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Your new album is called 'Medium'. Your website labels
it as a "psychological analysis of the creative grey
area'. What do you think you've discovered in your analysis?
Jeff Mills: Err…in the research I discovered that it
was much broader than what I'd expected it to be. Once I began
thinking of all that falls within the grey area it really
expanded much more than just creative actually and what the
album mainly deals with is mostly all the things which are
difficult to describe through words or through sound or even
through music…things that are mostly in transition, things
that are metamorphosising into something. So basically, its
not A and not B but something in between... like A.1, A.2, A.3
and so forth and so on.
 And then in the research I began to correlate the subject
with just everything around us life, work and in the way the
world is structured and how people evolve from one thing to
another. And then I began to look at people as a subject of a
grey area and it became even more interesting.
Then I began creating the music and began to title it, I
focused on four different chapters and focused on the precautionary
position about grey areas. So I titled them as things that
maybe one would think about in terms of caution. Maybe the
more negative side than the positive side to make people think
about the subject, to get more attention.
So I think out of all the releases that I've had, I think
it's the most mature, most complex thing to talk about. Because
it covers so many different things which are in transition,
it basically sums up everything around us.
So you decided to put it into music?
JM: Well the music is the format but we've
done numerous interviews with many other artist, people, interior
designers, architects, other techno musicians about what their
perspective about 'grey area' means. So I got a lot of research
done on this matter.
So
there was a lot of research done before the actual creation
itself.
JM: Yeah there's actually much more research
than music (laughs)…but to actually understand what
you're doing, that's what you have to do.
How would you describe your music on
the new album?
JM: Well the music was designed to be something
which is difficult to describe. It kind of reminds you of
techno in a certain way, in a 'housey' sort of way, and in another
way, a more soundtrack kind of way. So it was designed to fit
into the grey area, to give the listener the feeling that they
were listening to something that was difficult to describe.
The artwork of the jacket is the same, there was no artist… there's
no image. It's just gray and umm… everything was designed
to fall in line, in a certain way disorienting the listener
so that he or she doesn't know what to expect when they listen
to it.
With the war coming, have you thought about making a producing
a track or even an album to express your feelings about it?
JM:
Yes, but it would not be something that I would want to sell
though. It would be more like something personal. I just couldn't
sell it. I don't think I would feel right making an album
about the Iraqi war and then selling it for $5.99. So I thought
about it and maybe (in) the last few months thought about maybe
focusing on some of the very serious topics in addition to
making music on the dance floor.
War is a very terrible thing; it basically starts off from
something which is deeper. So I thought about maybe making
albums about things which were much deeper, like religion,
race and the misunderstandings of people and things like that.
Because this seems to be much more focused than war, so I
expect to go even deeper about the truth of it.
What's the story behind the track 'The Bells'?
JM: Well it was a track that I made back
in '93 or '92… I think. It's not much. The sound
that's in the record that reminds people of bells, in the
keyboard, it was the bell itself. So there's where it came
from…it's just a simple track I did in 20 minutes or
so.
What
drives you to make music everyday? What motivates you?
JM: I don't know... it's kind of an obsession
to make something out of nothing. It has nothing to do with the number one record or even money; I would do it for free.
It's just something that I needed to do to express how I felt
or to communicate some ideas.
The business part comes much later… but I really just
love to play. Not even record, that also comes much later… just
to piece something together and just sit back and play is
the most exciting.
Why are there pencils on sale on the
Axis Records website?
JM: Well...in the company itself, this
is what I did many, many years ago when I first started Axis,
I created the character of the company to be almost like a
mirror of myself. So the colours that I like, the topics that
I like… in the way that I understand it the most and
can explain it to people.
Drafting and using pencils is what I do
in my office a lot, so I thought it would be a great idea to
make a pencil set cause I use them create the designs for a
lot of things. And it's just something that is practical and
reasonable.
We wanted to create things that were not so trendy. Something
that you could buy now and 10 years later still be useful.
Our shop doesn't have that theme of 'trendy stuff'.
There's also a
section for charitable organizations. Why do you feel so strongly
about these organisations?
JM: Well I mean, people are constantly in need.
And I think all of us should feel strongly about this because
we're all connected. As much as I travel, as much as I've seen…
I think any person who travels as much would eventually come
to a conclusion about humans and how they live and what they
want at the end of the day.
 It's all basically the same no matter
what country or race. So that tells us that we're all really
connected and that we have to take care of one another to a
certain degree. So I thought that seeing how many people log
on to the site that it would be a good way to bring something
a little bit more serious to their attention in addition to
the music that we make.
You were a resident at 'Limelight' in
New York. What do you think is the current state of nightlife
in New York?
JM: Well I mean New York… it changes, its
always been constantly changing. Clubs open, clubs close, and
out of that it produces clubs with great reputations such
as the Zanzibar and the Red Parrot from a long time ago and
Paradise Garage… so I think it just falls in the tradition
of it.
I mean Twilo closed and now there's a club called the
Arc which is the old venue of Vinyl where they used to do
'Body and Soul'. So it's a slightly different atmosphere but
it has an atmosphere of its own.
What are your views on drugs and its relation
to the clubbing scene? Do you think that they go hand in hand?
JM: No, I think its one of those subjects that is a result
of something much deeper. I always thought that people take
drugs cause there was something missing. And that something
missing probably comes from the way they were brought up or
what influenced them once they got to a certain age.
And that's where to start, not to look at someone taking
ecstasy or anything else. I always thought it was a sign of
something much deeper. It's just a vehicle, a result of
something.
I know you don't drink and take drugs…
JM: Yes I do. Hahaha...no, I'm just kidding.
You've been referred to as the personification
of techno's essence. Why do you think that is so?
JM: Frankly, I don't know why. I don't listen
to techno so much at home. Mainly because it feels and sounds
much better when I go and make it. And when I DJ it sounds
really fresh and new. But I don't live that way outside.
Could it be because you were
one of the pioneers of techno in the early days?
JM: Yeah, but one out of many that were in
that generation. I think there are more appropriate people;
Juan Atkins would be one, Carl Craig…
What is the future of techno? Do you think
its going to go out of fashion?
JM: Well I think it has and it's come back in fashion and
then gone out and come back in again. So I think that part
of it will always be there. There will always be this attractiveness,
allure of techno.
It's a very strong format of music, very powerful... you
don't have lyrics, but just the structure of it can be
overwhelming. Or it can be just too much for the average
person, which makes it very attractive. It's too complex,
aggressive, powerful. I think that is what makes people
attracted to it. I would have to assume that, since it has
attracted so many people over the last 15 years.
Well, people generally grow up with techno. They don't come
into techno and then kind of leave to go into another thing.
They generally come in and stay for an amount of key years and
then move aside because they become too old and they can't go
out and they can't go to the parties but they still love the
music.
So what happens is that as the younger generation is coming
into the music, it is expanding the whole possible listening
audience. So now we are having signs of types of techno which
are easier to listen to. It's becoming a section of its own.
You don't like doing interviews, why?
JM: If the questions are not interesting or if the questions
are silly…and sometimes they are… then no. Because
I can see what the media can do from both sides for someone
as an artist and someone as a reader. And you only have so
many chances to say things in your career. Magazines are only
going to interview you a few times in your career so I look
at interviews where the questions are simple almost as a missed
opportunity to say something that people might find interesting.
-matt
- thanks to Jeff Mills
and GCI for making this interview possible!!
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