There are few names in dance music as big as Carl Cox. Since making his name in the 80s, he’s remained one of the world’s top DJs. Now living Down Under, we found him hard at work. Hi Carl, how’s it going? Fantastic. I’m in the recording studio at the moment working on my new album. My whole year has just been full of amazing parties. I’ve just finished off my residency at Space in Ibiza as well, which was just massive. You live in Australia now don’t you? Yeah I live near the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. It’s fantastic. For me it’s undeniable, it’s exactly what I need, it’s exactly what I want, it’s the pace of life that I would like to have. If I want to jack it up in any way, shape or form I can just come back to the city. You’re a fan of Melbourne then? Yeah. When I first came to Australia, in 1988, I did the whole round. I just found that every time I stopped in Melbourne I had a sense of being, I felt quite grounded here, I had a lot of friends here, the music scene was always paramount in Melbourne. I always played my best sets here. I found a lot of inspirational people here who are really into living a certain life. Not a Sydney man… For me in Sydney I always found it being a bit transient and a bit too fashionable. They obviously have the beaches and the surf, but we have beaches and surf here as well. I just felt a lot more relaxed being here in Melbourne over Sydney in some ways. If I was staying in Sydney I would always feel like I’d have to go to something or do something but when I’m in the Peninsula I haven’t got to do nothing. Ha, I mean everything shuts down by half eight anyway. You lead a full-on life. It must be good for chilling out there? Absolutely. If you look at my diary there’s a lot of travelling, a lot of late nights, a lot of gigs. My only time to kick back in a place I love being is when I’m here in Melbourne. It just makes sense. Especially at this time of year it’s awesome. How come you left the UK? To be honest I wanted a change of life. I didn’t want that vibe of going back to the same pub I used to go to when I was at school. When I come here to Australia, I’m moving forward, I’m meeting new people, doing new things, enjoying a different way of life and for me that’s my way forward. And I’m of course enjoying the fruits of my labour. I have 14 motorbikes here, I’m just building a house. I find it really exciting. I’m not able to do any of that kind of stuff in the UK. I’d get too old before my time. Do you still get excited playing sets? Totally. People just don’t understand, when I’m behind those turntables and I’ve got an audience in front of me, you just can’t stop me. You just can’t. It’s what I know, it’s what I’ve done and it’s what I’ve always lived for. I just can’t get sick and tired of it. I love music, I love being able to push the envelope. Still the phone is ringing hard, they still want Coxy performances. I’m still the same person I was when I started. How’s it feel when a tune kicks in and the crowd goes mad? It’s crazy. I live for those moments still. What about your reputation for being the nicest guy in dance music? Ha. We all have our down days but you just have to shrug things off and move on. I’ve been shot at, I’ve been robbed, I’ve been all sorts of things but you just have to deal with life as you know it and move on. Carl Cox headlines Sydney’s Shore Thing on New Year’s Eve (tix at www.fuzzy.com.au) and then Summadayze in Melbourne (Jan 1), Adelaide (Jan 1), Perth (Jan 3) and Gold Coast (Jan 9). Tix at www.ticketmaster.com.au. His documentary and live concert DVD, Carl Cox 24/7, is out on Nov 13.