SIXTY SECONDS
THE DJ, 58, ON HIS JET-SET LIFE GRINDING TO A HALT, MINGLING WITH STARS AND WHY HE’D RATHER BE GROWING VEG
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
How have you found not travelling so much?
The amount of travelling I’ve done, air miles racked up, late nights, early mornings, parties, whizzing around the world – then all of a sudden, the pandemic turns up and my whole life existence as a DJ goes off a cliff. And it’s still falling so you think, ‘OK, I’ve retired a little bit earlier than I thought.’ I’ve tripped the light fantastic many times and I’ve forgotten about my family, friends, my own health. Every single weekend for the last 25 to 30 years I’ve done nothing but DJ everywhere. When the rave scene started in 1986, I thought it’d be a massive hype for five years then I’d be working at McDonald’s. But no, I took on Space in Ibiza as my first residency in 2001 and 16 years later it wasn’t slowing down. Now
Old pal: DJ. Pete Tong.
I do not miss travelling the way I used to – I am absolutely over it.
Have you had some revelations, then?
I think so. I’m the healthiest now I’ve ever been. I had a bit of a heart murmur and at least I was able to find out what it was and get tests done rather than keeling over. The other day they gave me a clean bill of health. I put that down to not travelling as much and looking after myself. I’ll go walking three times a week now just to keep well. And I’ve got a new-found love for gardening because I’ve been here!
You’ve still been busy working, though…
I’ve been streaming shows from my studio, busy writing new music. I’ve just signed a two-album record deal with BMG, which is based on my new live show. I’ve always been into making music but I’ve been too busy to make it. And I’m also working on some music for Gucci’s 100th anniversary fashion show, which will be virtual.
You must be sad not being able to go to Ibiza and the clubs sitting empty…
I never thought in my lifetime this would happen. I’ve been going to Ibiza every single year since 1985. It took a pandemic to stop me. How do you give a place so much heart, soul and feeling, being a resident at one of the best clubs in the world, and then not be there to support the island? The only thing I was able to do was a streaming show purely based on raising funds for the families in Ibiza because they are in trouble.
I’m from a very humble family – I was a plasterer, a scaffolder and even cut grass for the council
You’ve also been providing an outlet with your Cabin Fever sessions.
All my records have just been collecting dust over the last 25 years so I started playing them once a week and put it on Facebook Live. And people lost their minds. I was in my slippers, an old T-shirt and played tunes on three turntables like I did back in the day. I thought I’d do four shows, then got to week eight and thought I’d better have a shave, use proper lighting – and then I moved to the studio and it started to get momentum. I’ve played about 1,500 pieces of my collection in 52 weeks so there’s a lot more to go.
And you have your new Radio 1 residency as well…
Where did that come from? I started representing Radio 1 when Pete Tong was one of the first DJs to ask me and, 30 years later, they’ve got me back again. So what I’m going to do is play my life history of music. The first show was all about my funky sound and the next, full-on rave handsin-the-air piano tunes. Then a disco show and real techno. Every week it’s something different. who just sat there watching Netflix, and that’s fine. But I really feel that music helps people get through so much in our lives. Instead of moaning about everything, one thing I can do is select music I want you to enjoy.
What have been your most ‘pinch yourself’ moments?
There have been a million scenarios and people I’ve met like Whitney Houston, sitting next to U2 and Queen or Brian May having a chat with me. I come from a very humble family – I was a scaffolder, a plasterer and even cut grass for the council. But then I started DJing at friends’ birthday parties, weddings, school discos and eventually I was getting paid. So playing at the Love Parade in Berlin, in front of 1.8 million people, I’m pinching myself, thinking, ‘I used to do a cub scouts hut for 25 people in Carshalton, Surrey!’
Yes, I think after 40 years I have a story to tell. It’s not all about the private jets, the adulation, the best parties or how I made it. I think it’s going to shock quite a few people. Even though the book is called Oh Yes, Oh Yes!, in the first chapter it says, ‘Oh no, oh no.’ . Whitney Houston.
Is the key to a long DJ career to be versatile?
I think it’s because my passion and energy haven’t waned. When the whole pandemic happened, I know many DJs
You’ve written everything down in a book, haven’t you?
Carl’s new single, Sand, Moon & Stars, is out now on BMG. His autobiography Oh Yes, Oh Yes! is out in August, available for pre-order now