Axis Records celebrates the 30th anniversary of Jeff Mills: Live At Liquid Room by releasing a previously unreleased track, “i9”, in a newly reworked version: “i9 (2025 Version)”.
“i9 (2025 Version)” is remixed directly by Jeff Mills. This version reinterprets the raw energy and historic moment of that night in Tokyo in 1995 through a modern production lens.
This release marks the first step in a series of projects, including the upcoming reissue of the Liquid Room live album. In 2025, “i9” is no longer a relic of the past: it’s a continuing explosion, bridging the roots and future of techno.
1995: The birth of “i9”: designed to drive the crowd wild
In 1995, Jeff Mills was invited to perform a 3-hour techno set at the underground club Liquid Room in central Tokyo. Having performed in Japan several times before, he understood the audience’s focus and reactions, and he sensed that this night would not be just another gig — it would be a historic moment. He set out to create an explosive sound for that exact moment.
“I knew I wanted to make the audience scream, and I knew that I needed to have bombs that kind of went off…”
“So what I did a few days before, I started making a track that did just that. It was a track that would eventually be known as the track called ‘i9’.”
The track was engineered to gradually intensify, explode at a specific point, and allow the residue of that explosion to linger — a design that became i9.
“…The highest point of the DJ set is the point when the majority of the audience understands that I’m in complete control of this room
and that I can do anything and it really doesn’t matter. That is the point that a DJ wishes to always achieve.
Sometimes it never happens.
Sometimes you never gain the full confidence of everyone or the majority of the room.
But when it does happen,
that’s when the relationship of the audience and DJ is so bonded together
that anything could happen.”
At that point, Mills played the unreleased track i9 for the first time on a 10-inch reel-to-reel tape player.
In that instant, the music became not just rhythm, but a signal of breakthrough.
“i9” — Techno declares itself
“i9” was more than an experimental track.
It was a declaration that techno had matured beyond its rave roots into an independent genre.
The music was intense, mechanical, and relentlessly direct. Its tension, explosions, and continuous surges proved that techno could be emotional, architectural, and narrative-driven all at once.
Thirty years later, Jeff Mills reintroduces “i9,” reigniting it with contemporary techniques and sensibilities.
“i9 (2025 Version)” is not just a reissue it is a modern reinterpretation of the explosive energy and historical significance of that night at Liquid Room.
2025 marks the year to revisit one of techno’s most pivotal live moments, and “i9 (2025 Version)” is the first wave of that celebration. As techno continues to evolve, the explosion that is i9 remains alive and ongoing.
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34th issue of KEYI MAGAZINE with JEFF MILLS on the cover
