Show Review: Carl Cox

Thursday, May 12th, 2016 was the night I fell in love with house music.

Electronic music is so diverse it is impossible to like it all. You have artists, genres and songs that you love and hate, and not everything you listen to will be your favorite. For me, house music was never my cup of tea. For whatever reason, it never did it for me… That is until Carl Cox completely changed my mind.

Some performances go together like peanut butter and jelly: Daft Punk at Coachella, Bassnectar at Red Rocks, Carl Cox at Fabric Nightclub. All the stars aligned on a warm Thursday in London as Carl Cox was slated to play an extended 4 hour classics set for a capacity crowd at the legendary venue. Fabric is regarded as one of the best nightclubs not only in Europe, but the entire world, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric as the night geared up for the man who has been spinning and producing for the better part of three decades.

As you make your way down the floors of the underground club, the labyrinth opens up to a dance floor as diverse as Carl’s set list. Sliding through the crowd mixed of understated attire with a sprinkle of Armani clad club rats, you begin to see why fabric is such a legendary venue. The indiscreet basement turned club paradise where the high tech lasers and rotating heads hang next to the exposed ventilation and brick walls. Where the 4x4 beats, heavy kicks and the two step are king, it isn't opulence that has driven Fabric’s reputation, but the people inside and the artists who have graced the DJ booth that have given Fabric such a big name in the electronic scene. On this night, I was lucky enough to catch one of the most respected names in the game.

Carl Cox is one of the most infectious DJ’s in the game, after more than 30 years on the decks, he treats every performance like it is his first. You can easily see him grinning ear to ear as he goes to work on each track, bouncing up and down with the energy of the crowd. His set never lost energy as each song built after the next, plateauing at the highest point before letting you back down again. Spinning a mix of techno, jungle and house music of all varieties, Carl Cox keeps you guessing and avoids any lull in his set, which is what I disliked about house sets I had previously seen before. In simple terms, Carl absolutely exceeded my expectations as a 4 hour set came and went, leaving me wondering where the time had gone.

You can also tell Carl Cox cares as much about his fans as he does his craft, reaching out to fans from the booth and occasionally taking a selfie with phones passed to him from the front row.

Carl Cox is considered a legend and mainstay DJ in the industry, it is easy to see why. He possesses every trait you need to make a name for yourself in electronic music, and he does everything with great detail and a smile on his face. If you ever have the chance to see this man live, you would regret it deeply if you chose to miss it, especially if you have the chance to see him at a venue as prestigious as Fabric.

There are a few moments in a person's life that they can say completely changed their perspective on music. For me, this was one of them. So thank you, Carl Cox… For the night I fell in love with house music.

AUTHOR CREDIT: GARRETT KUBON