Waveform Transmission, Volume 3

by

Jeff Mills

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This is definitely not an album for techno neophytes or fans of commercialized, diluted mainstream techno. If you're looking for a good first time Jeff Mills purchase, I would probably suggest "lifelike" or "the art of connecting". However, if you know what you're getting into, and if you're looking for some of the most uncompromising, hard detroit techno out there, this is definitely a must. Here, Mills weaves swarming, harsh percussive loops that progress and mutate through subtle sound layering. To the uninitiated, this will sound like the same loop is being played throughout the entire song. Only two of the tracks on this cd are what I would consider "accessible". Yes, this is very tribal, repetitive stuff. If you're looking for a warmer, more melodic sound, look somewhere else.

Jeff Mills is one of the great pioneers of Detroit techno, and every person interested in the origins and development of electronic music should be familiar with his work and its influence. However, his main talent, in my humble opinion, has been as a disc jockey, not as a composer of individuals "tracks." As a dj, Mills can combine numerous bits and pieces of techno into a collage that's fascinating and compelling. The individual pieces that comprise the mix, however, are generally pretty repetitive, so they are not all that interesting after a few minutes of exposure.

Overall, that's the source of the problem with this disc by Mills. Each track reveals an interesting effect or set of sounds, but there is no progression or change, and so there is little to hold the listener's interest for long. These individual musical textures could be used to great advantage in a mix or as part of a longer and more varied piece, but on their own they don't do much for me.