I was referring to the other person who said the notion (as allegedly stated by Mills) that he was trying to elevate DJing to high art, made him sick.
Its obvious that people are going to translate the Mills on display image being used to promote his product in whatever way endorses their position (fan/ not fan) But understanding what he intends and ageeing with it are two separate things. Just because the Bush administration insist that their priorities are with the MAerican public and not big business doesn't make it true. And just because I 'understand' their true meaning doesn't mean its right. I did say that I gained a little respect for Mills for at least having a concept (as opposed to just being driven by arbitrairy vanity), but arbitrary or not, it is still vanity and is not something that appals to me or many other people on this list. But please don't imply that I don't 'get it.' I get it and don't like it- and I was under the impression that a detroit techo centered list ought to be a forum where people could discuss whether or not they approved of a particular techno artist's music-ideas-performances-products. btw- this isnt a new idea for Mills. The video for "Life Cycle"(?) was basically a single camera angel showing his hands manipulating turntables and a mixer (which I though was silly since there's no mixing going on in the musical track) His later photograph show that consisted of stills of his hands again hinted at this new project, which all comes to the physical interaction of a DJ on display. Great if your into it- although if watching the DJ work is so compelling, than I wonder why most of Mill's gigs are in gigantic venues where you can't see what he's doing. One thing that I think helped Mills develope as an icon is the fact that he looks good behind the decks- shaking his hips and moving his hands in an incredibly fast yet gracefull manner. I wouldn't say whether or not this is a concious style he developed- or if its his natural movements. Eithr way, its something of interest. But it ranks rather low in terms of priorities for me, after... 1) killer live sets (which I've discussed my experiences) 2) killer records (which I've found lacking the past few years- although I liked my DOWNLOADS of the triple EPs that started this discussion) 3) decent business practices (which is of course what started this thread all those many days ago. His bailing on gigs- which has been mentioned repeatedly as well- is another example of questionable ethics) 4) fun person (i'm sorry- but one of the essential things about this culture for me is the access and interaction between artists and fans. if i want to worship someone from afar, i'll go to a stones concert.) I could probably llist a lot more before 'looks cool behind the decks' which seems to be what is being perpetuated by this DVD- adn the promotion around it. I get it. I don't care for it. On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > Yussel, > I think you've missed the point. It's a play on the idea of exhibitionism > and the idea that you get to see inside of him - he's putting himself on > display. If you look at the pictures on the CD/EVE a bit closer you'll see > that the "image" isn't some wax sculpture - it's actually Jeff Mills. He > hasn't "entombed his image in a museum type display case" at all- it's a > store front window. > > Check out what is going to be on the DVD and you might begin to understand > why it's called Exhibitionist and why placing himself in a store display > window is a decent graphic representation of the project. > > In addition - the DVD was filmed in Detroit - not Germany or anywhere else > that he could have done it. > > It doesn't make me ill at all - I think it's fantastic and the DVD sounds > brilliant. > Can't wait to get my paws on it. > > MEK > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > et To: "Ploegmakers, Joost" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > cc: Katrin Richter > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [email protected] > 01/16/04 05:04 PM Subject: RE: (313) Jeff > "Milestone" Mills > > > > > > > hope this doesn't make you more ill (iller?) > > http://sonar.es/portal/eng/home.cfm > > seems as though Katrin's estimation was dead on as Mr. Mills has now > entombed his image in a museum type display case. > > I gotta say- on the one hand I don't agree with this particular direction > for techno. Nor do I agree that Mills is the right person to take it in > this direction (given the state of his current live performances) > > BUT, I do feel a bit more respect knowing that his actions (misguided or > not) do have a definate purpose, rather than just egocentric flights of > fancy. > > but that still doesn't explain why he refuse to let the sound guy keep him > from distorting bassbins. > > > > On Fri, 16 Jan 2004, Ploegmakers, Joost wrote: > > > Well, > > > > I never thought this was possible, but reading your mail just made me > physically sick. > > > > I could comment on every single sentence, but I won't. I'm just too > upset. If what you are writing are actually truly the things that are going > on in Mr. Mills mind, I will never want anything to do with him ever again. > What an arrogant elitist artsy fartsy wannabe prick! > > I sincerely hope Jeff übermensch Mills will come to his senses soon > enough. Or that this is all not true of course. > > > > > > Joost > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Katrin Richter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: donderdag 15 januari 2004 17:04 > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: (313) Jeff "Milestone" Mills > > > > > > > > > When I met Jeff, he was a very nice caring person who was > > > deeply concerned about the direction Techno was taking in > > > Germany (!). He felt that he and Dimitri Hegemann from Tresor > > > did a bad job back in the early Nineties because he pleaded > > > guilty for conditioning people to consume Techno in dark > > > boxes full of fog and strobes and didn't consider making it > > > nicer for girls (which is, in his opinion, the reason why > > > there are not so many girls embracing Techno)... > > > > > > We had a really long discussion and he admitted that he > > > sometimes feels really removed from his audience. He said > > > he'd never consume drugs because he would hate to put his > > > company - and the people working for him - at risk... > > > > > > I don't think he is greedy... I think he is striving to be a > > > real "artist", > > > sound- and concept-wise, that is accepted by "educated" > > > people. This is, in my opinion, the reason, why he tries to > > > employ these pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-philosophical > > > thoughts on his sleeves written in bad English (which of > > > course, are more expensive to make). Although he has done > > > Metropolis and a lot of groundbreaking other projects, he is > > > not really really accepted in the realms of high art, > > > especially not in North America where a Techno artist would > > > never reach the status of social acceptance he longs for. In > > > Europe and Japan, people roll out the red carpet... here, he > > > is the person who single-handedly established Techno in > > > Berlin (well, at least that's what Dimi and Jeff both want to > > > believe - themselves - and which is impossible to prove or disprove). > > > > > > I guess the things I just mentioned are integral parts of his > > > personality and that might explain why he tries to make his > > > label a sought-after commodity rather than being down with > > > the locals. Drug-mongering simple minds are just not his > > > thang as he was working hard enough to transcend this stage > > > of low human existance and I think he likes to see himself as > > > a man of class and style - certainly the way he dresses and > > > the hotels he chooses. > > > > > > Okay, that was the psychological analysis from da Kat :) who > > > sat on the mat and is a big fan of Jeff as a human. I > > > wouldn't buy See The Light but I certainly would buy the flip > > > flips in his shop (and even the Axis beach > > > towel) if I had the money spare. > > > > > > I love supporting people... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > > > Von: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Gesendet: > > > Donnerstag, 15. Januar 2004 16:03 > > > An: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Cc: [email protected] > > > Betreff: Re: (313) axis > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >But what if he and others in his position could take it further than > > > >that! > > > > > > >Galvanize this community through festivals (lukewarm overall), > > > >seminars, clubs (gasp!), and the development of new players in the > > > >game. > > > > > > > > > Uh, yeah - he does all of this. It's called Musik und > > > Machine. http://www.musikundmaschine.com/index_flash.html > > > > > > not many other individual artists have done this so I think > > > Jeff is actually on the forefront of doing exactly what > > > you're asking him to do. > > > > > > > > > MEK > > > > > > > > > > > >
