Longevity and creativity go hand in hand in the land of DJs, and Carl Cox is a prime example. Around since modern techno's infancy, Cox has spun his way through every shift and twist in popular beat culture, staying a step... more » ahead of the pack with a deep love of house-funk, an astute sense of timing, and a penchant for fearless experimentation. With beats so phat he needs three turntables to keep them all together (a technique he pioneered back in 1989), Mixed Live is Cox in his element, pouring out relentless house to a delirious throng of sweaty, bouncing bodies. The beats on this record do not mess around in the slightest, eschewing the peaks and valleys of a modulating beat structure to better connect with the dance floor's primal sense of rhythm. The bits and pieces of records he spins on this disc are uncommonly obscure, unknown, and Richie Hawtin-intense, incorporating an almost industrial sparseness. His set gets funkier as it winds along and re-emphasizes the soulfulness that's always at the heart of Cox's style. But make no mistake--this is deep, deep house, delivered with maximum velocity and supreme mixing skills. Mixed Live is textured and creative, yet viciously direct, mainlining giant, thumping energy right into the bloodstream. It's what Cox was put on Earth to do, so shut up, dance, and forget about everything else. --Matthew Cooke« less
Longevity and creativity go hand in hand in the land of DJs, and Carl Cox is a prime example. Around since modern techno's infancy, Cox has spun his way through every shift and twist in popular beat culture, staying a step ahead of the pack with a deep love of house-funk, an astute sense of timing, and a penchant for fearless experimentation. With beats so phat he needs three turntables to keep them all together (a technique he pioneered back in 1989), Mixed Live is Cox in his element, pouring out relentless house to a delirious throng of sweaty, bouncing bodies. The beats on this record do not mess around in the slightest, eschewing the peaks and valleys of a modulating beat structure to better connect with the dance floor's primal sense of rhythm. The bits and pieces of records he spins on this disc are uncommonly obscure, unknown, and Richie Hawtin-intense, incorporating an almost industrial sparseness. His set gets funkier as it winds along and re-emphasizes the soulfulness that's always at the heart of Cox's style. But make no mistake--this is deep, deep house, delivered with maximum velocity and supreme mixing skills. Mixed Live is textured and creative, yet viciously direct, mainlining giant, thumping energy right into the bloodstream. It's what Cox was put on Earth to do, so shut up, dance, and forget about everything else. --Matthew Cooke
Techno...not deep house, not anything but PURE techno
02/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"So many people are missing the point here.Carl Cox is not a "take you on a magical journey" kind of DJ. If you want that, get a John Digweed CD. Carl Cox is not a "respect to the classics" or "vocals you can sing along to DJ", if you want that get a Danny Tenaglia CD.Carl Cox is pure dancefloor mayhem and if you don't get it...it probably isn't for you anyway.Techno is the most hypnotic and trippy of all electronic styles, as it pounds you into submission...it also puts your mind in an altered state. It is not meant to slowly build, it is not meant to entice you quietly onto the dancefloor...it is meant to POUND YOU OVER THE HEAD...until the beats enter your subconscious and don't let go.Carl Cox is a true master behind the decks. He is tight in the mix (as tight as you can be when you are playing 25 tracks an hour on 3 turntables) and his programming is amazing. Along with Richie Hawtin, Sven Vath and Dave Clarke...they have been the true ambassadors of hard, banging beats over the last 10 years. And he deserves all the respect and adoration in the world.If you want to relax and have a "mind altering" experience...look elsewhere. But if you want to rock out, get your groove on and have the music bang the hell out of your mind, body and soul...Techno is the soundtrack and Carl Cox is the maestro."
Ouch this mix is brutal
bkmchorse | 09/30/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Wow--a lot of this I would hesitate to even call "house." The disc starts out with some just nasty techno--other reviewers said it reminded them a little of Richie Hawtin, and I have to concur. I like how Moonshine included crowd noise on the disc--the screams and howls give you some idea of what it must have been like when Carl Cox pulverized this dance floor. The set gets more groovy and housey as it progresses, but it never loses that intital bangin' that absoulutely assaults you when you first slip the disc in. Carl Cox is the man. One of the best parts is that you can tell it's live--it's not some studio mix put together with exact digital timing and all sorts of trickery--it's just Carl ripping it up on three tables. Believe me, it's got more energy than your average mix CD--this is about as "live" as a CD can feel."
A pale shadow of the man, so imagine the real thing!
ElecFan | Chicago, IL | 08/09/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've seen Carl Cox live at the Area:1 festival, and before that had to miss his performance at Crobar (I'm from Chicago). I have to say that this CD is great, its as close as you can get to the real thing. The amazing thing is that Cox is so much better live than he is on this CD. I saw him and Oakie in the same night and while I love Oakie's music, that night he should have opened for Cox, cause Cox blew the place apart! He is a true performer, and you can sense that he is very much into it when he plays a crowd. For the other reviews that say its harder than usual, well he played Crobar, and Crobar is a hardcore club...wannabe's from the suburbs its patrons are NOT. Let's just say this, one day a week is S&M night. But again, I must reiterate, if you can ever, EVER see Carl Cox live, even if you're not a big fan of that kind of music(its meant to be heard live), go and see him and he'll convert you! I won't parrot the other reviewers too much, this is hard and funky stuff, not for the uninitiated. If all you've heard is ATB's 9PM till I come, you might want to get more into the music before you take this on..."
WOW!
opamg | chill town, new jersey | 11/24/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this is how a mix cd should be made!! live without much edits and what-nots...mixed live represents the way cox rocks the crowd: full of energy!! i wish the cd have a video in it also. to watch carl cox in person is an experience.."
Brilliantly mixed raw, pure techno
littleoldme | Fort Collins, CO United States | 09/14/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Okay, please picture in your mind the most pop-friendly, mainstream variant of dance music you can possibly think of. Got it? Now think of the exact 100% opposite of that and you've got Carl Cox's "Mixed Live" disc. I've seen the description "house" pop up more than once here, but don't go thinking vocals and heavy synth. The most of a concession towards that is in the tracks that have some sort of synth or sound on top of the beats, and quite a few tracks don't even have that - they're just slamming beats layered on top of each other. It's wonderful, though. You wind up entranced by the way Cox puts everything together, and if you're paying attention, it's very rewarding to watch the tracks develop. If you're not already into techno, this won't be the album that gets you there. But if deep, pounding, intense techno is your thing, pick this up right away. It's worth every penny."
Track Listings (22) - Disc #1
