Jeff Mills is among the world’s most-coveted DJs and producers in electronic music. His music incorporates themes of space travel, technology and the cosmos that shapes the form and the sensory effects. Born in Detroit, Mills first rose to prominence as a local radio DJ in the mid 1980s. He co-founded the techno record label Underground Resistance with Mike Banks and developed an international following for his compositions and his unique style of mixing and blending records — he is deft, meticulous and highly creative. In 1992, Mills founded Axis Records in New York and eventually relocated to Chicago. A prolific artist, he has steadily released music for two decades. He has also rescored the soundtrack to Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis, which was screened at the Museum of Music in Paris, London's Royal Albert Hall, and the Vienna International Film Festival. In 2007, he received the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in France. In addition to a steady rotation of international DJ gigs, he has also performed in concert with the Montpelier National Orchestra.
Mills is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Axis Records with a series of unique performances. To commemorate the anniversary, the label has released a 320-page limited edition book detailing the art, culture and music associated with his music. The book includes a USB card featuring a cross-sampling of his best music. Jeff Mills is DJing in New York City on Oct. 13 at a private loft in Brooklyn. He presents a screening of another Lang film that he has re-scored, “Women in the Moon” on Oct. 17. at Cinemix in Amsterdam, as part of the performances highlighting the label’s twenty years.
Some are saying dance music is back at the forefront of popular culture in America, but what you do is far outside the mainstream. For audiences that are new to your music, what will they experience at one of your gigs?
Yes, I'm trying to tread outside the norm as much as possible. I guess I was never truly convinced that what is happening in dance music is interesting enough. I can see that there is so much more that could be done to present a more interesting atmosphere for the audiences. I disagree that "dance music is back." I think that a few people in dance music are starting to make "real" money in America, but it doesn't relate to the rest of the 99.999% percent of the industry. As a business, there are still a lot of unanswered questions to a bunch of serious problems. An important aspect of music is in its presentation. I try to find new ways to present it, often through concepts that are based around science, space and time travel. Coming up in New York, we're working towards presenting a hypnotic sound and visual experience that’s based on time travel, inspired by the 1970's TV "Time Tunnel." I think by enhancing the experience, strengthens the connections between the people. They all [even though complete strangers] are faced with an abnormal occurrence and somehow gives them a common link.
You are celebrating 20 years of your record label. In that time musical formats have changed. Where are your primary markets?
My label, Axis Records, still manufactures vinyl 12" and CDs. In the past years there has been a slow, but steady resurgence of vinyl buyers, mostly collectors. We also use the format of USB. The best things about this device is that there is a lot of storage capacity, files are easily transferable, no video format (NTSC vs. PAL/SECAM) and the best part is that they're often small and light, so shipping is at minimal costs. Our primary markets are Italy, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
Where do you find your audience growing?
Portugal and southeast Italy. My indications are the particular similarities in the high amount of younger people in these areas.
Are your fans aging with you or do you see a surge of younger fans?
It is a combination of both. This means that aging people are not so quick to stop partying, like in past generations. They want to continue longer because they must still feel it’s relevant to their lives. The surge of younger people changes from year to year. I think this quite normal.
How are people acquiring your music?
We still like to make things a person can hold in their hands, so we enjoy producing 12" vinyls and CDs. Acquiring our product is mainly through dance music record shops or by mail order directly from our online shop www.axisrecords.com.
Can you explain the structure of your company?
Our company is independently owned and has existed since 1992 and we only produce and manufacture in the U.S. Though we are a music company, we act more like a product design studio. We’re equipped with a small, but effective research library, all the resources that we need to conceptualize an album and its design or (what we need to) build stage settings to create photography.
You are based in Chicago, but how many people do you have working for you and with you?
We are only two in our main office, but we have business associates in Paris, Berlin and Japan. We are a project-oriented company, so we've maintained many longstanding contractual relationships with many companies in and around the U.S. as well.
You manufacture cds/vinyl records/apparel/merchandise and sell through your website and distributors. Your DJ gigs support and promote your new work, and also keep your fan base engaged. The business model you have followed — that of the independent record label — is now being modeled by major record labels that are doing less of the work in-house. Essentially it is a leaner and meaner approach to marketing and selling music. What keeps you going and makes you different?
Sensing the storm before it arrived, we tactfully scaled back on certain aspects in marketing and promotion. While at the same time, increased the amount of product, but reduced the amount of manufacturing. Basically, giving the customer more limited editions things to buy, but making less of it. Essentially, our bottom line sales remained the same through the worst part of the recession. Also, we narrowed the focus of the nature of our releases down to only a few key subjects: space, space travel and UFOs. All releases revolve around these subjects. Mainly because I have a natural keen interest, but more importantly, because these are subjects in which we think will become more commonly discussed in the near future and our label would relate to it as a advanced source.
You are in the unique position of calling the shots and controlling your music and how it is sold. How did you approach setting up your business practice?
In the entertainment business, a way to survive is feeling comfortable about saying "no" when you feel something's not right or feeling right about changing your mind, no matter how far the process has gone. From the start, I never wanted to have a label that just released music. There was always this idea that we could do much more and in ways that were unexplored. After so many years, people have come to expect this perspective. We are very protective of our product and intellectual rights. We have never outright sold the rights to our material. Axis still retains and owns everything it has ever made and released.
As an artist, how do you navigate business decisions and protect the integrity of what you've built?
As an artist, I only release product that I feel is interesting and what I think should be heard by others. Not what I feel will sells like "hot cakes." We're just not that type of business. We still care for what the people are hearing.
