Jeff Mills Creates New Score for 1922 Film, Dr. Mabuse the Gambler
Jeff Mills has never remained confined to his career as a DJ and producer. From orchestral performances to jazz side projects, he constantly works to expand his horizons as an artist. This week, he’ll add a film score for the 1922 film Dr. Mabuse the Gambler to that list.
Dr. Mabuse the Gambler was a silent film directed by Fritz Lang and based on a bestselling novel of the same name by Norbert Jacques. It consists of two parts, the first of which will premiere at UFA Film Nights on Thursday, August 25, with the new score composed by Mills.
This is not Mills’ first foray into film scores. He delivered one to accompany the 2010 update of METROPOLIS at the 2017 UFA Film Nights, and 2019 saw him perform an original score for the 1929 film Woman in the Moon.
Although best known for his contributions to techno (both artistically and philosophically), Jeff Mills has explored innumerable creative outlets since his career started 40 years ago. Originally going by The Wizard as a hip-hop DJ for Detroit stations like WDRQ and WJLB, he went on to form an industrial band called Final Cut alongside Anthony Srock in the late ‘80s. Both of these preceded Underground Resistance, the politically charged Detroit techno collective that would put Mills on the map globally.
In May 2020, Mills announced that his label, Axis Records, would expand into classical, jazz, and film scores. The following year, he and French instrumentalist Jean-Phi Dary launched an electronic jazz group called The Paradox and released a six-song album titled Counter Active on the imprint.
Tickets to the 2022 edition of UFA Film Nights can be purchased via Ticketmaster. The film will also be livestreamed beginning at 9:00 PM CET; it will be available for viewing for 24 hours on the UFA Film Nights website.
