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This is the film that inspired jeff mill's album. Its so ahead of its time its untrue. Dan bought a copy and i only saw a little bit, but its a silent film, best viewed with music played in the background.
Its about a metropolis that is run by an industrialist. Everybody conforms until a robot stirs up a workers revolution.
i watched it. it is good.
and funny.
this film is so japan it aint funny.
o yea its funny alrite.
silent movies make me laugh.
did u watch tetsuo btw?
although its very disturbing movie i can laugh to their faces.
i've heard much about this film
very matrix/bladerunner
i must check it out
don't really get the j mills connexion tho'
i think he's full of shit these days
sorry mills fans
i havent seen this film nor do i want to
i dont get the mills connection either, and his album of the same name was terrible
your right henry, he is up his own arse. hes not a techno dj anymore, hes a superstar dj, especially if his current dj fee is the amount ive heard it to b. scandalous
jeff mills saw the film and was so incaptivated by it that he decided to make a soundtrack for it: about 80 years after the film was premierred..
we have all heard of robot replica right? well that track was inspired by a scene in the film when Rotwang (an evil inventor) makes a robot replic of a lady named HEL.. its an interesting film alright and probably the only successful german made movie ever... you can see where the nazis got a lot of thier ideas: especially regarding the star of david......
also scott: to say you do not want to see the film because of the jeff mills connection is pathetic how much jeff mills is up his own arse and the quality of the album metropolis bares no reflection on how good the film will be:
errr excuse me, if u read my post not once does it say i dont want to see the film because of the connection with Jeff Mills. Does it? no! i said i dont want to see it, my reason being that it doesnt sound like my sorta film at all. i said i didnt get teh jeff mills connection, i.e at that time i didnt understand why Jeff Mills made an album of the same name/accompanying the film. u have explained that reason in ur post
Please dont call me pathetic when u havent read my reply properly
of course he`s still a techno dj for f*cks sake!!
as for the metropolis soundtrack, it`s very clever well produced music.
imo its awful, my idea of techno obviously differs alot from jeff mills. fair play i was a bit silly, he obviously IS a techno dj, but not in the sense of underground, for the music techno dj. to the best of my knowledge his current fee is close to the £10,000. this may b exagerrated, but if its true, then how can he justify that? NO DJ DESERVES THAT SORT OF MONEY
if market can pay it why not?
its the matter of flexibility for me though. if u cost that much obviously smaller venues cannot afford u and you should be able to adapt your price for them if money isnt everything you care for.
i agree 10,000 for a nights djing is insane!!!!
i mean yeah its really difficult playing records for a couple of hours
oh yeah!
and like carrying them is like really hard work man!
and being driven to the gig in a merc is like such trouble
and flying first class is such a bitch and having enough money to retire at 33(whatever) and spout constant irrelevant bullshit on your album sleeves and put out records not caring whether they sell or not 'cos you've made your money(right!) and staying in 5 star accomodation and playing the bells every night etc etc etc etc.........
does this remind you of someone?
really underground huh?
about as underground as a pint of fosters
and we all know how horrible that tastes right?
Guys I hope U don't kill me but I have 2 stan d by Mills...
He made a lot of very very good tracks... still does a very interesting job (although I don't really buy/ play much of his stuff) .. camon some of his stuff is still very good today... This guys has got character and he's music is absolutly personal.. he just created a new label which I'm sure will release a lot of amazing still (probably not really playable stuff).... I mean we have just been discussing how much music is getting all the same.. and imediatly we slag some1 who has real power 2 b heard and listen by a lot of people who still cares about doing his own thing... Fair Play...
I have talked 2 him a couple of times and I must say he is 1 really simple and down 2 earth person!! In fact he is really shy... besides I have never had any1 thank me so much 4 a couple of promos (errr that probably had somethin 2 do with the fact that He haden't heard' em still lol)....
Has 2 the fees and stuff... we must not forget that he's been around 4 a very long time .. he's donne the 1 gig a day 4 a long time... summing up if u've been fuc** by so many promoters/ managers/ labels/ etc.. (like some1 from the old days has been).. also u know u can show up and totally pack a venue, who know promoters will make a lot of $ on that... also U've got to a point in life where u prefer 2 do 5-6 gigs a month than 15-16 and collect the same $... plus u figure that if a promoter is willing 2 pay that mush he probably organize a proper event where U'll have proper technical conditions, good venue, etc...
As 2 the confort I must say that if u travel so frequently and for so many hours First class is a not an option!!
My 2 cents..
Z
has anyone heard jeff mills live in tokyo (possibly the liquid room i cant remember) i think he must of snorted 50 bags of coke then shoved biros in his ears just befoer he went on cos im buggerd if i can find on mix that stays in sync more than 10 seconds.
i mean i can understand this happening a few times in anight, but every bloody track, and then to have the cheek to release it as a cd. Plus as far as i can tell the whole thing was recorded through a mic so the sound quality is pants, i sent it back :? .
i still listen to some of his millsart cds though
i'm an out and out supporter of mills i think he is one of the most talented producers/djs on the scene and i think to bring the issue of money into the argument is just irrelevant..
jeff is responsible for so many seminal pieces of music be it mixes or productions that he deserves the respect that from the majority i believe he gets: while i would be the first to put my had up and say that im not the biggest fan of his latest work: every dog has its day vol. 4 inparticularly as a pioneer he will always get kudos from me...
to scott: i apologise i misunderstood what you ment: for my benefit could you expalin in greater detail next time...
well i must admit
i had a few beers last night and it kind of got me going
normally i'm a bit more reasonable about these things.
i have many of mills' records and i've seen him dj many times
i love the liquid rooms c.d. by the way too
for its punky enthusuasm and energy
it got very slagged when it came out.
i know the guy has worked for it and pioneered a sound.
but so have the rest of us in our own ways
its not mills' fault that the club scene is so ****ed that it only relies on big names like him to survive.
and he's got a perfect right to charge what he wants in relation to what the promoter will walk away with.
BUT
the last ime i saw him at lost i thought he was crap
i thought the night stunk in general
i though the sound system sucked ass
and i though 90% of the crowd didn't have a ****ing clue what was going on they'd just gone along becaus they though it was a really cool place to go
the whole night was very expensive and a total waste of my time
AND I'M A FAN!!! FOR ****S SAKE!
so yeah o.k. total respect to mills
but i hate getting ripped off to pay for this unrealistic game of superstardom that everyone seems obsessed with these days
so bringing in the subject of money is not irrelevant to this discussion
as long as this situation in dance music exists money will not be irrelevant.
my 5 cents back
sorry mr mills you are a pawn in a very long game
you have been a victim of corporate clubbing more than anything else from that discription tho mate...
I'm a mills fan but don't get the pseudo sicientific theory behind the music, whilst it may mean something to him it doesn't to me......however, he's made some classic tunes & I think he is an interesting dj to here play, I've heard him out many times since the mid 90's the last time being lost last year. I actually like his dj style, while he is prone to the odd mistake he pushes the boat out and ****s around with the tunes a lot, and will play the unexpected, which personally I like rather than just smooth mix all night long, he pulls off some interesting stuff....and has rocked many nights i've attended, and yes some nights he's better than others, I''ve heard him play very similar sets on accasions, then seen him again playing laodsa new stuff.....like most djs I guess?
His metropolis album i like, not as a bangin' techno album but more to chill out to something a bit more epxerimental, some of it sounds very nice indeed....however, I'vce also got some boring tunes made by him.
I think he's trying to be more experimntal these days and that some peeps don't like that, fair enoough but I think producers feel they ned to try new things sometimes???
I think it's a shame if he does charge Paul Oakenfold prices for his sets, because at the end of the day, while dj'ing is a skill/craft, it aint rocket science and I know many people who are quality dj's who do nothing other than back rooms of pubs , the bedroom, free parties and just for the love of it, no money involved just people passionate about their music, and providing people with a good night for nout, in fact often with money from their own pocket....and that's what it's all about at the end of the day....love of the music and if you lose sight of that then your integrtyt is questionable......however I understand that full time producers/djs have gotta earn a living and should get paid for their efforts so i suppose as with most things in life it's about getting the balance right . Fair play if you can make a nice crust doing it but refusing to play certain places because they won't pay you stupid prices is a bit much.
That's my pennies worth anyway
Some of you people need to spend a little less effort on judging and a lot more effort on understanding.
With regard to Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" - I've never seen the full original version, but from what I have seen it commands full respect. It's a truly innovative work.
With regard to Jeff Mills' alternative soundtrack - I was lucky enough to see the screening of this along with the film at the Royal Festival Hall last year. It's excellent, particularly when combined with the visual element. Some of the timings are superb. It's a real shame that it won't get a DVD release.
There is no "Jeff Mills connection" to get, one thing merely inspired the other, but I think that has already been explained.
With regard to Jeff Mills DJ fee. Yes, it's high. Also high is the interest his name creates on a line up. Also high is the number of people who attend a night because he is playing. Also high is the amount of money promoters make out of his name. Also high is that very factor on promoters' list of priorities when booking him. Thus, his fee is justified, in my opinion. The market leads. Do you think that if Mills dropped his fee by 90%, that the promoters would drop the ticket price? No. So, as he is being exploited, so he deserves to gain as much as possible from that exploitative situation. Do you think he believes he deserves £10,000 for playing records? I doubt it, but that's not the only thing that needs taking into account when you are at his level in the game.
When any one of you inspire such interest, when any one of you has blown people away night after night across every continent in the world, when any one of you have produced such a unique and groundbreaking body of work, when any one of you have inspired thousands of people to take up DJing and production...then you can come on here and justifiably bitch about it.
The guy has been doing his thing since the 80s. Some of you people here were still in nappies and most if not all of you will fail completely to achieve a fraction of what he has - so learn to have some f.ucking respect. eyes without a face - you do a remarkable job of revealing your youthful ignorance. Perhaps you ought to go and gain more of an understanding of techno music before spouting off your ill thought out crap across this and other forums. Your narrow mindedness and misguided demeanour never ceases to amaze me.
And before anyone wants to accuse me of being some sort of fanboy - don't bother. I just know what I'm talking about, have observed his and many other careers over the past 11 or 12 years, have had the respect for the music and it's makers to learn something of their histories - and am perfectly able to acknowledge simple and obvious truths such as the fact that, for example "Mills ain't as good as he used to be" etc. etc.
One unfortunate factor in all this is the fact - yes, FACT - that the old saying "you had to be there", is absolutely true. For those that witnessed Mills at his height, there was nobody, and there still is nobody, who ever came close to what he was doing in the mid-90s. Sorry if you missed it, but just cos you don't understand doesn't give you the right to diss a man who more than anyone else has shaped the way techno exists today. Not that I am saying his influence has produced a utopian scenario - of course it hasn't. Judging by some of the diabolical garbage that gets discussed on this forum his legacy looks extremely tarnished - but whose fault is that? His, or the hordes of people who chose to imitate rather than innovate?
bloody good post mate: i agreee 100%
saying that shows you lack one key piece of info: none of the detroit heads do drugs be it chemical or natural.....Quote:
Originally Posted by emotioncomplex
As someone who was once passed a spliff rolled and partially smoked by Juan Atkins, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there. Atkins is something of an anomaly though, rumoured to have had major problems with hard drugs, crack or smack or both or neither, the details are vague but it's fairly well known he's had problems. In fact it is said that Mike Banks had to step in to prevent Atkins selling Metroplex to fund drug debts, hence the proliferation of electrofunk releases on said label for a while.Quote:
Originally Posted by BritishMurderBoy
On the whole, though, you're right. Drugs have not been a big part of the history of techno in Detroit, but I'd never rule out the possibility that they get used.
All that said:
I can say with confidence that the Liquid Rooms mix is the best commercially released techno mix CD I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot, once was a time when 2 or 3 of the f.uckers would land on the doormat every week)...in fact the only one I've heard that isn't so awfully dull that it ever got more than one listen. Again, it's a simple case of "if you weren't there...". I feel sorry for the people who criticise such meaningless aspects as the mixing...because they'll never know just how it felt to be in the throng in the middle of a Mills set at that time. Believe me mate, there was not one person there who was standing there thinking "hmmm, that wasn't beat matched very well", cos they were too busy having their head f.ucked with. A track would come slamming in, in time, out of time, in my lady's chamber...didn't matter, the crowd would go wild cos everyone knew it meant we going further, up a level.Quote:
Originally Posted by emotioncomplex
There I go again, getting all misty eyed.
People are worth what someone is prepared to pay them....
As much as I'm pretty indifferent to what mills does these days, he was a Pioneer in his day...
Personally, I'm getting to the point where I think the fact that "techno" has become so Genreised and typecast, that it's hard to provide any innovation that is acceptable to the majority of people that consider themselves to be into techno... Seems to me like the majority of people into this kind of music have already made up their minds what they like and what they don't like, and arn't as open minded as they like to think... this is why we'll never see anyone quite like Mills or Vogel again in techno.. I think we may well see a resergence in popularity in the music, but there will never be that feeling of the "Cutting edge" like we had back in 94/95/96.... So long as people are enjoying it though, that's the main thing...
But it's for this reason people like mills command such high fees, is because they were there, at the forefront of it, when it was most popular....
People might say the liquid rooms mix was ropey, personally, I LIKED the ropeyness of it, it just oozed pure energy and excitement... and if you actually listened closely to what he was doing, it was really inspirational... I mean the first few trax, 2 copies of the extremist into manganeze, spinback spot on timed for the break, you have to be on the ball.... Ok it may sound ropey now, but bear in mind it came out in '95, before the loop overkill, and it sounded really fresh... back in 94/95 it was harder to find Loop techno, there wasn't much of it about, so it wasn't like a whole load of tunes you'd heard a million times before....
Like I say though, I wouldn't go rushing out to see mills now.. like someone said earlier, you had to be there.....
Spot on, Mark. And therein lies the problem. That in a nutshell is why there are so many of these endlessly boring arguments on forums. To me it's so simple. **** all the genres, there are just two types of techno, in fact two types of music cos I don't limit my listening to just techno : Good and bad. Seems obvious and easy, but you'd be surprised how many people miss it. :roll:Quote:
Originally Posted by crime
And to add, I think there's a lot to be said about quitting while you're ahead...
to quote the man himself "Every dog has its day"... maybe he was trying to be ironic when he named the records like that.. everything I've heard of late sounds to me like a second rate rehash of himself, well, the purposemaker stuff anyway...
Axis 11 was an inspiration to me, nothing else after that seemed as good... maybe "The Bells" suffered just by being played too much...
Agreed. Although I love the EDHID stuff, it does all sound very similar and one or maybe two volumes would have sufficed. 4 so far, and I can't tell the difference.
I think up to the "Other day" and "Tomorrow" EPs he was on the ball. After those he's not really hit the spot for me.
Still, his sets at the last Lost and also at Sonar were both very different from eachother, and both very good. Compared to other DJs playing, that is.
I suppose that kind of music dosn't really appeal to me any more, especially after hearing a lot of people imitating him very badly for the past 6 years... I have got the impression he sounds better when he plays abroad than when he plays here though...
I was only asking if you lot saw an ickle film :roll:
It's quite a big film. I think the full version is 3 or 4 hours long, innit?
Yeah, I meant to mention that I was amazed that a thread on a film ended up as somewhere for the overtly ignorant to diss things they obviously didn't understand.
At least I mentioned the film in my first post!
Well, you know us Amp. Any chance for a ruck, especuially about Millsy ! :P :lol: :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by ampassasinbirmingham
Actually I did type a post earlier about the film, and I lost the fcking thing before I got a chance to hit Submit and I can't be arsed retyping it. Maybe later.
sorry, turned in to the digression session... Seen snippets of the film but never with the Mills Soundtrack...Quote:
Originally Posted by ampassasinbirmingham
must admit i'd love to write music for a film
i'd really like to see what jeff mills did with metropolis
its a silent movie originally innit?
i wonder if there's some way of putting the 2 together and burning it???
hmmm
anybody??
I am 21 and a lot of people my age (and younger) who slag Mills off. I find realy sad and arrogant. What have they done for the Techno scene apart from go out and buy records?? Althougth...
How come such a high class Producer/D.J has trouble keeping the mxing tight?? I if it wasnt for that I think the more younger generation would appreciate what he does more. I think hes genius when it comes to production. He has his own sound and thats hard to find these days.
Bear in mind the amount of records he mixes in 1 hour and the fact he's playing on 3 decks.... seriously, try and play like he does on that liquid rooms mix... bear in mind a lot of the time he'll be playing 2 copies of almost every record (Because he's playing on 3 decks) and you'll see what I mean... I know what you mean, it can sound sloppy, but perfect beat matching every time is not what makes a good dj.... It's about style and character... Technical ability is cool, but there's nothing more boring than hearing one perfect but boring mix after another....Quote:
Originally Posted by Furndawg
the version i have is apparently as close to the original is as commercially available: there is sections were the film has been edited with new parts filling in those that were lost when Fritz Lang (the director) fled germany in the lates 20's.. Apparently Lang left germany were he was asked by hitler and goebals to do short for films for the nazi party..Quote:
Originally Posted by davethedrummer
its about 2 hrs and 45 minutes: its definatley worth a watch.. when we did a mate of ours was spinning some records so we got to avoid the original 20's german score :roll:
me and amp have often thought it would be nice to make a short film and have some music made to accompany...
just to note one of the amazing things about the film is how ahead of its time it obviously is: the suits the men where and the depiction of and urban landscape is all very convincing... it a definate cult film and i have noticed films since watching it they have clearly played homage to the directors work.. blade runner inparticular..
Yeah i agree.Quote:
Bear in mind the amount of records he mixes in 1 hour and the fact he's playing on 3 decks.... seriously, try and play like he does on that liquid rooms mix... bear in mind a lot of the time he'll be playing 2 copies of almost every record (Because he's playing on 3 decks) and you'll see what I mean... I know what you mean, it can sound sloppy, but perfect beat matching every time is not what makes a good dj.... It's about style and character... Technical ability is cool, but there's nothing more boring than hearing one perfect but boring mix after another....
I wonder if there's anywhere online where I can metropolis
do you mean buy it or download?
lol yeah, sorry that was clumsey. Well both, i wanna see it for sure. But if its download I would have to get some 1 else to download it. This 56k connection would be screaming for mercy after downloading a 3-4 hour film. I am going to have a look for it now
Not sure that'd be possible. Mills used an edited version of the film that lasted about 50 minutes. Not sure if it's a unique edit or an appended version or what, but I think synching it would be a nightmare to say the least. Apparently the Fritz Lang estate, while they have no objection to the project or it being screened, won't allow a commercial release. A shame.Quote:
Originally Posted by davethedrummer
Ironically the movie Metropolis triggers nearly as many arguments as Mills himself does. There are quite a few versions flying around and people will argue til they are blue in the face as to which one is the right one, the way Lang meant us to see it. The current DVD release does include all of the original Lang version (which no longer exists so it's hard to verify these claims), plus some scenes he chose to leave out have been added back in. There was a version/edit that was released sometime in the '60s that's about 114 minutes long.Quote:
Originally Posted by death on a stick
There was also a version released by Giorgio Moroder in '84 which has the shortest run time (80 minutes) of all the versions, but somehow is also reputed to be the most complete version (in terms of following the original plot most accurately) prior to the current dvd release. Maybe Mills used this version to add his soundtrack to ?
we wtached the vhs version. it has all the available footage, plus some reinacted scenes that were shot like the original as some of the footage has been lost.
patrick, so that DVD you have had the full Lang version how he intended it to be viewed? i find that hard to believe....
havnt u got the vesion on how lang wanted it to be viewed dan? cuz its got recreated scenes to imatate the lost scenes, therefore it being just like the original.
Im currently teching everyone about the virtues of badger bite in the office whilst playing your surgeon"karma cd:):)
p.s) if u ring me dan, it would be well appreciated as it would break my day up a little!!!
ive been doing some research on u dan and it seems contracted 13 types of genital warts whilst traveling through cambodia!!!
billy i sent you a private message....
No mate, that's not what I meant. That's why I put "(which no longer exists so it's hard to verify these claims)" after their claim, cos like yourself I doubt it's true. I just read on some website before I bought it that the Kino International release contains all the footage of the original Lang 1927 release, plus some previously deleted scenes. However as all copies of the original have been lost and we've only got other edits, copies and hearsay to go on I totally agree with you and find it hard to believe that this is in fact the Lang version. It's the kind of flannel they're bound to say when releasing another version, isn't it ? "This is the definitive, never before seen version as originally intended by Fritz Lang yada yada yada". I'd suspect it's total bollox. But it's still a great version.Quote:
Originally Posted by BritishMurderBoy
Lang himself is known to have hated the ending and wanted to reshoot it. However a couple of blokes called Hitler and Goebbels saw that version in some small town cinema and loved it. They then asked Lang to make some nazi propaganda movies for them on the strength of that. At that point Lang up and left for Hollywood. That's got nothing to do with the version I've got on dvd, but it's interesting anyway :D
Anyway, the version on the DVD I've got is 1 hour and 58 minutes long, whatever that tells us.
I've got a couple of silent Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy 8mm films. You're welcome to have a go........ :PQuote:
Originally Posted by davethedrummer