JEFF MILLS & MIKE BANKS: X-102 RE-DISCOVERS THE RINGS OF SATURN

In 1992 Jeff Mills, Mike Banks and Robert Hood - still known at that time as Underground Resistance - released what was probably the most futuristic album in modern electronic music: "X-102 discovers The Rings Of Saturn", as part of their X-10… series. The tracks on X-102 were reduced to minimal levels, looping with a marginal BMP rate, spacey and sometimes entirely without beats.

This was revolutionary: listeners had just become accustomed to the uncompromising Detroit techno sound that the three of them had produced so far. Thus on the way to Saturn they surpassed even themselves, if not a decade jump then at least 15 years ahead of their time.

The transition phase between former recording techniques and the computer age resounded on the album, and seemed as if it had been recorded with computers that had not yet been invented. In fact, the unconventional tracks resulted from a process of cutting up the taped material and then pasting together again.

The album has not been available since the end of the last century and thus it's become difficult for the new generation to appreciate the work. One also tends to forget that very little was known at that time about the second largest planet in our solar system.

Visit page 2 for the X-102 discovers the Rings Of Saturn trailer.

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