by John Bush
Unlike the typically live (or at least live-sounding) mix albums in the DJ-Kicks series, Carl Craig did much post-production work on his volume. The result is a collection of complex, reworked techno from Craig's own Planet E label (by Clark, Designer Music, and the 4th Wave) as well as other crucial techno producers such as Claude Young, Kosmic Messenger, Octagon Man, and Gemini. The addition of a special Carl Craig track -- composed entirely with the use of samples from originals included elsewhere on the collection -- is a nice touch to what proves to be an admirable collection.