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Friday, May 28
The Mohawk (912 Red River)
$10 in advance, $12 at the door, All Ages
[info] | [tickets]
Axel Willner records under the moniker The Field, and just released the thoughtful Yesterday and Today, his sophomore album and first with the addition of two new members. Yesterday and Today features six tracks of warm, personable techno, and includes guest John Stanier of Battles on the title track. The Field is performing at The Mohawk on Friday with The Juan Maclean, Ian Orth, and Jeramy Neugent, and Willner talked with us about his move from Stockholm to Berlin, remixing Thom Yorke and making changes.
Before we talk about the music you’re making now, what did you listen to growing up? Were you in any other projects before you started DJing?
I was into punk rock as a young teen and played in a lot of different bands. One thing led to another and a few years after that I was making a lot of electronic music.
You’ve since added two members to The Field, both for recording and touring live. How has the group dynamic changed your music?
It became more fluent and jam-like which I like a lot since I have my roots in acoustics.
Speaking of your new album, how is it a departure from what you’ve done before, and does it branch into any new directions for The Field?
It has more instrumentation additions, and not in the traditional electronic music style. Like the new direction before, we´ll see what happens. I don't like to stick to one thing too much.
You’ve done remixes for folks like 120 Days, Thom Yorke and Battles. What have some of your favorite remixes? Did Yorke, for example, speak to you about your finished product or assist you as you were working?
No he didn't but of course, ha, he had the last say. It's always fun and a challenge to do remixes and most of my music is more or less "remixes." I´m very used to it.
The Field is playing The Mohawk at the end of May. For people used to a more rock-based/standing still sort of show, what should they expect from your set?
Both calm and more danceable music. So if they want to shake their hips a little they have the chance to do it.
What’s going on in Stockholm right now? Have you found many kindred spirits working within your genre?
I moved from Stockholm to Berlin and it was a good choice. Even though I don't really have any kindred spirits in Berlin but I do in Stockholm, like Andreas Tilliander. We make very different music but we talk a lot about our stuff with each other.
It seems like the United States is the source of some great dance music, but also a little behind Europe in terms of making it mainstream. Thoughts?
I think the electronic wave is coming more and more to the States now, even though most of the things started here. It will probably become mainstream as in the clubs, but the whole Eurodance scene from a couple of years back might not come over at all.
Other than your album, what projects do you have planned for the future? What contemporaries of yours would you like to remix if you had the chance?
I'm making more and more music with old analog stuff and I´m very into film music. So hopefully a score, that would be great. it would be fun to rework a Manuel Göttsching track!
Where do you do your work? Do you work inside a studio in your house, or somewhere else?
Right now I have my studio in the apartment but soon I will move it to a separate space. It's good to have some distance to it!
The Field: [website] [myspace]
The Juan Maclean: [website] [myspace]
Ian Orth: [myspace]
Jeramy Neugent: [myspace]
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