Jeff Mills: the pioneer who shaped techno's future.

Do you like electronic music? Well, then, you owe a big thank you to this man. Jeff Mills is synonymous with techno music. Over more than three decades, he has redefined what it means to be a DJ, a producer, and an artist. Mills is more than a techno icon - he is a visionary who has shaped an entire genre through precision, experimentation, and innovation while pushing boundaries that many thought were unbreakable. His career reflects a relentless pursuit of artistic freedom and a desire to blend technical mastery with raw creative exploration.

In this article, we take a brief look into the incredible career of Jeff Mills, who will be gracing our Concert Hall for a much-anticipated Tomorrow Comes The Harvest live performance on Sunday June 29 with Jean Phi Dary and Prabhu Edouard. Whether you're already well-familiar with his groundbreaking moves or are just discovering the influence of this techno legend, this piece aims to provide an accessible yet comprehensive overview of Mills' journey through music, life and his endless pursuit of pushing the sound forward.

Born in Detroit in the 1960s, Mills found his musical calling in a city deeply entrenched in music history. As the home of Motown Records, the Motor City had already been an important place for bringing black soul and blues music to the world stage - and a few decades later, it would become the birthplace of techno. Like many of his peers, Mills would go on to contribute significantly to the genre's creation and global rise during the 1980s. In a nutshell, he was one of the first to export this exciting new sound from the Detroit underground to the rest of the world.

Mills' early influences were rooted in jazz, a genre that especially shaped his later work. The improvisational nature of jazz resonated with Mills, influencing his ability to craft dynamic and fluid performances that still maintained technical precision. Mills has often recalled his childhood in Detroit as a time of musical diversity, with his mother listening to blues and his older siblings introducing him to soul, rock, and even punk. "I've generally been interested in all popular music," he says, "which includes rock, jazz, blues, rockabilly, ska, dancehall, reggae, new wave, punk—just everything." This eclectic foundation would later inform his ingenious approach to techno.

In the early 1980s, Mills began his career as a radio DJ, most notably hosting The Wizard on Detroit's WJLB. This was where Mills honed his skills, experimenting with diverse sounds and trying out the DJ craft. His radio show became a platform for discovering new music and pushing creative limits, making him a key figure in Detroit's underground scene. Mills reflects on this era: "I think it was the physicality of DJing that attracted me," Mills reflects. "What DJs were doing with records—restructuring and representing the music - seemed like a new form of creation. I found that really, really interesting."

A few years later, people outside the city began noticing this new sound. Mills' first real rise to prominence came with his involvement in Detroit Techno, a movement that fused African-American musical traditions with futuristic electronics. Alongside techno pioneers such as Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, Mills helped define the sound that would become the signature of the city's electronic music culture. His sound was energetic, minimal, and percussive, with driving basslines and intricate, hypnotic rhythms. To the outsider, this sounded unlike anything they'd ever heard before.

At a time when many DJs simply mixed popular radio tracks, Mills distinguished himself by using his sets to create an experience that was as much about live creation as it was about performance. His sets were fast-paced and percussive, merging techno with electro, funk, jazz, and experimental music elements. Mills' ability to engage with the crowd and take them on a sonic journey became a defining characteristic of his work. "A DJ is in a DJ booth, and you've got a dancefloor of 2,000 people," Mills explains. "You have to develop a way of feeling the atmosphere in the room. You're speaking to the audience indirectly, creating a special aura that wasn't there before." Jeff Mills just set the first example of what we now call DJ culture in the age of electronic music.

In the late 1980s, Mills' DJing and production had already begun to push the limits of what was possible within electronic music. His work was way ahead of its time - characterized by a machine-like precision and a deep understanding of rhythm. As other cities in the US and Europe slowly started to develop their taste for techno and rave, Mills quickly became a sought-after DJ, taking his performances to clubs and festivals around the globe.

As mentioned, Mills' music is often described as a blend of minimalism, precision, and futurism. His early productions are marked by sparse yet powerful drum patterns layered with atmospheric elements and melodic fragments. This distinctive sound became a hallmark of his work, and many of his tracks explore themes of space, technology, and the future. Albums like Metropolis (1992) were inspired by the 1927 science fiction film of the same name, further cementing Mills' reputation as a visionary artist with a fascination for futuristic themes. "My interest in space started early in the '60s, with Apollo and NASA," Mills explains. "Music has been an ideal platform to stay connected to this influence."

In the early 1990s, Mills and fellow Detroit artists like Mad Mike Banks and Robert Hood formed the Underground Resistance collective. The group became known for its fierce commitment to underground culture, its political activism, and its focus on artistic freedom. Underground Resistance's message was clear: techno was not just about the music; it was a statement, a way to fight back against mainstream commercialism.

Mills' work with Underground Resistance solidified his place as a key figure in the global techno movement. However, even as he worked with the collective, Mills also established himself as a solo artist. In 1992, he founded his label, Axis, which would become the platform for his most ambitious projects. Axis allowed him complete creative control and the freedom to explore new ideas. The label's early releases, including the iconic The Bells (1997), showcased Mills' minimalist approach to techno, fusing driving rhythms with sci-fi-inspired themes.

Mills always felt the urge to take it one step further. Unlike many DJs, who mix tracks linearly, Mills used his performances as opportunities to push the boundaries of what's possible in live music. His shows are meticulously crafted, often combining multiple turntables, drum machines, synthesizers, and other electronic instruments, all controlled in realtime. This is one of the reasons why Mills' performances often feel less like DJ sets and more like live concerts, where every note is sculpted and shaped as it's being played.

One of Mills' most famous and influential performances was his collaboration with the Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra in 2001, in which he combined live orchestral music with techno. This groundbreaking performance showcased his willingness to experiment, merge seemingly disparate worlds, and explore new creative frontiers. In his own words: "Techno is a malleable form," Mills says. "It's almost more of an abstract idea and a tool than a sharply delineated music genre. We stretch its boundaries to connect with people outside the dancefloor."

All that said, and more than three decades in, Mills shows no sign of slowing down. He continues to release new music, perform live, and collaborate with artists across genres. In recent years, he has worked on several exciting projects that showcase his range and ability to innovate within and beyond techno. One such project is Tomorrow Comes The Harvest, a collaboration with Afrobeat legend Tony Allen (who sadly passed away in 2020) and Jean-Phi Dary. "It started from an invitation from Tony Allen," Mills recalls. "We recognized that we could be spontaneous, combining the precision of a drum machine with the human element of improvisation."

Even after Allen's passing, Mills adapted the concept, creating a trio that included tabla master Prabhu Edouard. This new iteration of Tomorrow Comes The Harvest focuses on blending traditional sounds with boundless creation. The trio's music is a fusion of Afrobeat rhythms, electronic textures, and traditional Indian percussion - a testament to Mills' lifelong dedication to musical discovery.

In conclusion, Jeff Mills' career is proof of his tireless quest for innovation, exploration, and evolution. From his early days in Detroit's underground scene to his current collaborations with global artists, Mills has remained at the forefront of electronic music, constantly pushing the genre's boundaries and challenging audiences to rethink the possibilities of sound.

As he prepares to perform Tomorrow Comes The Harvest at Paradise City, Mills continues to inspire new generations of listeners and artists alike. His music is not just a reflection of the past; it is a vision of the future, a future where sounds, cultures, and traditions come together to create something entirely new. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to his work, Jeff Mills' influence and importance in the world of electronic music cannot be overstated.

We are thrilled to have Jeff Mills at 10 Years of Paradise City for an exclusive Tomorrow Comes The Harvest live performance at the Concert Hall on Sunday June 29. We encourage long-time fans and newcomers alike to come and enjoy the ride, wherever he may take us.

Interested in diving deeper into the world of Jeff Mills? Follow the links below:

• 'This is Jeff Mills' Playlist on Spotify.

• Sight Sound & Space - a compilation of selected productions from the entire Jeff Mills and Axis catalogue.

• Tomorrow Comes The Harvest - Evolution (2023).

• Jeff Mills live at the Liquid Room Tokyo (1996).

This article was written with the help of dozens of other publications, but this article written by Bruce Tantum for Mixmag deserves a special mention for its in-depth profile on this living legend.