Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2009

Courtesy of Womb

We have to admit that we’re having a tough time getting our heads around the New Year’s event planned for Womb in Shibuya. All we can tell you is that it will involve techno, outer space, and American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s concept of “compression-release.” The lead-up to the spectacle has also included internet “transmissions”—at Yokohama’s Wire festival in August, mission control was on hand to broadcast a teaser DJ set from the cosmos. Who would conjure up something like this? Only Detroit techno’s deepest thinker, Jeff Mills, who returns to Tokyo after a four-year absence.

What was the catalyst for Sleeper Wakes? I wanted to bring to the attention of others that there’s still much room for advancement in this genre [techno]. Technology has increased options on how artists handle their work; I think we should be hearing more, experiencing more, presenting in ways that take giant leaps. We have the technology, but lack purpose and reason.

The ongoing “transmissions” are unique… We wanted to show the progress and planning. A large part of the project is actually preparation for arrival. We have intensified planning, with ten people now involved. It’s a great experience to work this way.

Your other projects have included Contact Special, Time Sensitive and One Man Spaceship, as well as reworking the score to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Sci-fi must be a long-time fascination… I believe the impression most people have about sci-fi can change. Perhaps a lot of fiction could be rethought and reexamined in terms of “credible” science. What I have is not really a fascination, but a concern based on strong vision. Putting forth these ideas and subjects so that people think about them is a precautionary gesture.

Would you say the combination of sci-fi and music romanticizes one of techno’s original visions? Yes, very much so. I think that using music as a vehicle to tell stories­—as a form of general communication—has a long history. In the earlier era, it was common to use techno this way.

Is an “absolute experience” the next level for techno? This is an option to explore. Techno has much more to offer than what we’re currently hearing. In my mind, we’ve only scratched the surface.

You are famed for your turntable technique. What’s your opinion on the analog/digital debate? The format is not as important as most people make it out to be. Where I think we need to be discerning is on how creative the music could become. Are producers giving their best? Or, are they discounting their actions to make themselves likeable and accepted in a broader way? To me, the debate people speak of stands in the way, diverting from the legitimate subject—the subject of creative progress.

It’s been four years since you last (physically) played in Japan… I look forward to meeting old friends. Some of Japan’s audiences are the best I’ve played for. For the past four years, I’ve been imagining how I should reintroduce myself to Japan.

What is right and wrong with techno right now? Techno is simply a style of music that allows experimentation. Since its creation, there have been many advances, but the way the genre is being applied is lacking. Many fellow producers have given up on the idea of advancing, so I’m attempting to reach out to a new generation of producers, to make them understand the limits of techno are defined by the limits of their minds.

Womb
Sleeper Wakes Jeff Mills. DJs Jeff Mills, Aki, etc. Dec 31, from 10pm, ¥8,000. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb.co.jp

Sleeper Wakes is out now on Third-Ear JPN Ltd. www.sleeperwakes.com