Carl Cox on Collaborating With a Rock Icon, Live Evolution and Reigniting His Ibiza Legacy

Carl Cox has helped define global club culture and continues to push it forward, remaining one of electronic music’s most enduring innovators. 

Now, with his recent explosive collaboration, "Joya" alongside Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, a renewed Ibiza residency and a deep dive into live electronic performance, Carl is entering one of the most creatively charged chapters of his career.

We sat down with Carl to trace the origins of "Joya," reflect on his health, longevity, the future of live performance, going from being the King of Space to King of [UNVRS] and we find out why after more than 45 years behind the decks he’s more energized and inspired than ever.

Carl grew up absorbing everything from glam rock to punk, reggae to early electronic experimental music. “I’ve always listened to everything,” he says. “Growing up in the late 60s and 70s it was Slade, Showaddywaddy, T. Rex, Public Image Ltd, Sham 69, the Sex Pistols… and reggae too: Coxsone, Trojan.” Indie rock was very much on his radar too.

When he first met Perry Farrell in the early 2000s, the mutual admiration was instant. “Perry was THE guy, a proper rock god,” Cox laughs. “Every time I played at Ultra in Miami, he’d be around. People almost ignored me: ‘Oh wow, there’s Perry Farrell!’”

Despite the chemistry, the pair never created music together. That changed during lockdown.

“Everyone was stuck at home, moaning and I was in the studio surrounded by machines,” Cox recalls. “Perry asked if I’d be interested in doing something and I said, absolutely, it’s about time.”

Still, he admits he had no idea what Farrell’s taste was like. “I basically threw a dart,” he says. “I had this track called Joya, which means gemstone in Spanish, something precious, I sent him the instrumental and he immediately came back with, ‘Yes. That’s what I’m talking about.’”

The vocal arrived a month later. “They blew my mind,” Coxy says. “He really sang, all this emotion, all this ‘wow-wow-wow’ energy. I wanted every bit of that rawness.”

To complete the track, Carl turned to a trusted friend. “We brought in Neil McLellan who I’ve known since the Guru Josh days and who produced The Prodigy, to help finish it,” he explains. “We wanted it to feel powerful but still organic.”

The final versions include the Mushroom Mix, which Carl uses to close his live shows. “It breaks down, comes back up, Perry’s voice hits, ‘Sitting on a mushroom…’  and the place goes nuts,” he says. “It’s always a real moment.”

The pair had planned to premiere it together at Ultra’s 25th anniversary, but for various reasons it didn’t happen. So, Carl sat on the track for two years, letting the mystery grow. “People were constantly asking me, ‘What’s that last track you play?’”

And when it finally dropped?

“Paul Oakenfold messaged me saying it was incredible, he never thought he'd hear something like that from me.”

Does Carl consider it one of his career-defining records?

“Honestly? Yeah. I made it because it came from here, my heart, my brain, not because it fits any trend. It’s a Carl Cox record with Perry Farrell. It represents both of us.”

This year marked Cox’s emotional return to Ibiza with his residency at new hyper club, [UNVRS], his first since leaving Space in 2016. “I hadn’t been back since 2016,” he says. “I didn’t come back for money; it wasn’t about that. This was about having the chance to represent myself and my music properly.”

[UNVRS] impressed him immediately. “The investment, €85 - €90 million, showed they really believed in what we could do,” he notes.

Walking back onto the island felt spiritual. “I felt connected to my ‘church’ again. When I first played at Space, it was raw: no mobile phones, nothing to distract you. Now a new generation walks in who were kids when Space closed. My goal is to give them that same pure, emotional experience.”

Carl famously once said he didn’t expect to DJ past 40. Now in his 60s, he’s healthier and more energetic than he’s been in years.

“I’ve recently been on a weight-loss program, lost over 42 kilos in four months,” he reveals. “I monitor my calories, walk 15 - 26,000 steps during a set, and work out three times a week.”

The transformation has been dramatic. “I feel better than I ever have,” he says. “Performing is cardio, full-body work, mental focus. It’s exhausting but energizing. I can finish a set and still feel like I could go another round.”

As he forges ahead, Carl’s ASW (Awesome Soundwave) label and platform continues to spotlight live performers who are redefining what electronic music can look like on stage.

“There’s so much talent creating music at home who haven’t had the chance to show it,” he says. “ASW is about giving them that platform. People don’t want to see someone staring at a laptop, they want to see music being performed.”

He highlights artists like Colin Benders and An On Bast: “An On Bast performed for us in Poland, amazing talent. She’s grounded, humble and incredibly skilled.”

Christopher Coe, Carl’s longtime collaborator, is also preparing new visual projects. “We’re developing a full live experience for his work, bringing performance and music together,” he explains.

Live experimentation is core to Carl’s own evolution too. “It’s not just about mixing records anymore; it’s about making music happen in the moment, from my hands and my mind,” he says. “No templates, no rules, just creating what feels right.”

He believes the shift toward live is inevitable. “DJs will always exist, but the next level is live performance. People want a show. They want an experience. That’s where I’m heading.”

Carl won’t return to the UK until next April, with sold-out events including Carl Cox vs. The Prodigy and a series of old-school sets. “I’m excited to reconnect with the UK crowd,” he says.

“I’ve been doing this over 45 years. It’s not about fame or recognition, it’s about passion, connection and creating moments.”

Has the love faded? Not even close.

“I have fun every night, and that’s what keeps me going.”

Read the full interview at The Night Bazaar HERE.