MILLSART Vinilo y CD

Review: On his previous Millsart outing, 2024's X-Ray Zulu EP, Detroit great Jeff Mills - long since departed for Europe but still retaining Motor City's techno vibe - effortlessly joined the dots between techno, house, horror movie soundttracks and spaced-out jazz. On Space Outside Space, he once again touches on some of these musical themes, just in a more widescreen, science fiction-inspired way. For proof, check the deep, ambient-tinged electronic jazz of 'Interstellar Feelings', the percussion-rich, deep space headiness of 'Forevermore' (a pleasingly weird Afro-futurist affair), the immersive techno-goes-broken beat grandiosity of 'Vibrations From The Other Side' and the minor key miracle that is trippy closing cut 'Some Soul, Some Space'.

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: 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: 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: 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 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.