Axis US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Jeff Mills throws a spaghettifying curveball with latest EP 'The Trip'. Themed after the terrifying notion of entering a black hole, and likening this to the vicarious yet no less enjoyable illusions of grandeur that might go hand in hand with attending a Millsart rave, 'The Trip' has been routinely billed as "the world's first cosmic opera" (in its performance incarnation), and attempts to sonically answer the question as to what exactly happens when we cross that fateful event horizon, in ambitious, live-jam-born-recorded form. Via eight cosmic suites of terrifying techno wizardry (we'd expect nothing less from the Belleville 'blazer), Jeff Mills brings his originally live, light-eating vision to vinyl, nailing the cosmick perceptual horror of being "sucked in" through dust-bitten repetitions, descending mind-melts and dissociative-detuned fugues - the latter is most intriguing; 'When Time Stops' is the track of choice for exploring Mills' least repetitious and most improvisatory tendencies.

Review: As Jeff Mills returns to his third deepest obsession after 909s and UFOs, he presents an addendum to his renewed Metropolis Metropolis soundtrack which doubles down on three of the themes and gives them a different framework through the lens of a 12". This is still the more cinematic end of the Millsian spectrum, but there's some intensity which may well be of use to the more dramatic or daring techno DJ. 'The Dance Rebellion Starts' is plenty loopy and disorienting, full of interwoven, clangorous patterns which should stay nicely in time if you get them locked in the mix. 'The Other Maria' might well be the star of the show though, a nightmarish, ever-building drone piece with some half-time percussion stalking around the edges for guidance. 'Freder's Reality Switch' completes the picture with a slightly more stable synths n' strings piece, but there's still that innate sense of otherness Mills always threads into his work.

Review: Jeff Mills' The Trip is an audacious exploration of musical landscapes that marries the unexpected with the familiar, creating a sonic journey that is as unpredictable as it is moving. The album, which evolved from a concept first introduced in 2009, comes alive with its 2023 live performance in Tokyo, showcasing Mills' skill in weaving together elements from different musical eras and styles. In tracks like 'Contradiction (Silent Shadow Mix),' snippets of a pad burst through the mix, underscoring the tension and release that characterize the album. Jun Togawa's vocals add a raw emotional layer, enhancing the dramatic interplay between fast-paced drumming and evocative melodies. Unsettling yet serene, The Trip encapsulates a dynamic range of emotions, from the unnerving rush of 'When Time Stops' to the robust rock guitar in 'Long Radio.' This album is not just a collection of tracks but a narrative of perpetual motion and change, reflecting the thrilling unpredictability of life itself and the wonder of experiencing moments anew.

Review: Jeff Mill has pretty much always been in a world of his own, musically, aesthetically, and in terms of how he thinks about techno. More than 30 years after helping to shape its first wave, he continues to turn out high-concept projects, and this is his latest. The Eyewitness is a mix of ambient, leftfield and techno that has been made from "the perspective of an unknowingly complicit bystander" who is "psychologically pathological in nature." Concept aside this is an involving listen, marbled with paranoid vocals that pan about next to sinewy pads, with bright, glowing cosmic chords and prickly low ends, suspensory ambient soundscapes and cinematic interludes all making it one of his best works in a while.

Review: Last year Detroit techno stalwart Jeff Mills launched a new project, The Zanza, an ever-changing collective of jazz, Latin and electronic musicians who could help him explore his love of a wide variety of styles and genres. Following on from the project's debut release, Mills has now delivered a debut album that once again proves not only his versatility as a producer, but also the vivid, widescreen nature of his musical vision. Wonderland is not an ambient or techno album - though it does contain multiple nods to the latter - but rather a hybrid affair that draws great influence from Latin music (and samba in particular), jazz in many forms, dubbed-out electro, jazz-funk and, on the rushing 'The Time Is Tight', organ and piano-heavy gospel house.

Review: Jeff Mills for Axis Records. Are there any more exciting words for fans of Detroit techno? Here The Wizard assumes his MIllsart alias and once again sets off to explore extra terrestrial soundscapes. The tempo here is slower than under his own name, leaving more space for the sci-fi details and cosmic motifs to really sink in. The beats roll deep, too, with gentle percussive clatter dropped in from above. In the case of 'Breaker Breaker One Nine' the sound is almost Glenn Underground-esque. It is the EP highlight, though the glistening 'The Upside Down' is not far behind.

Review: Millsart's Powerland is a four-track journey that fuses techno with spacey jazz, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a cosmic jazz den. 'The Savvy Provocateurs Of Parallel 42' opens with a blend of jazz-infused techno, evoking the feel of a movie soundtrack with its cinematic, spacey vibe. 'The Divine Line' shifts into ambient techno, with sequencer-driven layers that offer a serene yet rhythmic experience. 'Hippie Woman Wild' stands out with its unique combination of island jazz and techno, delivering a creative and unexpected fusion that feels both laid-back and innovative. Overall, Powerland showcases Millsart's ability to meld diverse influences into a cohesive and immersive sonic landscape, perfect for those who appreciate techno with a touch of jazz-inspired creativity.

Review: The Axis Expressionist series, curated by Millsart aka Jeff Mills, is back with a second EP that features a selection of tracks making their debut on vinyl. The music is less focused on the act of dancing and more, says the ever-verbose Mills, "about reflecting on the complexity and simplification of life." The opener 'The Wise One' (Khufu mix) is all steamy and ritualistic percussive sounds and mystic synths over a rolling tribal beat that turns you inwards. 'Wind Walkers' (extended mix) is a beautifully loose-limbed jumble of percussion, off-grid hits and snaking rhythms steeped in celestial charm and 'Don't Ask Me Why' (extended mix) rounds out with another snaking groove richly embellished with ancient cosmic magic.

Review: Jazzy, funky and percussive techno grooves.

Review: Jeff Mills has always used the Millsart alias as vehicle for his more eclectic, out there, experimental and hard-to-pigeonhole productions. He's clearly proud of them, as he should be, as he recently inaugurated the 'Axis Expressionist Series' of EPs to showcase a blend of classic Millsart cuts and previously unreleased reworks. This 12" marks the third in the ongoing series, and sees 'the Wizard' bounce between creepy, mid-tempo techno psychedelia ('The Deuce Theory', with its addictive bassline, ghostly pads and off-key electronics), spaced-out tech-jazz headiness (the brilliant, impossible to describe 'Kundalini Energy (Morning Glory Mix)') and lightly jazz-tinged downtempo exotica (the organ-heavy shuffle and sun-bright melodies of 'Are You Experienced (Guilty Pleasure Mix)').

Review: Jeff Mills continues to gift us some utterly astounding house-tempered work from the Millsart project on this latest 12". Neo Tantric Parts draws from the deep well of Millsart archives, with 'Tear Drop Nebula' especially benefitting from a new mix as it shuffles percussion and vibraphone chimes around microtonal cascades which give the music a particularly giddy quality. 'The Phonetic World' has a punchy presence without losing that lighter style Mills adopts under this alias, while 'Neptunian Landing' heads into spookier territory with some faithful 909 hats for guidance. Watch out for 'Unidentified' though, a truly tweaked-out slice of space lounge gear for watching the walls of you mind melt after one too many solar flares.

Review: Millsart is an alias of Jeff Mills which the Detroit tech pioneer and cosmic ambient maestro uses to explore some of his most melodic sounds. 'Theme From Star Child' is a lush soundscape with rich piano chords and glowing synths all over a mid-tempo beat that is perfectly inviting. 'Satori' is more percussive with loopy drums and scintillating hi-hats dancing over the beats. 'Love Warrior' is a broken beat trip with orchestral melodies and sustained chords that all glow like distant stars. Last but not least is the jazz-dancer 'Starlight Trance Dancer' with its rippling keys bringing future soul to the supple rhythms.

Review: Techno legend Jeff Mills and keyboard wizard Jean-Phi Dary embark on a live musical trip, documenting their most recent performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland - and encapsulating their mission to fuse techno and jazz, Nobu style. In the past Jeff has spoken of the need to "take a few steps back and try and assess what has been done, and what might need to be approached to be able to go forward." Jeff's reassessment manifests as jazz-hno, film music-hno, conceptechno... anything to happily build of the mad range of influences he's drawn on over the years. Paradox: Live at Montreux is the result.

Review: Blake Reyes is an alias for Italian artist Luca Vertulli and on this release for Jeff Mills' Axis Jazz collection he presents an extended double pack of hi-tech soul of the highest calibre. Recorded between Bologna, Milan and Rome overseen by Mills himself, Vernacular takes us deep into the heart of Reyes' vision, leading with the standout track 'At Night'. Anna Bassy's vocal sits front and centre on the original version of the track, but the B-side offers up alternative versions which let Reyes' assembled players shine through. Sides C and D offer up further excursions into hidden possibilities from the project such as the epic synth symphony of 'Sound Manifesto', mirroring the warm, instrumental charm of Mills' own Millsart releases and recent collaborations with Jean-Phi Dary.

Review: If you were digging the sound of The Paradox, Jeff Mills' 2021 collaboration with keys virtuoso Jean-Phi Dary, you should be very excited indeed to see the return of Tomorrow Comes The Harvest. The project originated in Mills and the late Afrobeat architect Tony Allen working together around 2018 on live shows and an album, and in the wake of Allen's passing Mills has kept their project alive with Dary and Indian tabla player Prabhu Edouard. Improvisation and interwoven rhythm is at the heart of the project, and the considerable skills of each player reach staggering heights on this monumental record, released to coincide with the trio's world tour.