Those of us who are creatively or artistically minded — and I consider writing to be, at its core, a creative activity — should know the feeling all too well: inevitable interruptions, sometimes regardless of their length, have the capacity to ruin a creative mindset, to the point where attempts to re-indulge result in blank stares and paranoid thoughts about the inevitable fading away of one’s talents. Obviously, there’s a term in the literary world for this, but apply it on a macro-level to all artistic endeavors, and you have a shared conundrum with probably a subjective, variable solution: is the smell of bacon conducive to creativity? Okay, that’s more like a sub-conundrum.
Axel Willner a.k.a. The Field just has it, though. Recalling the early stages of production for his new album Cupid’s Head, due September 30, he talks about an initial awkwardness, overcome by an inherent genius that arose out of his being like a divine aura. “But then, after a few modest attempts, I got a first loop together and running which turned out (in a short time) to be ‘No. No…’. It was a revelation of sorts as making it felt new to me, and different, and that’s when it all came out.” Color me unsurprised, given the consistent talent on display throughout his discography.
Here’s a deviation, though: Cupid’s Head, following up 2011’s Looping State of Mind (TMT Review), is The Field’s first solo recording since From Here We Go Sublime (TMT Review), and it’s also the first one crafted without the use of computers, which is like, duh… for sure a rarity in contemporary electronic music. Elaborate loops remain a trademark, but to an end that’s “darker,” “slower paced,” and possibly inspired by the decapitation of mythological deities.
Cupid’s Head tracklisting:
01. They Won’t See Me
02. Black Sea
03. Cupid’s Head
04. A Guided Tour
05. No. No…
06. 20 Seconds of Affection
• The Field: http://www.kompakt.fm/artists/the_field
• Kompakt: http://www.kompakt.fm
More about: The Field
