All about techno: Jeff Mills

They don't come much more integral to the scene than Jeff Mills. We all know of his amazing decksterity, his part in the Underground Resistance crew, his allegiance to Detroit, and the importance of his label, Axis. It would be easy, then, to say we know it all about Jeff Mills; that he's no longer at the cutting edge, not as relevant as he once was. But that's simply not true.

He remains a driving creative force doing such things as re-scoring the film Metropolis (which he performed live with the original film) and by recording his 2006 album 'Blue Potential' with the Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra. What's more, he doesn't simply turn up and play a gig, take his money, then fuck off. He makes bespoke tracks for each event, and at his System gig this weekend things will be even more unique, for The Wizard is to play using three decks and a Roland TR-909 drum machine. We recently spoke to the man, and here's what happened...

Event link: Jeff Mills at System

I read that you describe the role of Axis is to fill certain musical gaps and bring certain music to the attention of your listeners. How do you find those gaps and what characteristics do you look for in music which make you think ‘people need to hear this?’

Mainly, it's about what DJs need to help expand their options. As one, I'm constantly looking at what is currently available, what productions were made in the past and try to measure a sense of what might make the audience notice the music even more. Dance Music producers have a strange habit of mimicking other producers. When this happens, large bodies of available tracks lean to a particular style - leaving certain areas of creativity un-explored and ignored. To be able to discovers these voids, I think one has to have a wide perspective on what other artists are doing and more importantly, why they're doing it.

Do you think too many producers make music for the dance floor, rather than as an expression of themselves?

I see no real reason why producers can't do both. I know that this industry has created a climate where producers get less attention for being different or approaching new techniques, this may be a reason why a lot of producers chose not to fully express themselves. As a whole, I think that most Dance Music producers and DJs no longer produce at their highest level. Many simply do whatever it takes to get noticed and stay in minds of their audiences. It's a free and unstructured industry, so I guess there is room for everything(?). If I were a listener of a particular artist/DJ, at some point, I'd need to know if the artist I'm interested in is expressing themselves. It would be of interest to me because there is a value in that.

If so, what effect do these businessmen - as against musicians - have on the scene?

It's not fair to generalize, but there are people in this industry that intentionally went and still go against things and people that chose to focus on developing the genre in more productive ways. It’s not a coincidence that most Electronic Music magazines mainly focus on a narrow view of the industry i.e. Records/CDs, DJs, Parties/Events, Gear but, rarely presents content that explains who the DJs really is and what the DJs really think about the world.

Do they make it harder for more challenging young producers (such as Ben Gibson who you released) to be heard?

Yes, I believe so.

Has there always been an element of people being in it for a quick buck, or do you think it’s a result of software developments ie almost anyone with a PC can make a track?

Well, its the entertainment industry. There will always be people that only wish to use Dance Music to get ahead, but their real interest is on something else. The introduction of Software and PCs only make it more difficult to see producers and DJs skill and real intention. I wish that people would demand more from producers/DJs, event organizers, club managers, media, etc. I believe a lot of negative things persist because we do not question others and ask for more.


What responsibility do you have to tailor your sets to each country, city, club?

It's just takes extra time to prepare. I'm very excited about tailoring music for particular events; I think it was something that people overlooked. Some cities are more advanced than others, so extra time spent to prepare makes sense. People are much more aware of what's available in the market now and I think the audiences listen more closely than ever before. It's a different time and it takes different applications. It would my great wish if this approach was applied not only by DJs/producers, but promoters, the production crew of clubs/venues and all others that work on events in this industry.

You’re known to make music to be used only at one specific gig... do you relish the challenge?

It's not a challenge at all. It's like designing and bringing a handmade gift. Only to be opened and experienced only once. I've always produced a lot of music in short periods of time, so it’s quite easy to make 10 - 20 tracks in few days. Making music is an ongoing learning process. The more music one makes, the more chances there are to discover, so it doesn't compromise the artist CDs and project at all. It’s the opposite.

Would you agree DJs must have a good sense of music history in order to understand their audiences, or should we be more forward looking and open to change?

I think that part of being a DJ is knowing the history and the possible future of what you’re dealing with. It's not a mandate to love all music, but at least DJs should be aware of what is happening in all music genres. There should be a natural interest. In terms of the audience, one should have a good system of reading the type of people they are about to play music for. This is special skill that is learned over a long period of time. A DJ has to play for many people in order to fully develop a logical way of visibly assessing people.

Do you think techno can ever have the same impact now that it did during the earlier waves?

Yes, I think it has the potential to be even greater. I think if DJs and producers begin to put more of themselves (not their machines/software) into their productions, try not to mimic and copy other people, adapt a mindset that any and everything is possible, we might have a chance of raising the level of the genre where new discoveries come more frequently then they have in the past decade.

Is there still unchartered territory for future music?

There is a lot of space to explore. I feel that it's as vast as the Universe. With the technology that most DJs and producers have and are using, we should be hearing many more interesting things. Perhaps it too early in the genre to measure what really hasn't been touched upon. Given the change of generations in the industry always allows more room for growth.

Can it be as arresting as it once was? Aren’t we wise to it all now?

I very much think it can best as refreshing as it ever was. It just takes new thinking and approaches. Producers could consider making music without the objective of releasing vinyls, CDs, sounds files -- maybe they could make music for the sole reason of learning on how to make it differently. If this truly catches on, I do believe we would begin to hear extraordinary work.

I think a common complaint against techno is that it's too serious and that maybe it would help if producers played around more and sampled creatively like house and hip-hop. What are your thoughts on that?

My perspective is that it isn't taken seriously enough. Just about any thriving art form takes a certain amount of attention in ensuring that the people are understanding and hearing as much as they want. I don't feel that this understanding is shared by most people in this industry. There are many people that make Dance Music for their life career, but when it comes to doing/saying things that may not be directly connected to themselves, they tend to not be involved or speak up/about. It's not like this in other genres of music, in art or in dance. It seems that Electronic Music distances itself by not being thoughtfully considered by those that are in the industry.

Is that just the nature of techno?

I feel it's just the nature of people in Techno Music.

How do you relax and what gives you joy outside of music, and how often do you do such things?

Books. Driving. Food. Art. Cinema. In between the travelling, I do find to time to get around and explore. I'm in the process of collecting two types of books. Elaborate Flip Books and antique paperbacks of Science Fiction. I'm in the process of building another library.

How important is a venue to you when you choose where to play? How selective are you and what do you look for/how much research do you do before playing somewhere?

It doesn't matter that much. As long as the sound equipment is reliable and the people are ready - I'm ready to play. Most of the time, I don't even see the venue because my attention is on gear and the people. When I first started DJing in the 70/80's, we didn't have the choices we have today. We had to do the best job we could with what we had. This made certain DJs more flexible and could easily adapt themselves to any situation. It's hard for me to break out of that mind set and become more specific.

Regarding your gig at Mint Club, Leeds... How does it work with the three deck and Roland TR-909 drum machine?

How does it work?..........Well, I have to physically mix the turntables and drum machine together. The equipment is not connected together or controlled by computer. At times, it can be difficult to manage, but I think it worth the extra attention.

How much planning and pre-programming goes into that show?

About 2 minutes before you hear it.