the Berlin Love Parade, which he played four years in a row, often the only British DJ at this trance-European techno-fest. "I can't think of anything that comes close to when you actually stand there and you see a million and a half people waiting for you to play the best records possible to give them the best possible time," he says.

After forming his Intec Records in 1999, alongside DJ C1, the label went on to score a series of underground hits, including last year’s inescapable anthem ‘Sunshine’ by Tomaz vs. Filterheadz, which was the one of the biggest selling tracks on the label to date. “In only a few short years Intec has already become an integral part of the dance industry,” he explains. “It’s fantastic to be able to showcase quality music that I really believe in, to a wider audience.” Continuing his mission to conquer the entire world, Carl now also has a weekly radio show fittingly entitled Global, which is syndicated to over 10 million people including listeners in China, Argentina, Colombia and Istanbul.

Last year saw him further add to his “little empire”, by launching 23rd Century Records, an outlet for his own burgeoning production output. “A lot of the industry are not signing artists anymore,” he laments. “They go for bubblegum acts of five good looking girls and boys who dance around to pop…it doesn’t leave much room for what I do! So I thought if the majors don’t really understand this music, then I’ll have to put it out on my own.” The label’s first release was Carl’s acclaimed collaboration with Christian Smith a speaker–freaker entitled ‘Dirty Bass’. “I’d just finished that track and I took it with me to Miami.” he recalls. “I went up to Danny Tenaglia while he was playing one of his legendary sets in Space, and said ‘you need to play this record right now.’ It was 6.30 in the morning, he put it into his CD deck, gave it a quite listen and then mixed it straight in to his set. The place went absolutely ballistic.”

The summer of 2002 also saw Carl launch his now legendary residency at Space in Ibiza, offering clubbers a chance to get into the club for half the normal entry prize, while flying over a seemingly inexhaustible supply of worldwide DJ talent, to join him behind the decks. The night proved such a success that he returned to the White Isle again this season for another series of exclusive dates. “We really put Tuesdays on the clubbing map,” he beams. “Ibiza never really had a proper night out on a Tuesday, but they’ll be remembering our parties for years to come. Last year I felt we had really given something back to the island. People were coming from all over the world for this one night and we gave them an experience they wouldn’t get anywhere else. So this year we just gave them more of the same – an evening of great music at a great price.”

The incredible reception Carl received at the club, inspired him to write the latest release on 23rd Century a track ‘Space Calling’, which he dedicated to the clubbers who had shown him so much love over the summer months. Its funked-up latin-house-vibes were seen by some as a shock departure from the usual Carl Cox sound. “Everyone always seems to think I just play techno. But just because I love techno, doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate other styles. At the moment I’m finishing off my third studio album and I’ve been working with loads of different people including Fat Boy Slim, Roni Size and Josh Wink - there’s going to everything on there from techno to drum and bass, rock guitars to proper songs.”

As well as fulfilling his production and DJ commitments, Carl has somehow found time to follow up his cameo role in the 1999 rave flick 'Human Traffic,' with a part in the forthcoming film ‘L.A. DJ’, written by the team behind American Pie and out in the UK next year. “I play myself and the film is all about to young Jewish boys who want to become superstar DJs,” he chuckles. “It’s hilarious.”

But in this heady world of Hollywood film scripts, business empires and global recognition, its his obvious passion for music and loyalty to his fans that are the real reason Coxy is so loved and respected by clubbers of all ages.


“I went to Bulgaria for the first time in February,” he smiles. “It was one of those gigs that made me remember why I got into this industry in the first place. The sound system was incredible, the arena was jam packed and everyone was going berserk. I’ve been doing this for 34 years and I just stood back from it all and smiled. It made me feel great knowing that I could still move people that way after so long.

Even if I'm just playing records, I'm into the moment of playing and with that, if I'm dancing, and I'm enjoying this moment, then I'm sure you guys can too, without the record having to be the focal point of why we're here. That's why I find it a lot easier to push new music on people - because I believe in what I'm playing, full stop. And everyone can feel that, and go with it, and then they can walk away with the experience of Carl Cox."

with special guest


EVIL NINE - www.evilnine.org | uk


They’re not evil and there’s only two of them, but other than not living up to their randomly chosen yet aesthetically pleasing name Tom Beaufoy and Pat Pardy in no way disappoint. That’s if you are in to a distinctly individual sound that defies categorisation as straightforward breaks and has delivered both cerebral stimulation and dancefloor satisfaction with every release so far.

Tom and Pat first combined skills in 1998 and were quickly identified as a quality DJ/Producer duo by Adam Freeland who signed them to his Marine Parade label. Since then each of their releases has in turn distinguished Evil Nine as innovators who refuse to blend into the scene. For them the music has to go beyond being merely ‘fat’. Deriving their musical flavour from multiple influences – hip-hop, punk, deep house, garage rock, techno and krautrock – they create an original minimalism packed with emotive ability.

Evil Nine’s punk rock, DIY attitude is epitomised in their remix of Ils’ “Music”, a track you might recognise from the Carling advert but which initially stirred up the breaks scene – irritating purists, exciting the open-minded and inciting the masses to mosh and pogo. Other remix success has been had with krautrock band Pet on Gronland, Unkle, Santos and Free_land.

Their third single “Cakehole” is becoming established as a timeless classic and typifies their latest direction – a sonic contrast of uplifting and melancholic with the backdrop of raw dirty sounds and a nod to nostalgia. Its successor “For Lovers Not Fighters” is testament to their ongoing ability to tweak the breaks format, injecting it with a techno mentality and an infectious vocal to produce impressive and well- received results.

Recent collaborations have included work with Aesop Rock (DEFJUX) and Juice Aleem (New Flesh/Shadowless) for the forthcoming album “You can be special too” out in July. Intended for both club and home listening it reflects Pat and Tom’s heavily hip-hop influenced party roots as well as their aim to soulfully resonate with wider appeal.

With Tom on decks and Pat on FX live shows have drawn crowds of up to 2000 in France, Spain, Hungary and their debut U.S. gig in Miami. They have played at respected clubs such as The End, Fabric and Fuse and have had a number of residencies alongside the likes of Bushwacka as well as currently playing at Urban Gorilla in Sheffield with Tayo.

Their love of branching out rather than playing it safe has led to extremes of rejection or adoration from the public and press, but that’s the way they like it. Evil Nine aren’t afraid of getting up a few noses by attempting something different if it spawns progress and keeps their ever-evolving style fresh. Reactions to the first single from the album “Restless” have been extremely positive. The ragga vocals and rocking guitars have struck a chord with those bored of formulaic dance tracks, quite simply it sounds like nothing else. Radio support has come from Pete Tong, Annie Nightingale, XFM & Kiss.

Even if Tom and Pat are two likeable blokes and not a menacing troupe as their name suggests, as Muzik magazine has observed, when they combine their talents and their shared musical vision as Evil Nine they “rock like the proverbial bastard”.


also featuring...

DIG DUG - USC Events | Seattle, WA

Thursday | September 29th | 2005

@ the Showbox
1426 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA
www.showboxonline.com


Tickets
$20 ADV Tickets @ www.ticketswest.com & all Ticketswest outlets

$25 Day of Show

Doors @ 9pm. 18+/21+ w/ID.

[Sonny Chiba]

Hell yeah, I will soooo be there. Carl Cox was actually the first Techno DJ I ever saw! 1998 in Denmark at the Roskilde festival. Man, he blew me away, especially with these hot black chick dancers he had with him. Good shit for sure.

USC brings it everytime baby. I'm glad you guys are back in the all ages scene.

Martin