The Field Live at Berghain, Berlin.

Berghain is hailed as one of the best clubs around and maybe even the capital of Techno in recent times. The minimal gods and goddesses descend upon this Berlin hangout like chic party monsters ready for the legendary Berlin nightclub scene to engulf them in sparse beats until the early hours and beyond. Of course I have never been to this place, I’m just guessing, I have made it sound fun though haven’t I…

I had been unsure on whether to get myself the Field album From Here We Go Sublime since last year. At first I wasn’t convinced at all, the loops just got annoying and it all seemed a little too simple, I guess you can say I just didn’t get it. This has changed and the reason why is this live set a seamless mix recorded from the soundesk of Berlins Berghain.

Kompakt’s techno Swede plays 53 minuets of his own looped out mellow beats and soundscapes, at least I’m pretty sure its all The Field’s work I can’t find a track list anywhere. Its smooth yet beautiful, not the kind of techno to kick your ass all over the dance floor but the kind of stuff you can fall asleep to if the mood takes you. I’m sure in a club this set would make you move and want to dance with pretty girls with all your best minimal European house moves, and drinking strange cocktails. But lets face it we are stuck at home or on a bus with this mp3 to listen to, and it works just as well, well almost, I guess…

The Field Live at Berghain, Berlin. [Alt Lnk]

Pluxus – Solid State

Kompakt are known for releasing minimal and electronic music of the highest order and with this release they haven’t stopped this trend. Pluxus are a full band that makes sublime electro tunes that move the mind as much as the toes. The songs may even tug your heartstrings; the warmth is enough to make you feel it that’s for sure. Solid State is full of almost poppy tracks that could be the darker side of Hot Chip if they had an English man singing about wrestlers and boys from his school on top. They don’t however have much of a vocal input at all; in fact voice is only really used as a layering device to add more lush sounds to the mix.

I’m pretty sure this is a re-release rather than a new album, but I wasn’t aware of it the first time around and it doesn’t sound like it has aged at all, you can’t pin an era down to it. Pluxus could be onto a winner with Solid State it might be this years From Here We Go Sublime by The Field. There aren’t many similarities in the sound to the two albums, apart from the mellow and melancholy edge the songs have, they are executed in very different ways though. The Field uses loops to seduce and Pluxus use warm synth sounds and glitchy beats.

Solid State is a joy to listen to day or night, summer sun or winter darkness, if you want to chill or if you want to party it strangely works for both, for me anyway, I’m a bit strange…

So with the glitches of Aphex the swing of Fly Lo and the accessibility of Hot Chip; Pluxus should be massive, I have a feeling this is going to be a slow burner though. It has already been around for a few years at least and hasn’t been massive or a crossover indie-electro hipster chic record. Kompakt picking it up and giving it a higher profile should help quite a lot in getting it to peoples ears, and I’m very sure it will find a place in their hearts as it has done mine. Check out the track Kinoton from the album bellow…

Stand out tracks: Transient, Perm, Kinoton, Contax, Corrose, Sansui.

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Pluxus - Kinoton