Carl Cox

album reviews

Global, Carl Cox's oddly titled postcard from an American tour, doesn't have the sheer magnetism and personal force of Mixed Live, his last mix album. The sound is cleaner but also a bit more sterile, making headphone listening much more bland than actually witnessing one of Cox's marathon sets. Natural Born Grooves' "Kick Back" is a solid opener, but the second up (Angel Moraes' "Turn It Up") takes a long time to get going. Cox gets better after this, taking listeners through a spiralingly minimal mix with tracks from Oxia and DJ Disciple (the latter is the best track on the mix), then heading into dark territory with his own "Dirty Bass" (co-produced by Christian Smith) and Bryan Zentz's "Watch the Sun." There isn't any letup late in the mix, either, with the pounding "Simulation" by Tiga and Mateo. Bangin' sets like this one may have been the perfect antidote to empty dancefloors while he was on the road, but the relentless drive may leave the unfortunate home listener with a headache. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide