Concept albums are a dodgy business at the best of times, but when tackled by the king of conceptualism Jeff Mills eyebrows must be raised.
Jeff Mills is best known for relentlessly pioneering techno. Having started as a hip-house radio DJ in mid-80's Detroit, he co-founded Underground Resistance, the militant and idealistic techno unit most famous for DJ Rolando's 'Knights Of the Jaguar.'
Long before Rolando hit the charts, however, Mills had left to form his label Axis. Between inventing minimal techno [with Rob Hood] and battering audiences with his brutal high octane DJ/live sets, he began releasing a string of 12"s on Axis.
'Metropolis', like, many Mills releases, comes with a heavy dose of conceptualism. Like most of his work, it's best bypassed as you head straight for the music. Here Mills re-soundtracks Fritz Lang's 1920's silent proto-futuristic film, replacing earlier efforts by Giorgio Moroder. Building on the heavy, abstract sound developed on Axis, it's dark and difficult, ranging from beatless soundscapes to percussive techno.
For the uninitiated that might just prove too much. Train your ear however, and you might just notice a master at work. As will generations to come.
