The Field (musician)

The Field
The Field at Tauron Nowa Muzyka 2014 in Katowice, Poland
Background information
Birth name	Axel Willner
Also known as	Cordouan James Larsson Lars Blek Loops of Your Heart Porte Hands
Origin	, Sweden
Genres	Electronic, Minimal techno, Microhouse, Ambient
Years active	1996 – present 2003 – present (as The Field)
Labels	Kompakt Garmonbozia
Associated acts	Speedwax Cologne Tape Black Fog
Website	garmonbozia.se

Axel Willner is a Swedish electronic music producer and DJ from and currently based in Berlin, best known for his releases as The Field, blending micro-samples of pop songs into atmospheric minimal techno.

Born in southern Sweden, Willner spent his formative years living in Stockholm and (for a brief time) Lisbon. As a teenager he studied at a formal music academy but cited groups like Misfits and Dead Kennedys as inspiration to pick up the guitar and play in punk bands.

Willner became enamored with the burgeoning electronic music scene in the mid-1990s. He started playing drone and Warp-influenced IDM in Stockholm venues with friend Ola Keijer (alias Ola K) as duo Speedwax. Beginning in the early 2000s, Willner produced guitar-based ambient music using multiple pseudonyms (Lars Blek, Porte, Cordouan, James Larsson) through his own Garmonbozia label, and performed alongside fellow Swedish musicians such as Andreas Tilliander, Sarah Nyberg Pergament (alias Action Biker), and longtime friend Johan Skön.

Willner began recording music under The Field moniker in 2003 as a platform to combine his early affinity for pop artists like Lionel Richie, Kate Bush, and The Four Tops with a myriad of more recent influences ranging from shoegaze bands like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine to 1990s ambient electronica such as Seefeel and the projects of Wolfgang Voigt (largely the acclaimed albums under Voigt's Gas handle). In 2004, he submitted a demo tape to celebrated German label Kompakt and was subsequently signed. Shortly thereafter, in early 2005, Willner debuted as The Field with a remix of Annie's single "Heartbeat" and also released the "Things Keep Falling Down" 12-inch. The 2006 release of 12-inch "Sun & Ice" (in addition to remixes for James Figurine and 120 Days) added to the growing anticipation for a debut LP.