Retrospect is mixed by Carl Briggs, a DJ with over 25 years of experience.
The Beginning
Carl's passion for dance music ignited in the late 1990s when he was captivated by the deep, melodic, heavily synthesised Euphoric Trance sound that saw Trance rapidly rise in popularity - an era that many still feel was the peak and defining period for the genre. After hearing a mix by Ferry Corsten, he was instantly hooked and set his sights on becoming a DJ, playing Trance in a similar style.
While Ferry Corsten was his first major influence, Carl’s love for Trance soon expanded, drawing inspiration from DJs such as Judge Jules, Eddie Halliwell, Mauro Picotto, and Matt Darey. Beyond Trance - his primary passion - he also developed a deep appreciation for Funky House, Euro-House, Tech-Trance, and Hardgroove Techno.
Carl took his first steps into DJing with a budget Soundlab turntable and mixer setup, teaching himself to mix. A year or so later, he upgraded to a club-standard setup: Technics SL1210 turntables and a Pioneer DJM600 mixer. As technology evolved, Carl embraced new formats, later adding Pioneer CDJ-1000 Mk3s and integrating Traktor and Ableton Live into his workflow. However, he has never been drawn into 'technology snobbery' - preferring to master all available tools while admitting that vinyl and Technics SL1210s will always hold a special place in his heart.
Club & Radio Experience
With years of experience behind the decks, Carl played peak-time and, later on, his preferred closing sets at nightclubs across the UK, particularly in mid-Wales, the East and West Midlands, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and Oxfordshire. Carl built strong relationships with promoters, who often rebooked him for his ability to connect with their crowds.
In addition to club DJing, Carl hosted weekly shows on internet radio, where he explored a broader range of music beyond his club sets. In 2003, he launched DJ Source Radio, one of the first multi-genre internet radio stations, which ran alongside the now-defunct DJ Source forum (djsource.co.uk), one of the biggest DJ forums on the internet at the time. Broadcasting 24/7, the station provided DJs worldwide with a platform to share their passion. A highlight was the Wednesday night exclusive guest mix slot, featuring world-renowned DJs such as Matt Darey, Guy Ornadel, Les Hemstock (Hemstock & Jennings), Lisa Lashes, BK, Brandon Block, Jonathan Ulysses, and even Take That's Howard Donald.
In 2006, Carl launched The Trance Arena (thetrancearena.co.uk, now inactive), a website and forum dedicated solely to Trance music. The site featured competitions, club and festival reviews (including Global Gathering, Escape Into The Park, Gatecrasher Summer Sound System, South West Four, Turnmills, Godskitchen, and Ministry of Sound, to name just a few), music reviews, and The Mix Vault, which showcased exclusive mixes from DJs such as Matt Darey, Mark Sherry (Public Domain), Menno de Jong, Greg Downey, Matt Hardwick, Mark Eteson (Godskitchen resident), Jon O'Bir, etc. Carl also conducted face-to-face interviews with some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Armin van Buuren (voted DJ Mag world number 3 DJ at the time), BBC Radio 1 DJs Judge Jules, Dave Pearce, and Eddie Halliwell, as well as Paul van Dyk, Thrillseekers, Menno de Jong, Fred Baker, Greg Downey, Adam Sheridan, Jon O'Bir - and many others.
Promoting & Event Management
From 2008 to early 2010, Carl took his passion further by launching Beat Logistix, a monthly Trance event in Banbury (Oxfordshire) and later in Leighton Buzzard (Bedfordshire). His ethos was to provide up-and-coming DJs with their first opportunities to perform in clubs, believing that talented bedroom DJs deserved a chance to showcase their skills to a live audience. Despite an initially slow start, Beat Logistix quickly gained momentum, and Carl booked well-known DJs such as John Kelly, Ben Nicky, and Fabio Stein to play alongside rising talent. Due to its growing success, Beat Logistix was invited to host the second room at Passion, a legendary Trance event held at The Emporium superclub in Coalville, Leicestershire, which led to a special one-off 'Passion vs Beat Logistix' event.
Retirement from Club DJing
In 2010, Carl made the difficult decision to cease his Beat Logistix events and significantly reduce his DJ bookings due to his father’s declining health, in order to spend more time caring for him during his final months before passing. Years of exposure to loud club environments had also started causing pain in his ears and affecting his hearing. By 2014, Carl officially retired from club DJing, playing a final run of gigs with promoters he had worked closely with over the years.
The Podcast Era
Though he stepped away from club nights, Carl's passion for music never wavered. In 2019, he launched The Beat Logistix Podcast, a podcast dedicated to Trance and Hardgroove Techno from the 1990s and 2000s. The podcast gained unexpected success, peaking at #4 in the iTunes Trance chart and regularly ranking in the top 10, often above world-renowned DJs - something which still amazes Carl to this day. It is an achievement he could never have dreamed of. Due to personal commitments and health issues, Carl retired the podcast in 2023.
The Return: Retrospect
Now, with more personal time available and an enduring love for dance music - especially Trance from the 1990s and 2000s - Carl has returned with Retrospect. This new podcast is a celebration of the golden era of dance music, featuring an hour of classic, forgotten gems, obscure and unsigned tracks, and legendary anthems. Released quarterly, Retrospect brings together the sounds that shaped Carl’s journey as a DJ.
