Jeff Mills - Three Ages Soundtrack: A Film by Buster Keaton

(Axis/Shock)

I remember when Richie Hawtin released Decks n’ EFX. It was hailed as the greatest compilation of techno, ever. Then he did DE9-II [Closer to The Edit] and people were rightly confused. Then of course came ‘Closer’ by which time, he had completely fooled everybody. And because it was not what people had come to expect, it was met with misunderstanding and derision. Both praise and scorn came quickly – some bellowed it was a revelation and forward-in-thought, while others claimed it was part-time and unremarkable. So what am I getting at here?

Controversy will always follow the conceptually elite. Artists [film makers alike] who are not conventional, risk becoming at odds with their fan base. Likewise Jeff Mills – himself an axiom of electronic music – has compiled and produced all manner of obscure and sundry material that is as divisive as it is brilliant. A consummate producer and a dazzling DJ with an unassuming fa�ade, he is a man who needs to be understood. How many ‘techno’ producers do you know that would attempt to effect art-house cinema with electronica? For it is much harder to blend a silent motion picture with sound, than it is to play ‘The Bells’ to a room full of people. And this proves that he is himself beyond definition. Perhaps not even intentionally, rather this is ‘him’. A character who revels in his own diversity, he cannot stand still like many of his contemporaries, nor does he want to.

Let me also say then, that ‘Three Ages’ [1923] is a masterstroke of cinema. You need only witness the innocent simplicity of the acting and direction in this 57 minute short, to understand how complex our own world actually is. The name ‘Buster Keaton’ may not be a familiar one to the modern day movie connoisseur, but for this chameleon, life was dedicated to the release of an extraordinarily authentic range of period films that were pure and unpretentious. In turn, ‘Three Ages’ tells the amusing story of love and seduction between the sexes across three ages of history. Mills of course, has completed the musical score in a typically graceful and timeless fashion [this is not his first foray into cinema; Mills composed the score for Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’]. Needless to say, both men are legends.

The double pack contains the music of the 12 tracks, themselves characteristically Millsean in their ease and minimalism. There is little offensive about his music – it is always created with an understanding of time and place while emphasizing the soulful nature of his Detroit roots. It is experimental; it is glitchy; interestingly, some of it is even pure Detroit 909. But it makes for fascinating listening over a seemingly unrelated picture. Somehow the initial yet apparent lack of cohesion between sight and sound make this all so positive. It would be grand if everyone in the world appreciated this release – not only because it subliminally highlights the vulnerability of mankind, but also because it transcends boundaries and proves that it is possible to do things that would have even Buster Keaton turning in his grave!