The dynamic pair offered a first taste of their expansive sound in April: a reimagining of Mills’ “Infinite Voyage.” The track will also appear on The Override Switch along with seven unreleased ones (plus two bonus tracks on the digital album). The album is a nod to John Coltrane, J Dilla, Kraftwerk and other artists “who inspire experimentation with what can be evoked through music.”

Axis Alert > Coming October 15th. Jeff Mills and Rafael Leafar debuts the much-anticipated and groundbreaking THE OVERRIDE SWITCH (album).
Formats: 2 X 12" vinyl and digital
Coming 10/15/2021 at https://t.co/F6YcqjUW7F pic.twitter.com/nim6xwV7T9

— Jeff Mills (@DJJeffMills) August 26, 2021

“The Override Switch reflects on the precise moment people decide in their minds that the only way to improve a situation is to act—to change the scenario and deal with the consequences as they develop to work for a better outcome,” Mills is quoted in a press release.

“Unrestrained and unshackled by the semiotics placed by conventional dance music, it looks to a frontier beyond what is conditioned by genre,” the release continues. “By infusing the mercurial elements of jazz, it gives electronic instruments the avenue that it always had the potential to travel down; as an unrestrictive genre, exploring the boundless possibilities in which it is capable.”

Mills’ prior electronic jazz releases have included collaborations with legendary Afrobeat artist Tony Allen and French keyboardist Jean-Phi Dary, along with his Spiral Deluxe project with Yumiko Ohno, Kenji ‘Jino’ Hino and Gerald Mitchell.

Back in May 2020, Mills announced Axis would release classical, jazz and film soundtracks in addition to techno.

The end goal of Mills’ ambitious new project is to produce “everyday music” — songs that provide comfort and enjoyment in any scenario — through live instrumentation and a laid-back, unprocessed approach. Pairing a lifelong love of jazz with his constant inclination to explore new soundscapes, Zanza 21’s initial iteration will be instrumentation programmed and played by the producer himself.

Mills’ vision for the project extends far beyond that, however. The first Zanza 21 releases are meant to serve more as blueprints for the introduction of a live band down the line.

With the inclusion of live instruments, Zanza 21’s essence leans more toward a compositional approach to songwriting, rather than the electronic fare for which he is best known. It’s simultaneously a testament to Mills’ jazz roots and the realization of a desire to produce music that isn’t only meant for the dance floor.

Zanza 21’s first planned release comes in the form of a 12-inch vinyl record titled When The Time Is Right, due “soon” on Axis Records, according to a preview posted to Mills’ Facebook page. More Zanza 21 releases are also coming down the pipeline, with a second EP, Chin Tiki, due this fall, followed by a third. Mills hopes the initial releases will pave the way for implementing the live band element, which would breathe life into the concept behind Zanza 21: a human connection to the music.

Dary met Mills while performing on the 2019 tour in support of Mills and the late Tony Allen‘s 2018 collaborative album, Tomorrow Comes The Harvest. The Paradox “values improvisation creations,” according to Mills, who announced in May that he would expand Axis to include classical, jazz and film scores in addition to its trademark electronic music releases.

TheParadox_trailer1 from AxisRecords on Vimeo.

Counter Active will not be the first Axis Records release to fuse jazz and electronic music. In October, Byron The Aquarius accomplished as much in Ambrosia – and Mills noted that last week’s Every Dog Has Its Day Vol. 12 under his Millsart alias included “more electronic jazz-influenced tracks.”

Find the tracklist for Jeff Mills and Jean-Phi Dary’s Counter Active below.

A1. Super Solid
B1. The X Factor
B2. Residence
C1. Twilight
C2. Ultraviolet
D1. Residence (Alternative Version)