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