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Jeff Mills Interview
House | Tuesday 6th December 2011 | Osh
Joe Le Groove caught up techno legend Jeff Mills to chat about new projects and the clubbing world.
Joe Le Groove: What’s going on with the drummer 26 project?
Jeff Mills: When I was younger I wanted to be a professional jazz drummer, my mother used to throw shoes at me from the noise that I was making! I always wanted to own an 18 piece drum kit and go back to the mid 80s where the Chicago house labels used to take a drum machine and make tracks for DJs to use as tools. Those type of tracks were very much desired at the time by all DJs. The sexiest drum machine of all in my eyes is the 808. So I developed a series of drum loops based on that Roland Module.
Joe Le Groove: What equipment are you currently using to DJ with?
Jeff Mills: Right now I’m using CDs as I’m playing all masters. In my studio I master to CD and it’s all original material. Most of the stuff won’t be released because it’s just made for me to play. If I know it’s just for me to play then I don’t have to be worried about it being so perfect in certain areas, it can be rough, raw and edgy. I’m travelling with a lot of stuff like that. There is a project that I’m working on for later this year and next where I’m using all vinyl again. All the vinyls are a certain colour that relates to the concept of what it includes. The project is called Tomorrow Plus X. There are two colours, black and white.
Joe Le Groove: You also have a film project called Something In The Sky?
Jeff Mills: UFO-ology is another interest that I have and I finally got around to making a project that involves music, film and performance based on that subject. The music is indirect, it’s not trying to describe what UFOs sound like, but much rather the type of intense atmosphere that seeing or encountering a UFO might create. The performances are basically documental films about UFOs, sightings and amateur footage that people have taken of actual UFOs.
Joe Le Groove: Is that finished?
Jeff Mills: Yeah, it’s done. It’s a really interesting project because no matter what, it affects you. The idea that we are not alone is something that music doesn’t really fully capture. The reason that I wanted to make the music indirect is because music will probably fall short of capturing the experience when you really see something.
Joe Le Groove: What do you do to chill out when you are not DJing or in the studio? If you look at your gig schedule you are always touring somewhere!
Jeff Mills: It’s difficult to understand, there is no break time. I’m married and I have daughter of 16, luckily my family understand that my life is tied to my career so there is no down time but sleep. I go from Europe to the States and then I’m constantly in the studio. I know so far that it’s probably more healthy than unhealthy to have something to think about as I get older. Coming up with new ideas and concepts to make new music is not something you can put an age on. I know based on other artists & genres that after a certain point many people slow down and start reverting back to things that they have done earlier in their careers. I’m trying to do the opposite. Our generation is like the 2nd generation of DJs. There are only a few cases where artists still create new things all the way till the end. I’m betting with myself that maybe I can do it if I put my mind in the right place. At some point I want to teach music theory. I think that will probably make me understand more about the process on how ideas are developed.
Joe Le Groove: Which will probably give you some insight into how you as a
person developed your own skills to become Jeff Mills that everyone respects today?
Jeff Mills: Exactly Joe, out of everything, you very quickly see what’s most important and what is essential to be explained to people to give an understanding and some true insight.
Joe Le Groove: What do you think about clubbing in general, starting with the US?
Jeff Mills: I think the US was lucky enough to make it attractive for people for it to rise to a certain level. With the advancements of technology, I have been waiting for some change to really enhance the club setting. If we think about the overall objective we have to look at what exactly people want to feel. The clubs need to listen to people with these far out ideas in order to push clubbing/raving as we know it.
Joe Le Groove: So, why don’t you, Derrick May, Carl Cox and a few others open a club to do exactly that? It would be the first club of its kind and it would revolutionise clubbing as we know it.
Jeff Mills: (Laughs) Yeah there have been a few discussions with a few of us about that. Nobody knows the situation of clubs better than us DJs, but unfortunately I have never been asked; when I try to materialise these thoughts in full its always in somewhere like Tokyo. They understand that to make something special you have to plan for it.
Joe Le Groove: What other types of electronic music do you like besides house and techno?
Jeff Mills: I listen to anything which is really exceptional in what ever form
it is, it could be Jay-Z, Flying Lotus or Gospel, Right now I’m into to Philip Black.
Joe Le Groove: What about people like Courtney Pine?
Jeff Mills: Most definitely, also people like Sun Ra. I’m more interested in finding
out information about him as a person and what he was thinking. Things like his band
members never saw him sleep. I’m trying to find out more about this genius that
was originally from Chicago...
Joe Le Groove: Thanks for taking time to chat with us today and hopefully catch up soon!
Joe Le Groove: What’s going on with the drummer 26 project?
Jeff Mills: When I was younger I wanted to be a professional jazz drummer, my mother used to throw shoes at me from the noise that I was making! I always wanted to own an 18 piece drum kit and go back to the mid 80s where the Chicago house labels used to take a drum machine and make tracks for DJs to use as tools. Those type of tracks were very much desired at the time by all DJs. The sexiest drum machine of all in my eyes is the 808. So I developed a series of drum loops based on that Roland Module.
Joe Le Groove: What equipment are you currently using to DJ with?
Jeff Mills: Right now I’m using CDs as I’m playing all masters. In my studio I master to CD and it’s all original material. Most of the stuff won’t be released because it’s just made for me to play. If I know it’s just for me to play then I don’t have to be worried about it being so perfect in certain areas, it can be rough, raw and edgy. I’m travelling with a lot of stuff like that. There is a project that I’m working on for later this year and next where I’m using all vinyl again. All the vinyls are a certain colour that relates to the concept of what it includes. The project is called Tomorrow Plus X. There are two colours, black and white.
Joe Le Groove: You also have a film project called Something In The Sky?
Jeff Mills: UFO-ology is another interest that I have and I finally got around to making a project that involves music, film and performance based on that subject. The music is indirect, it’s not trying to describe what UFOs sound like, but much rather the type of intense atmosphere that seeing or encountering a UFO might create. The performances are basically documental films about UFOs, sightings and amateur footage that people have taken of actual UFOs.
Joe Le Groove: Is that finished?
Jeff Mills: Yeah, it’s done. It’s a really interesting project because no matter what, it affects you. The idea that we are not alone is something that music doesn’t really fully capture. The reason that I wanted to make the music indirect is because music will probably fall short of capturing the experience when you really see something.
Joe Le Groove: What do you do to chill out when you are not DJing or in the studio? If you look at your gig schedule you are always touring somewhere!
Jeff Mills: It’s difficult to understand, there is no break time. I’m married and I have daughter of 16, luckily my family understand that my life is tied to my career so there is no down time but sleep. I go from Europe to the States and then I’m constantly in the studio. I know so far that it’s probably more healthy than unhealthy to have something to think about as I get older. Coming up with new ideas and concepts to make new music is not something you can put an age on. I know based on other artists & genres that after a certain point many people slow down and start reverting back to things that they have done earlier in their careers. I’m trying to do the opposite. Our generation is like the 2nd generation of DJs. There are only a few cases where artists still create new things all the way till the end. I’m betting with myself that maybe I can do it if I put my mind in the right place. At some point I want to teach music theory. I think that will probably make me understand more about the process on how ideas are developed.
Joe Le Groove: Which will probably give you some insight into how you as a
person developed your own skills to become Jeff Mills that everyone respects today?
Jeff Mills: Exactly Joe, out of everything, you very quickly see what’s most important and what is essential to be explained to people to give an understanding and some true insight.
Joe Le Groove: What do you think about clubbing in general, starting with the US?
Jeff Mills: I think the US was lucky enough to make it attractive for people for it to rise to a certain level. With the advancements of technology, I have been waiting for some change to really enhance the club setting. If we think about the overall objective we have to look at what exactly people want to feel. The clubs need to listen to people with these far out ideas in order to push clubbing/raving as we know it.
Joe Le Groove: So, why don’t you, Derrick May, Carl Cox and a few others open a club to do exactly that? It would be the first club of its kind and it would revolutionise clubbing as we know it.
Jeff Mills: (Laughs) Yeah there have been a few discussions with a few of us about that. Nobody knows the situation of clubs better than us DJs, but unfortunately I have never been asked; when I try to materialise these thoughts in full its always in somewhere like Tokyo. They understand that to make something special you have to plan for it.
Joe Le Groove: What other types of electronic music do you like besides house and techno?
Jeff Mills: I listen to anything which is really exceptional in what ever form
it is, it could be Jay-Z, Flying Lotus or Gospel, Right now I’m into to Philip Black.
Joe Le Groove: What about people like Courtney Pine?
Jeff Mills: Most definitely, also people like Sun Ra. I’m more interested in finding
out information about him as a person and what he was thinking. Things like his band
members never saw him sleep. I’m trying to find out more about this genius that
was originally from Chicago...
Joe Le Groove: Thanks for taking time to chat with us today and hopefully catch up soon!
