Millsart

Millsart is legendary Detroit DJ Jeff Mills, using this pseudonym to step away from his aggressive techno for a milder jazz and '80s Detroit-influenced techno album. The result is a pleasing home listening experience. Over the 18 tracks, Mills uses classic synthesiser and drum machine sounds to produce an album of jazzy, melodic and world beat-influenced techno. Some of the standout tracks include the opener "The Nomads of Niger," with its African drums, "Arcadia," for its smooth Detroit sensibilities and "Place de la Bastille," with its swinging jazz bass and melody. These tracks work well at home, and others on the album will certainly move people on the dance floor. My only complaint is an overworked sample of a female laugh (Alison Moyet's, I think), which appears irregularly throughout the second-half of the album. Every Dog... certainly has little to do with his DJ sets, or his previous releases, but it is still an enjoyable album, especially for those who remember fondly the early days of Detroit techno.