much-celebrated kompakt staple the field returns to the spotlight with new album the follower, his fifth full-length offering after from here we go sublime (kompakt rsd 02 cd 57), yesterday and today (kompakt 193 cd 72), looping state of mind (kompakt 241 cd 94) and cupids head (kompakt 290 cd 110). swedish soundsmith axel willner is well-known for his mastery when it comes to the allusive layering of loops, but it was with his last album cupids head that a newly-found, somewhat pressing snappishness started to replace the soft-hued sonics of his ambient-infused techno, imbued with a darker mood and stronger footing than before. a carefully gauged balance of stoic motorik and gloomy drones was key here - just as it is for the follower which goes even further in blurring the lines between concrete experimentation, body music and precisely laid-out arrangement, leading to one of the most rhythmically and texturally engaging listening experiences in willners catalogue.