Jeff Mills

Real Name:
Jeffery Eugene Mills
Profile:
American techno DJ, composer, producer, and recording artist, based in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Born: 18 June 1963 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Jeff Mills (aka "The Wizard") is one of the most pioneering American names in techno music. Championed for his music's relentless pursuit of hardness and his stripped-down, almost industrial DJ sets, Mills is the latest in a long line of Detroit-bred talent to take on an international reputation, performing for audiences around the world in both club and art spaces.

He also runs his own label, Axis, and its several sublabels. Married to Yoko Uozumi.
Sites:
Aliases:
In Groups:
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Artist

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Albums

PWD 7437 Waveform Transmission Vol. 1 — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Waveform Transmission Vol. 1 (Album, EP) Tresor PWD 7437 US 1993 Sell This Version
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Tresor 25, 74321 21237 2 Waveform Transmission Vol. 3 — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Waveform Transmission Vol. 3 (Album) Tresor, BMG Ariola Media GmbH Tresor 25, 74321 21237 2 Germany 1994 Sell This Version
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AICT 43 From The 21st — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills From The 21st (Album) SMEJ Associated Records AICT 43 Japan 1999 Sell This Version
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Tresor.155 Metropolis — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Metropolis (Album) Tresor Tresor.155 Germany 2000 Sell This Version
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TW-800 Time Machine — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Time Machine(CD, Album) Tomorrow TW-800 US 2001 Sell This Version
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TruePeople002-3 At First Sight — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills At First Sight (Album) React TruePeople002-3 US 2002 Sell This Version
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8345106332 Three Ages — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Three Ages (Album) MK2 Music, MK2 Music, Axis 8345106332 France 2004 Sell This Version
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UWe-CD-8 Blue Potential (Live With Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra) — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Blue Potential (Live With Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra) (Comp, Album) UWe UWe-CD-8 US 2005 Sell This Version
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AXCD-003 One Man Spaceship — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills One Man Spaceship (Album) Axis AXCD-003 Japan 2006 Sell This Version
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AXTE-9122 Sleeper Wakes — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Sleeper Wakes (Album) Third Ear (2) AXTE-9122 Japan 2009 Sell This Version
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none Niteroi — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Niteroi(CD, MiniAlbum) Axis none US 2009 Sell This Version
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XECD-9128 The Occurrence — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills The Occurrence (Album) Third Ear (2) XECD-9128 Japan 2010 Sell This Version
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PMD0224 The Drummer 26 — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills The Drummer 26(26xFile, MP3) Purpose Maker PMD0224 US 2010
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AXCD-043 2087 — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills 2087(CD, Album, Ltd) Axis AXCD-043 US 2011 Sell This Version
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AXCD-042 The Power — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills The Power(CD, Album) Axis AXCD-042 US 2011 Sell This Version
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AXCD-044 Fantastic Voyage — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Fantastic Voyage(2xCD, Album) Axis AXCD-044 US 2011 Sell This Version
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AXCD-045 The Messenger — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills The Messenger(CD, Album) Axis AXCD-045 US 2012 Sell This Version
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SITS 008 Something In The Sky Mix — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills, DJ Surgeles Jeff Mills, DJ Surgeles - Something In The Sky Mix(CDr, Ltd, Mixed) Something In The Sky SITS 008 US 2012 Sell This Version
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AX-062 The Jungle Planet — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills The Jungle Planet (Album) Axis AX-062 US 2013 Sell This Version
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UMA 1015-1016 Where Light Ends — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Where Light Ends(2xCD, Album) U/M/A/A UMA 1015-1016 Japan 2013 Sell This Version
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AX-065.5 Emerging Crystal Universe — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Emerging Crystal Universe (Album, EP) Axis AX-065.5 Japan 2014 Sell This Version
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RA.EX192 RA.EX192 Jeff Mills — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills RA.EX192 Jeff Mills(File, MP3, 320) Resident Advisor RA.EX192 UK 2014
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AXDV-003 Man From Tomorrow — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Man From Tomorrow(DVD-V, NTSC, PAL, DVD + CD, Album) Axis AXDV-003 US 2014 Sell This Version
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AXSN-001 Chronicles Of Possible Worlds — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills Chronicles Of Possible Worlds(CD, Album + DVD-V) Axis, Seconde Nature AXSN-001 2014 Sell This Version
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AS-AWATTK And What About The Truth — Jeff Mills Jeff Mills And What About The Truth(12", EP + 12", EP + CDr, Album + Box, Ltd) Tomorrow AS-AWATTK US 2014 Sell This Version

Add Review

antjai61

antjai61

October 31, 2022
Axis records - where to begin.? Let's begin by acknowledging that there are those that seem to love Jeff's Mid-90's output (essentially the relentless, driving Techno that defined a certain sound), and do not particularly like his later output, which is fair enough. Nonetheless, that says more about them than it does Jeff's ever evolving & pushing the envelope of his own range & particular styles (which consistently creates interesting and thought provoking music). All of this has been done whilst executing nearly 30 years of an intelligent, rich, signature vision, signature style that can only be described as ‘Millsian’ – often copied, hugely influential. The entire career has indeed had harder indomitable Techno, but also esoteric, melancholic, space-explorative, neo-noir & a very unique type of minimalism . There's always lot's of subtle stuff going on that is nonetheless not always obvious, & not meant to be. For that reason, it goes over a lot of peoples heads who prefer only a certain type of Mills. As a collector of music that enjoys being challenged, introduced to concepts & approaches (many of which become relevant at different times) his entire output is essential, just like Miles Davis, & with the difference being Mills musical sharpness not becoming compromised by later health problems like with Miles. The thought of Jeff Churning out relentless, yet well crafted Techno belters to satisfy a narrow minded audience is contrary to his (and the labels) continuity of embracing sequence, driving the future & driving an atmosphere of new possibilities for the future. There's always the stalwart crowd that enjoy a certain short epoch of music, constantly harking back to it (And generally listening to nothing else) but if that's the mentality of those looking for Axis to do the same, then they have demonstrably missed the very essence of this iconic & unique label. Even Techno that is hard edged & raw needs constant exploration by the artists that underpinned it in the first place to bring new ideas - & thankfully having the bloody-mindedness & craft to never need to pander to labels & a public that they are beholden to creatively One of my top 5 artists and label's, a pleasure to be part of the journey - long may it continue.!
Danny_Phantom

Danny_Phantom

October 17, 2022
a pioneer of american techno. nothing else to say here
m44-7

m44-7

March 15, 2022
edited about 1 year ago
1994 - 1997.
everything he made at the time was pure gold, be it Axis, Purpose Maker, or his DJ sets, he was the mysterious/alien Midas of techno back then, pretty much two steps ahead of his contemporaries.

I may not be the bigest fan of the orchestral sessions, nor would I share his visions of the future (which I think is going to be much darker than he had predicted), but I wouldnt be my (strictly) Confidential Self, if it wasnt for The Other Day's One Man Spaceship.
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machinejack

machinejack

January 14, 2022
Interesting that there is no mention of the music Mills did before his electronic music career.
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kvogel

kvogel

March 3, 2021
I still remember playing my first Jeff Mills record - the Very EP, starting with Cobolt (Cobalt?) in my basement room in Bristol, UK in the 1990s - a housemate of mine said something about something being "Millsy" and I'd heard the name and was intrigued... it started a kind of obsession! I bought the CD of Live at the Liquid Room and it started a lifelong obsession with techno - this was the real deal! I bought more and more Mills records, including of course the Purpose Maker series. Even though the actual records were often poorly made and overpriced on import to the UK, each one was like a different concept - the artwork was part of it, with this black and gold theme and pictures of hands. It felt like I had received a precious, magical artifact, that had come from Detroit, even if it cost almost twice as much as other records, the vinyl was thin and warped and the label wasn't put on right! I love how inventive, futuristic and just damn raw his stuff sounds... A true pioneer, and his DJ sets, which famously can be hit and miss, are absolutely bang on point when the time is right and the planets align. I saw him play a few times at Lost parties in London. Check out his sessions on John Peel (RIP)'s BBC show to hear a master at work - never a perfectionist, always an innovator, and purveyor of deep, hard, and ultimately soulful techno. Living legend!
AlgyTaylor

AlgyTaylor

May 30, 2020
edited over 3 years ago
For anyone arriving here who doesn't know where to start with Jeff Mills' extensive discography ...

If you've come hunting for techno, the Purpose Maker compilation will guide you around his earlier, and most banging, works. The Other Day, another compilation from around the same time, can expand on that a bit. Absolutely check out Live from the Liquid Room (The Mix Up vol.2), which is hands down the most exhilarating techno mix I've heard - a man on the edge of what's humanly possible for a DJ to do, doing it in front of a live crowd. It's the closest thing to capturing what that last hour of a Jeff Mills set is like in a club - complete Pandemonium.

If it's soundtracks and ambience you want, check out his (more recent) silent movie soundtracks (e.g. Woman In The Moon). They come from the Steve Reich school of modern classical music, with a sci-fi/futurist twist. The Sleeper Wakes series might also interest you - it's more rhythmic, but still excellent for home listening.
Neo_Chayanne

Neo_Chayanne

August 27, 2019
The wizard of techno! One of the heavyweights of the genre to blow you away! <3 At the beginning of his career, he would rinse those wax to death and then throw it backwards to the crowd! This guy is a living legend!
filipe_santos

filipe_santos

July 18, 2019
Bloody legend! Love his 909 lives! Certainly the best artist that's so inspiring with just one drum machine.
Thank you Jeff!
john-savage

john-savage

April 1, 2018
what a character, have seen him twice mixing, once at the orbit, was literally the worst set i've ever heard, every single mix was galloping, it was weapons grade bad. the next time was tribal gathering, i was crew and 10 foot away from what to me was a god like mixing machine, three decks and a 909, absolutely superb, by far the best set i've ever heard.

years before(1995) live in the liquid room cd with it's track listing tought me what real techno was, and what real mixing was, bad boy bones finished my training, he taught me his swagger.

not that keen on 90% of his records personally, i hate strings etc, but the first real techno vinyl i ever got was axis 11"the purpose maker"(thank you skinner), that will never leave my box, fantastic tune, purpose maker 3 is an absolute corker too, a mythical tune that has the rarity of not being hindered by stocking fillers(what a waste of vinyl), all 4 tunes are great.

thank you jeff, hope i'm going where you're going after this.

as a great man once said......it's just a ride :-)
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Tikal696

Tikal696

March 21, 2017
If you are more interested in Jeff Mills' "detroit techno" productions, let me express my vision of the thing.
His career can be seen in this way:
- In its beginnings, it released many pieces typical of the detroit techno as the emblematic "the bells".
- as his career progressed, he produced more and more atmospheric pieces. (Metropolis seems to be a turning point)
If you are looking for pure techno pieces, look at vinyl produced until 2001. (or the compilations given at the end)
After this period, you will have to search among hundreds of others. And the majority of those produced are rather minimal. Very few are as "hard" as they were at the beginning.
4 compilations are a good base to summarize this style of techno that made its success in EU rave:
- The other day
- Purpose maker compilations
- The art of connecting
- Lifelike
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