Jeff Mills on Juan Atkins: “His legacy is not something that can be fully measured”
Mills spoke on the legacy of his friend and fellow artist, who passed away last week Continue reading...
Jeff Mills has paid tribute to the late techno originator Juan Atkins , describing him as one of a “rare and select group of visionary musicians who helped construct a bridge into the 21st century.”
In a statement shared on social media earlier this week, Mills spoke on the legacy of his friend and fellow artist, who passed away on Saturday, October 31, aged 64.
“We have known each other for decades,” Mills wrote. “Perhaps 45 years or more. And throughout that time, it has been my observation that he never fully received the recognition or credit he deserved for such an extraordinary achievement.”
He went on to speak about Atkins’ influence on him and the music coming out of Detroit, writing: “[His music] was perhaps the most powerful symbol of possibility that our city could have offered us. It was, in every sense, a gift.”
“Among the founding figures of electronic music, Juan’s contribution stands apart for another important reason: he never stopped creating. He never became comfortable with merely repeating what he had already accomplished.”
“He continued to evolve, to experiment, and, perhaps most importantly, to remain actively involved in the culture he helped establish. He clearly understood the value of symbolism, of what is inherited, preserved, and passed forward from one generation to the next.”
Mills went on to question whether “our respect was ever enough”, asking: “Was it comparable to the reverence we routinely extend to the great figures of other artistic disciplines? To a Picasso? To a Miles Davis?”
“Did we ever truly acknowledge the weight and gravity of what Juan initiated, and of everything he gave us? Did we fully comprehend the magnitude of his contribution? And perhaps the more difficult question is whether we, as a creative culture, even know how to recognise and honour an achievement of this nature.”
“Having known Juan and observed the entirety of his career, I have always felt that the term Creator was insufficient,” he added. “It simply does not encompass the breadth of his imagination, the scale of his influence, or the extraordinary spectrum of his creative thinking.”
“His legacy is not something that can be fully measured by recordings, genres, accolades, or historical descriptions,” he wrote. “The bridge he helped construct remains. And countless others will continue to cross it, perhaps without ever fully realising who made their journey possible.”
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