INTERVIEW TO JEFF MILLS
On its 20th anniversary,
Axis Records presents SEQUENCE, a compilation book and a CD format.
"What began as a
dance music label has evolved into an undeniable creative force for his role in
the quality of shape, colour and textures of dance music, probably the best we
know today and tomorrow. Formed in 1992, the acclaimed Techno DJ, producer and
artist Jeff Mills, formed Axis, the independent label that continues to be one
of the best producing electronic music, in the limits of creation and
perception of the Cosmos. Axis is the science of body and soul. Following 20
years of fervent activity, the archive
of all his work and his projects have been collected in a collection of art,
photographs and designs. Axis Records is in 320 pages 30x30cm. hardcover book
with USB card with 30 tracks selected by Jeff Mills to represent the history of
Axis Records Between 1992-2012. Out on December 10, 2012. Double CD compilation
of 24 tracks released as the book release simultaneously - www.axisrecords.com
R. Hello. Thank you!.
P. What does it make your
sounds particularly special?
I don’t really know the answer to this question. I try to relay
what I feel about subjects through music and sound. Why it sounds this way
might have something to do with
my musical history that pre-dates today’s DJ culture. I still try
to play electronic machines like instruments, not like programming a
computer.
Now is 20 years of Axis Records presented
in a book and in a CD, titled Sequence. Tell us about why did you decide to
make it?
R. We thought that two decades was a good number of years in our
history to look back and reflect on what had been attempted and created.
P. Your last job is the Alpha Centauri video in collaboration with VJ Heleen Blakeen. It is an excellent video art work. How has it arisen?
R. The idea of Alpha Centauri was an idea that we had been
thinking of for quite a while. We felt that by having an outlet dedicated for
images and film would be greatly helpful for people to understand what Techno
music looks like. The initial contribution of Heleen Blakeen was a perfect
beginning. We asked and offered Heleen to create a film every 3 months of 2013.
The next will debut 4/1/2013.
P. Your music is very
qualitative. Have you ever received any offer from labels such as EMI or
Universal?
R. No, I’ve never been. I always assumed that those companies
specialize in making very large sums of money so, the more people the music
appeals to, the more money the company makes. I never thought my music has that
mass appeal.
P. Kraftwerk is also in
EMI. They are the pioneers of the "Computer Music", low electronic
and techno sounds. Is this also your music style?
R. Bands like Kraftwerk made their mark in the Music world when
major labels took chances and were more interested in artist development. Those
companies like EMI saw a value in bringing people something new and different.
By the time I began my career as producer that progressive thinking larger companies
had basically disappeared when the very creative A&R people were replaced
by people that were better and making money than discovering innovation. This
task was left for independents record labels.
P. Your attitude as a DJ
is admirable; you have created your own label, one of the best known
independent labels. How busy have these years of work been?
R. Very busy. We’re usually
working on numerous projects at the same time. I’m constantly coming with
concepts and new projects to make music for. I never take a break.
We’re always planning and preparing.
P. Your works are
stunning, magical, with deep sounds, transcendent, always mysterious, and a bit
visionary. What do you pretend? What are you looking for?
R. I believe what I’m really searching for has very little to do
with people. I suppose the same as people dancing in a club aren’t really there
for the DJ, but they’re there for a psychological and mental release. I’m
suspect I’m trying to locate my inner self by creating music.
P. Your works are still
being cutting edge sounds, very blues and tectonic textures. Rapid and
profound, they move us into the matrix of sound. How have you get it? What
technique do you use?
R. I think it is all from the way I see reality and the future. I
generally use a technique of wiping away and trying to forget what I’ve done in
the past so that I have more chances to make something new. I read and follow a
lot of science fiction.
P. Your mix is Techno, with
the bass lines always strong, along experimental sounds from recent years.
Which is the secret of your success?
R. I don’t think “success” is the right term because I’m never
sure if tracks are really being understood. In fact, I’m not very good at
giving people what they want. I’ve rarely made music for this objective and a
large acceptance and understanding does not show in the sales of our releases.
I try to stay honest with my creative and technical capacity and never believe
that what I’m doing is absolute – there is much room to expand.
P. The Bells is a classic,
a hit everyone could recognize. How many years have passed since The Bells?
R. I made “The Bells” back 1993, but did not officially release it
until 1995. It was a track that was made part of a collection of music I was making
for only for myself to play as DJ. It worked so well and effective, that I
thought it might be something other DJs could use. Those other tracks I was
making for myself eventually developed into the label Purpose Maker.
P. In Sequence we are in
front of a work between human and machine? Maybe between life and death?
R. Yes, this is correct. It is a movement between two points. Like
the Exhibitionist DVD we released back in 2005, I thought this was important to
create and present as a piece of history. A archive of the past to be reviewed
and examined later.
P. How do you use music to
open doors and discover universes?
R. I believe that doors to discover have always been open. It’s a
matter of us taking the time to connect to realize. I think the structure of
music has a formula of reaching this realization. Or at least an conceivable
impression.
P. You will be playing at
MUTEK.es what will you do there? Any surprise.
R. The presentation at Mutek.ES will be a concept entitled
“Oneness”. A musical exploration on the subject of Singularity, focusing on the
transformative existence from human to man - machine.
P. Thank you very much for
you time. Best wishes.
R. Thank you very much.
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