Spiral Deluxe, the brainchild of trailblazing electronic musician Jeff Mills, specializes in improvisational electronic jazz fusion.
With their upcoming album “The Love Pretender”, available March 14th, 2025, the band honors the present and makes a case for authenticity.
In 2018, Spiral Deluxe assembled in Tokyo to create, over a two day period, a collection of spontaneous recordings that would be the foundation for the band’s first album “Voodoo Magic” (2018), two EPs, and their upcoming album “The Love Pretender”. “The Love Pretender” is comprised of newly mixed versions of the last of those recordings, building on the previous discography made from the same sessions.
The super-group consists of legendary keyboardist Gerald Mitchell, Japanese rocker Yumiko Ohno on Moog synthesizer, and Japanese bassist Kenji “Jino” Hino, in addition to world-renowned DJ Jeff Mills. Together these musicians merged to create unplanned and uninhibited compositions, mainly recorded in single takes. According to Mills, the songs represent “sonic conversations”, or unspoken musical relationships that build with each track.
Gerald Mitchell, Detroit-raised musician, producer, band leader, and DJ, plays keyboard on the album. Mitchell’s music and visionary approach to sound has made a huge impact on Detroit House and Techno. He is known for his soulful style, having worked with Underground Resistance and Dj Rolando to create anthems like “Knights of the Jaguar” and the group Los Hermanos. Recently, Mitchell worked with Bill Beaver on a disco funk album, Celebrity BBQ Sauce, and recorded Another Day EP under his alias Soul Saver. While Mitchell continues to work on new music and sonic material, he still maintains his practice of playing at church in Detroit every Sunday.
Yumiko Ohno, born in Tokyo, brings her musical expertise to the album through the Moog Synthesizer. Music has always been a part of Ohno’s life, who began learning classical music on piano at a young age. She formed the subversive rock band Buffalo Daughter in 1993, playing bass while also making a name for herself as one of Japan’s leading minimoog players. Ohno remains a touring musician (Buffalo Daughter, Yumiko Ohno Solo Set, Cornelius, and The Audio Science Laboratory hosted by Yann Tomita), in addition to creating music for films, theatres and commercials.
Kenji “Jino” Hino masterfully covers bass guitar on the album, influenced by his unique familiarity with jazz. Hino’s father is notably the most famous trumpeter in Japan, meaning that jazz has always been a part of his life. Hino moved to New York at 6 years old, where he began playing trumpet and later, bass guitar. Early in his career, Hino joined a house band at Apollo Theatre, working with Joe, as well as acts including Jessica Simpson and Blondie. Today, he continues to work world-widely with talents like Joe, Christopher Max & The New Millennium and more. He formed his own band, under his name Kenji Hino. In 2014, he finished the 3rd album, “Jino Jam”.
Jeff Mills, widely recognized as one of the greatest DJs and producers in electronic music, covers the album’s percussion and production, in addition to creative direction. Mills began his career as a jazz drummer in Detroit before discovering his affinity for electronic music. His work continues to span a variety of genres, such as classical, Jazz, Afro Beat, film soundtracks, House, Industrial Dance, and Hip Hop/Rap. Mills’ unique touch as a DJ with a background in percussion is apparent throughout his career, from industrial dance band, Final Cut, and the infamous Underground Resistance, to his current jazz projects such as The Paradoxand Tomorrow Comes The Harvest. His latest work on The Love Pretender is an exciting new addition to his discography.
By staying attuned and receptive to each other’s musical suggestions, the band’s improvisational confluence results in authentic, conscious melodies. This unedited approach to musical creation is a response to society’s current pursuit of perfection, and its mostly inauthentic results.
The title “The Love Pretender” alludes to today’s superficiality, and the band’s intention to instead create something real and unedited.
In the years since the 2018 sessions, Jeff Mills mixed the remaining recordings to preserve them in high-quality for listeners. He ensures the mix of electronic bass, synthesized beats, effervescent keys, and an expressive and unstructured atmosphere comes through. Whereas “Voodoo Magic” felt more bare, “The Love Pretender” feels polished while still maintaining the project’s raw authenticity.
The subtleties of improvisation required the band to be present. That’s what this album is really about: a commitment to being present in an age where everything is a distraction. By playing within the tension of each moment and reflexively adjusting to each other’s musical suggestions, the band creates their organic and acquiescent sound.
“The Love Pretender” embodies mindfulness and the practice of letting go. The band finds comfort in not knowing what comes next, each trusting their own and the others’ skill and adaptability. This is a hopeful approach to music but also, the album suggests, to life– we don’t know what will come next, but belief in each other’s goodness and our own is what spurs authenticity and beauty.
Spiral Deluxe’s The Love Pretender will be available on March 14, 2025
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