Jeff Milligan is a multi-turntable electronic music DJ, composer and label manager/owner of Revolver Canada Recordings. He talked to Wheel about studying acoustics, his enduring love of electronic music and the indulgent inertia of club culture.
Interview by Victoria Ford
Why did you decide to study acoustics? Originally I studied acoustics because I knew my general interest in electronic music was not finite. What I mean by this is that technology is accelerating and I knew that the education I was going to get in engineering was subject to quick change as the technological interfaces of music engineering evolved.
I decided that it would make the most sense to study fundamental things. I'm 99.99% sure that acoustic physics is not going to change any time soon.
You are loosely associated with the minimal techno genre. How important is knowledge of acoustics to someone who makes this music? I don't think it's very important to understand much about acoustics in order to create any genre of electronic music really. It is, however, very important to understand acoustics when you are performing in a venue; the better the sound, the better the artist can perform.
What are some of the most common problems you encounter with the acoustics in clubs? Reverb cuz most clubs have no acoustic treatments on the walls and most walls are made out of concrete so most clubs sound bad, acoustically, though they can sound pretty good if the sound itself is set up well.
It's strange that almost all critical listening environments are acoustically designed — concert halls, operas, studios, movie theatres, etc — whilst dance clubs are not.
In what direction do you see electronic music going? I will always love electronic music and music in general but my interest in the culture surrounding electronic music is practically dead. Not much has changed or evolved in the actual culture of this music in years: it's still a hedonistic, drug-driven, trendy haircut scene; it always will be.
It would be nice if a non-pretentious intellectualism re-emerged from this scene but I have my sincere doubts.
What changes do you foresee happening in music engineering? I see new ideas emerging all the time. In the near future I see electronic music being packaged and sold as multi-track recordings where the listener or user can strip out instrument tracks they don't want to use or hear. There has already been an emergence of real-time application sharing and collaborative systems via the Internet, Bluetooth etc. That will really help artists across oceans to work together and educators to work with students.
Do you have any acoustics tips to share? If you play an acoustic instrument without amplification and you want to sound louder, it’s best to move into the back corner of the stage, farther from the audience. The same goes for speakers. 
Jeff Milligan on the web:
Revolver Canada Recording
Interview © 2008 Wheel Me Out. No part can be used for any purpose without prior consent. Please contact editorial@wheelmeout.com
