Jeff Mills interview, Sub Club Glasgow 23 July 2010

The techno legend talks to EQTV about making music with a message and his DJ tools project The Drummer as he plays out at a special Rubadub night at the Sub Club in Glasgow... In 2009, when EQTV interviewed Jeff Mills about his Good Robot project, we inadvertently sparked a bit of a debate about electronic music. Jeff talked at length about the political and social messages contained within the Good Robot, and while it was refreshing to hear someone who makes electronic music talking so passionately about how tracks without vocals can carry a message, more than a few of his fans seemed to disagree. Many felt that it's impossible to garner meaning from techno tracks, with one saying that after listening to his music for 20 years, they have no idea what his political views are. Of course, narrative has always been a big part of Jeff's music, and most of his releases come with an accompanying back story. And during that 2009 interview, Jeff was keen to impress that his music is more than just dancefloor fodder, and those messages are there for listeners to discover. So when we caught up with Jeff earlier this year, we picked up the debate... By contrast, his DJ Tools project, The Drummer, has no message at all. It's just Jeff creating beats and breaks for fellow DJs to use to embellish their sets. Made using only a Roland TR-808 drum machine, each track is dedicated to acclaimed drummers such as Neil Peart, Billy Cobham and Buddy Rich. So here's Jeff talking about that project and his views on making music with a message as he plays out to a rammed Sub Club in Glasgow for a very special night hosted by Rubadub...