Jeff Mills cinemix of Metropolis Metropolis

Fritz Lang’s 1927 dystopian masterpiece Metropolis depicts a futuristic city where an oppressed underclass sustains the decadent lives of an elite few—until a robot incites the workers to revolt.

Jeff Mills's journey began in 2000 when he first reimagined the soundtrack, emphasising the film’s timeless message of solidarity. He renewed the score in 2010, exploring the characters’ perspectives, and again in 2023, releasing a third version on Axis Records. Evolved and fine-tuned, this latest iteration delves into the vision of the machines, offering a nuanced interpretation for today’s tumultuous times. A cinematic landmark paired with Mills’ boundary-pushing genius—a sci-fi dream brought vividly to life.

In Mills' own words:

“Almost 100 years ago, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis debuted in a time of exuberance, promise and ingenuity but also underlying whispers of discontent, fear mongering and disillusion. Though Metropolis is a fictional story that takes place around the year 2000, a time that those who watched it in 1927 could only dream about, there is a good amount of truth and unfortunately, reasons why there are still lessons to be learned from it.

More of an admonition, Metropolis continues to flash a cautious yellow to those who have and those who do not.

Remorsefully, it appears that the older the film becomes, the more it becomes relevant. And in the sharpened times will live in now, I can’t think of a better story to be reminded of”

- Jeff Mills -

May 2025