Detroit's Richie Hawtin, a.k.a. Plastikman, has become the edgy king of minimalist techno. In 1999 the massively influential Decks, EFX & 909 showcased his explosive talent for improvisation and beat structure while blowing through an impressive array of tracks with his driving, impossibly effective rhythms. Hawtin's De9: Closer to the Edit is another mind-blower and a full-on test of dance music's latest thrust: the mixing of analog and digital sound. The technology at work here, known as Final Scratch, allows for a wider infusion of source material; Hawtin uses it to sample, cut, and splice together over 70 songs, with an array of effects and overdubs as the glue. Besides the studio innovation at work, Edit also features a relatively melodic approach, along with an astonishing sense of pace and patience. Hawtin throws in pieces of Theorem, Steve Bug, and Carl Craig, amid little chunks of his own material, to create a sound that's elusive, surprising, and filled with the sort of cadences that render the Sunday morning dawn utterly insignificant. Most significantly, there's a playful persona at work here, cracking through Hawtin's relentless attack and making for a record that will please longtime fans and new recruits alike. --Matthew Cooke