Jeff Mills

Jeff Mills is a Detroit-based techno DJ, producer and label owner, born in 1963. He is known for a career that begins in Detroit radio in the 1980s, where he performs under the name The Wizard on WJLB and features on the nightly show of The Electrifying Mojo, Charles Johnson. In that period he plays a wide mix of sounds, including Detroit techno, hip-hop, electro, freestyle, Miami bass, Chicago house and classic new wave.

Underground Resistance and early Detroit techno

Mills is credited with helping to found Underground Resistance with Mad Mike Banks. The collective presents itself in a militant style, using uniforms, ski masks and black combat suits, and aims to give techno greater substance and political force. Mills remains associated with Underground Resistance but later develops his own path as well.

Move beyond Detroit

He moves to New York, spends a short period in Berlin recording for Tresor, and then settles in Chicago. In 1992, with Robert Hood, he sets up Axis, his most important label, with a focus on a stripped-back minimal approach. His later labels include Purpose Maker and Millsart, and the later sub-labels Purposemaker, Tomorrow and 6277 are also associated with his work.

Musical approach and performance style

Mills is known for highly technical DJ sets and turntablism. His live performances often combine three turntables, a Roland 909 drum machine and a large number of records packed into a short set, creating fast-moving sound collages built from short fragments of tracks. His records are often structured as separate pieces that he later combines in performance rather than as straightforward club mixes.

Albums, live recordings and orchestral work

His live album Mix-Up Volume 2, recorded at the Liquid Room in Tokyo, is regarded as an important document of his 1990s stage show. Exhibitionist documents a later live performance from 2004. He also works on extended techno projects such as his re-scoring of Metropolis, performed live with the film, and Blue Potential, an orchestral recording made with the Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra under Alain Altinoglu. A DVD of the concert accompanies that project.

Associated acts

His work is also connected with a number of groups and collaborations, including X-101, H&M, X-102, X-103, Underground Resistance, Members of the House, Final Cut, Spiral Deluxe, R.J.’s Latest Arrival, SubZero, The Paradox, The Beneficiaries and Tomorrow Comes The Harvest.