DJ Carl Cox Inspires With Flawless Work on Turntable

For more than 15 years, Manchester, England, DJ Carl Cox has been the man in the dance world, so it was understandable that fans began lining up as early as 3 p.m. for his appearance Saturday night at Spundae at Circus.

Despite the fan fervor, the mood inside was remarkably unpretentious. Cox, who’s been deejaying since before it became big business, genuinely has fun on stage. His showmanship, including his exuberant grins, gestating dancing and occasional words to the crowd, was unquestionably sincere. If that was a bit surprising, only because so few deejays allow themselves real emotions on stage, everything else was as promised.

From a technical standpoint, Cox’s performance was so flawless that one could almost forget there was a man mining the turntables and decks. He allowed himself an occasionally flashy scratch on the turntable or showy stop and start of a CD, but his biggest moments were saved for the intense transitions that worked the crowd into a frenzy.

Cox, whose taste leans toward dance-heavy techno rather than the more obvious crowd-pleasing keyboards of trance, used both styles effectively, as well as spinning a number of heavily percussive tracks and even the occasional jungle beat. However, it was the way the trance and techno tunes blended seamlessly into one long euphoric groove that was inspiring.

Steve Baltin