Techno music could not have been possible without classic science fiction, and Detroit innovator Jeff Mills has frequently produced music inspired by vintage visions of the future throughout his vastly prolific and influential career. He released his first score for Fritz Lang's 1927 dystopian epic Metropolis in 2000, and he's since composed music to accompany numerous other films of several different genres, including Lang's Woman in the Moon (1929) and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922), Fantastic Voyage (1966), and even ...
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Techno music could not have been possible without classic science fiction, and Detroit innovator Jeff Mills has frequently produced music inspired by vintage visions of the future throughout his vastly prolific and influential career. He released his first score for Fritz Lang's 1927 dystopian epic Metropolis in 2000, and he's since composed music to accompany numerous other films of several different genres, including Lang's Woman in the Moon (1929) and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922), Fantastic Voyage (1966), and even Buster Keaton's 1923 comedy Three Ages. He's also continued to revisit Metropolis, and the 2023 release Metropolis Metropolis channels the film in a much more abstract manner than his previous score. While the 2000 Metropolis release was designed to sync up with specific scenes from the film, the 2023 recording contains six lengthy pieces, and seems to interpret the moods of the film instead of directly corresponding to the story. Also, unlike the 2000 version, Metropolis Metropolis doesn't incorporate 4/4 kick drums similar to Mills' dance tracks. The rhythms and incidental percussion are much more fluid and improvisatory, and most of it sounds like it was performed in real time rather than programmed. The score shares hypnotic, dreamy qualities with other Mills soundtrack releases such as 2022's Mind Power Mind Control, although that one was a bit more beat-driven, and there are moments that recall some of his space-age jazz explorations, but even more untethered. "Maria and the Impossible Dream" mainly consists of trickling hand percussion for its first five minutes, until it's interrupted by a flash of electronic interference and distant voices, and a sense of mild panic takes over. "Transformation the Aftershock and Evil" is more delicate and sparkling during its first half, then it reaches an effervescent rush before entering a haze of drifting pianos. "Yoshiwara and the Players of Choice" flows from glowing organs and flickering sequences to whooshing synths and soft polyphonic drumming. Metropolis Metropolis is more challenging than Mills' 2000 score for the film, and it's best to approach it without any expectations -- in particular, this is not the place to look for dance grooves. Instead, it's an imaginative effort that connects ideas in its own free-form way. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi
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