Richie Hawtin - Mixmag Live! Volume 20

EDJ303, Sep 22, 2003

Though recorded in the studio rather than at an actual live performance, Mixmag Live! comes close to being the equivalent of a shortened version of Hawtins all-night performances. Consisting of 22 tracks — including a few signature tracks — Mixmag Live! clocks in at nearly an hour, as Hawtin gives each track only a short moment before adding the next, often overlapping multiple tracks. At times the results are mind-blowing, as only the most knowledgeable listener can distinguish one from another, when multiple tracks are layered, or when the next track enters. The abundance of thumping bass beats and body-moving rhythm will surely please listeners who view techno as a means to dancing, but it may be a little too sensory-overloading for listeners accustomed to the calming sounds of other Plastikman albums, such as Consumed or Musik. The highlight of the album comes about a third of the way through, when Hawtin drops a montage of percussive symmetry with the trilogy of 909-driven tracks from the early 90s, "Spastik," "Spaz," and "Helikopter."

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