Jeff Mills: "I think in terms of electronic music, a lot of it will disappear"

In a new in-depth interview with London nightclub fabric, techno whiz Jeff Mills discusses science fiction, new technology, artificial intelligence, escapism and his new radio show on NTS ‘The Outer Limits’.

The six episode, year long radio program is written, produced and presented by Mills and focuses on exploring high-level concepts in intergalactic theories, parallel realities and the "intricacies of time and space" while showcasing the icon's favorite pieces in classical, electronic and jazz. Learn more about his latest episode here.

The interview dives into Jeff Mills’ cosmic and futuristic ethos to get the techno artist's take on what direction he thinks the world is progressing, both musically and technologically.

When asked about how he sees electronic music meshing with other art forms in the future, Mills responds with a teeming hope for what is to come: “There should be this experience where you can hear aspects of electronic music and classical, or electronic and jazz, or electronic and afrobeat. There should be these high breeds existing already, and there should be artists presenting these types of things. So I think it’s just a matter of time.”

Transitioning to the topic of technology and how its untethered expansion into our daily lives affects our relationship with music, the idea of vanishing genres and defunct machines dominated the conversation.

“I think in terms of electronic music, a lot of it will disappear,” says Mills. “The machine, the drum machine for instance, will disappear, because computers will eventually disappear. They’ll be helping us, but the physical computer will disappear. I think from a classical point of view, where musicians are playing an instrument, those things will remain. But electronic music is quite different. We’re programming it, and these machines aren’t necessarily used in the programming. I think the physical computer will go away, and so will the machine.”

When asked about how the “escapist rave experience” will advance in the future and if he thinks it will be more vital moving forward, the honored techno artist expressed his belief that “physical social atmospheres” will become a thing of the past.

“I think that technology will give us a way of somehow experiencing these things happening around the globe in real time. If you could apply something from your living room in San Francisco that allows you to experience this concert in London, that changes the whole scenario of a party. Just imagine a party where there are millions of people able to experience it in real time. Everything becomes magnified. Let’s say that a DJ does something that’s really impactful. If that’s seen by millions of people, the result can be enormous. I think that’s where we’re headed. People are not going to accept being unable to experience certain things for too long. If you can experience something anywhere, at any time – as long as you pay – that’s part of the future.”

Read the full interview here, where Mills opens up much more on his various thought-provoking opinions.

Watch the evolution of Jeff Mills here