The Techno-logy of Jeff Mills

There's no point talking about the popularity of techno music in Russia, since for several years running now a good half of electronic music lovers have been obsessed precisely with it; almost all nightclubs, cafés and bars invite both Russian and foreign techno musicians to play. But musical fashions aren't eternal, and one way or another the day will come when we tire of the monotony and straightforwardness of techno music and tune our old receivers to light, iridescent house or to merry disco...
But until that happens, we'll enjoy techno music. Very soon – on 8 December – Jeff Mills, a man whose name is directly linked with the word "techno", is coming to Moscow. For sincere fans of Detroit music this is an astounding New Year's gift, and for those who simply come to hear him it's a unique chance to understand the character of techno, to understand where it came from and who created it. On the eve of Jeff Mills's performance we asked our techno gurus to comment on the event:

Jeff Mills is very good! Maybe not for today, but as one of the founders of the "techno" style he gave a charge to a great many musicians. I think his compositions are boring to listen to now. The last album of his I heard was called, I think, "Exhibitionist". Over the last 5 years he hasn't created anything new. You have to separate Mills the DJ and Mills the composer. As a DJ, he undoubtedly did a great deal. In any case, Jeff Mills's arrival in Moscow is a remarkable event, everyone's been waiting for it a long time. Of course, he should have been brought over 10 years ago, but there's nothing to be done about that now. Unfortunately, I'll be in another city and won't be able to go to the concert.

Of course I like Jeff Mills. I think he's just as relevant now as he was 10 years ago. It's only here in our country that everyone listens to whatever style of music is fashionable. Abroad there's no such division; there simply exist good performers in each genre. Mills is one of the pioneers of the "techno" genre, and many of his ideas from 1994–95 are relevant to this day. It's hard for me to explain what exactly those ideas are; it's rather understood by the musicians who still use his melodies in their works. For me, Jeff Mills is first and foremost a DJ, he was never a composer. Yes, he created some tracks, sketches, with a touch of Detroit philosophy, "music with a real spirit", but I have mixed feelings about it, since Mills was never renowned for melodic innovations. One of his latest albums was recorded with a symphony orchestra, and that's interesting. I have his records in my collection, though lately I put them on not so often: at one time I liked him very much, now I take his music much more calmly.

Jeff Mills is one of those people who in 1995–96 made the "minimal techno" style popular; he's one of the founding fathers. Of all the world-famous DJs (by the international ranking of 1996) I like him best of all. True, over the last while he hasn't created anything new, but I think he's simply already fulfilled himself. He's a sound designer; at some point he "caught the vibe" and worked it thoroughly. Some things, for example what he recorded with Robert Hood, I still like very much, and they lie in my record collection.

8 December, Friday, start 23:00, club B1Maximum, Jeff Mills performing