Jeff Mills defends controversial Riyadh festival booking

Mills evokes Juan Atkins and Kraftwerk in retort to Dave Clarke and other critics

Jeff Mills has defended his recent appearance on the lineup for Soundstorm, a festival set to take place in Riyadh, which has been criticized for being publicly funded by the Saudi government. 

Soundstorm – an annual event which has existed since 2018, formerly under the name MDL Beast – has drawn yearly criticism for its funding by the totalitarian Saudi regime. The festival has been described by human rights organisations, pundits and the general public as a face-saving PR move intended to protect Saudi Arabia’s image, and to distract from SA’s reputation for human rights abuses against activists, journalists and even its own citizens.

Responding to criticism on Facebook, Mills replied to several users in the comments section of a recent status post, likening the uproar to that experienced by Kraftwerk at their debut show in Detroit, 1979.

“I’m confirmed to play this event and will certainly do so. Here’s why: In 1979, a German band called Kraftwerk was invited to Detroit to perform at a venue on the Eastside of the city. There was a huge uproar and protest before and upon their arrival. Many people recognized the military-like uniformity, red shirts w/black neckties we’re connected to Neo Nazis and the extreme right. Luckily they performed because if the protestors had won their way, the would not have been a young impressionable Juan Atkins in that audience!”

It comes as a second wave of artists were confirmed to appear at the festival this wednesday, which included Ricardo Villalobos, Don Diablo, Nicole Moudaber – and Kevin Saunderson, one of Mills’ longtime Detroit techno partners. Other artists on the lineup include Carl Cox, Amelie Lens, Charlotte De Witte, Eric Prydz, Steve Aoki, Nina Kraviz, Major Lazer, Solardo, Axwell and Adam Beyer.

Mills continued in his defense: “We never know who might be there in the audience, listening and trying to connect with something greater than themselves. This music needs to be accessible to anyone and everywhere! For those of you that don’t understand, I recommend doing research of how much music has played a role in shaping public opinion and even policy.”

In opposition, DJ and musician Dave Clarke recently joined on to express his dismay at the festival. “The event is organised by ‘The General Entertainment Authority’ founded in May 2016 headed by Turki Al-Sheikh, criticised by Madawi al-Rasheed in an article headed ‘Will Feminism be a Crime in Saudi Arabia?’ 15/11/2019: “His portfolio is to entertain Saudis, but he is doing it with bad taste, excessive hype…””

Despite Amnesty International pointing out in 2020 that Saudi Arabia had conducted “grossly unfair” civic trials in recent years – in which many human righs defenders were handed the death penalty without due process – few of the artists booked for Soundstorm have criticised or abstained from their booking since the festival’s announcement.

For more information, read our prior articles on Soundstorm:

Dave Clarke joins voices condemning Saudi festival Soundstorm