Carl Cox

Hard to figure out how Carl Cox ran out of titles for his mix CDs already but 2007's Global is an entirely different album than 2002's Global and it's a little better too. The two-CD format gives Cox the room to create some drama. The first Global went for the hard, fast beats right from the get-go while the second version slowly works up to it, causing a bigger, better payoff. It's also beneficial since one of the DJ's great strengths is making hard techno sound a lot less cold and off-putting than other DJs, mainly by sneaking it in between the kind of slick electro tracks that someone like Oakenfold might favor. Here, the build-up makes usually dour folks like Umek sound like party music, albeit tasteful party music that's still edgy enough to annoy your parents. The selection is inspired, the mixing is impressive, and the flow is near perfect. The centerpiece to the whole collection is Cox's own "Get What You Paid 4!" presented here in its rather spacy Jon Rundell remix. There's also a watch once and forget about it bonus DVD with some live footage and plenty of interviews. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide