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Head to Head with Algorithm With faders, fingers, and the occasional record flying in all directions, Jeff Milligan aka Algorithm, has been captivating dancefloors the world over for the last ten years, with his uniquely twisted blend of quirky minimal techno, always delivered with his signature three turntable gymnastic style. Having just gotten back from Europe and soon to return in support of his hybrid mix CD 'Composure' on Force Inc label subsidiary Forcelab, Jeff spares us a few precious moments to talk shop.
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AAS : How's the tour been thus far ? JM : excellent. just finished at panoramabar (Berlin) this past Saturday in Berlin which was certainly one of the best gigs of the year for me : I can't wait to come back in February. Uclub in Slovakia was great, as usual as well. I got the opportunity to play with final scratch for the whole week that I was in Bratislava, which was a real treat. I had so much skepticism about final scratch technology but it is really and truly mind-blowing. It's EXACTLY like dj'ing. Any artists you've played with this time around that really impressed you? Funny enough, Ellen alien of bpitchcontrol. I saw her perform in vienna at flex last week. She was really a great dj, bored of her two decks. She really needed a third turntable. I'm not particularly into her new wave sound but she does a great job with it. Are there any new projects in the works for you on the production side of things ? Yes. I just completed a full length remix for a the "Forcelab" label (a division of force inc., Germany). It was an interesting and challenging project where I was asked to mix the whole catalog. The catalog is fairly limited so it was quite a challenge making things work, with so few options. I opted to do the project by cutting loops from al the tracks and strung them together that way. I used over 300 loops of variable length, eq and pitch settings etc. similar to R. Hawtin's "closer to the edit", however I mixed the catalog numbers together first and cut mixes out of the combinations. I ended up using so many discreet instruments and loops that it was more of a recomposition, than a mix. The end product rides a fine line between a DJ mix, and a full length remix. I started to not be able to tell what I had recomposed and what I hadn't as my original files corrupted and I simply couldn't#t tell anymore. Up to eight artists are mixed together at any given time. What's your studio set up look like these days ? Ha ha, a pentium 833 PC. that's it.
With electronic music in general splintering off into so many genres and sub-genres, what the areas that you're personally into exploring ? Well, I'm excited every time I hear something new. I could throw myself out a window if I hear any more granulation but at the same time, any new or old technology used in a new and original way, is of course, interesting to me. I can't pigeonhole a specific genre that I'm excited about though. What do you look for in a Revolver artist ? well, Canadian artists get first dibs. Essentially, I look for artists that are innovative, using a specific technology that either is a new technology or an old one, used in a particularly original way. I think that beyond a unique and original sound, a Revolver artist should have a rigid criteria which challenges them through a predefined limitation. What other artists are turning your crank these days ? Farben Matmos Akufen Deadbeat Rhythm Maker Monolake Sutekh Safety Scissors you know, the usual suspects. Finally, what's coming down the pipe ? After a coffee and a cigarette? Just kidding. a tour in March to support "Composure", a track on "Montreal Smoked Meat" Compilation on Force Inc. (out now) and a whole bunch of Revolver Canada releases this year. www.techno.ca/revolver
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