The Field: From Here We Go Sublime

Label: Kompakt

Yes, techno has its detractors, and not without some justification, but the Field is something different altogether. Axel Willner’s project has produced a softer edged yet universally catchy microhouse record with From Here We Go Sublime, courtesy of renowned Cologne-based label Kompakt. Full of the expected pounding dancefloor beats and blips, the record achieves something more with Sublime, weaving in various pitched catchy melodies, creating a soundscape digestible by more than your run of the mill candy raver. At times reaching borderline Kid A on speed status, the album’s standouts, including “Silent” and “Everyday,” create a minimalist architecture with understandable glitzy and containable beats. But others are a bit more dancefloor charged. “The Little Heart Beats So Fast” dishes more memorable high-hat samples but brings a layered artistic effect that is preserved throughout, illustrating a new dimension to an album that may seem close to its peers when viewed through a wide lens yet when dissected contains minute details contemporaries lack. (Billy)