Looping State of Mind
The top black text says, "The Field". The center-bottom text says "Looping State of Mind". The small bottom yellow text says, "Kompakt". All text is horizontally center-aligned and is in front of a light beige background.
Studio album by
the Field
Released5 September 2011 (2011-09-05)
Recorded2011
Studio
  • Willner's House (Berlin)
  • Dumbo (Cologne)
Genre
Length64:02
LabelKompakt
ProducerAxel Willner
The Field chronology
Yesterday and Today
(2009)		 Looping State of Mind
(2011)		 Cupid's Head
(2013)

Looping State of Mind is the third studio album by Swedish electronic music producer Axel Willner under his alias the Field and released digitally on 5 September 2011 by Kompakt. The production stemmed from the use of guest musicians for Willner's previous album as the Field, Yesterday and Today (2009), and his use of live instrumentation in a music tour. The songs in Looping State of Mind were produced at Dumbo Studios, Cologne, where live instrumentation, performed by Dan Enquvist and Jesper Skarin, were added to demos composed by Willner. It is an ambient and minimal techno album that develops upon the Field's previously established music style. Each song is formed by musical loops that are layered and evolve over time, creating immersive and intricate songs.

"Then It's White" was posted on SoundCloud the same day as the digital release of Looping State of Mind, which was released physically on 10 October 2011. A promotional tour ran throughout North America and Europe from October–December 2011. The album received critical acclaim for its composition and development of the Field's style and was listed on several year-end lists. A remix EP based on it was released on 30 July 2012.

Background and production

Looping State of Mind is Axel Willner's third album to be produced under his alias of the Field, after the well-received albums From Here We Go Sublime (2007) and Yesterday and Today (2009).[1] Yesterday and Today featured several guest musicians such as drummer John Stanier from Battles.[2] Though the album was less well-received than From Here We Go Sublime, it encouraged Willner to go on tour with bassist Dan Enquvist and drummer Jesper Skarin, which culminated in the production of Looping State of Mind.[3]

Looping State of Mind was Willner's first album to be produced in an official studio; his previous albums had been made at his home in Berlin. The album was produced in Dumbo Studios, Cologne, over the course of four days in 2011. For most of the songs, Willner composed demos out of microsamples at his home in Berlin before taking them to Dumbo Studios.[4] These demos intentionally left elements out of the song in anticipation for the sessions.[5] During the studio sessions, Enqvist and Skarin provided improvised live instrumentation through several instruments including a guitar, a drum set, a piano, a double bass, a vibraphone, and a few synthesizers such as the Elektron Octatrack and the Akai MPC.[4][6] A few of the tracks had productions that differed from this routine: "Then It's White" was created entirely during a jam session at Dumbo Studios, and Willner composed "Arpeggiated Love" after the sessions had already ended.[4] Willner worked in post-production after the sessions concluded.[4]

Composition

Looping State of Mind is an ambient techno and minimal techno album.[9][10] Noel Gardner of NME described the songs as "blissful, loop-based hymns at the intersection between shoegazing, trance and minimal techno".[11] Looping State of Mind develops upon the Fields's established musical style through live instrumentation, complex development, and varied rhythms.[12][13][14] Each song is composed of looped musical elements such as basslines, drums, and vocal samples.[9][15] As each song progresses, these loops develop and evolve, and they are layered upon by additional loops, creating immersive and intricate songs.[16][8][17]

The opener, "Is This Power", combines a deep bassline with a pulsing drumbeat and synths,[14][8][18] building into a "trance-like sense of bliss".[18] A breakdown eventually interrupts these loops and "makes way for patterns of black diamond gleam".[19] "It's Up There" is reminiscent of Willner's earlier work.[14][20] It starts with an "arousing Seefeel-esque loop" and develops into an uplifting dance song.[16] A notable element of "It's Up There" is its funky bassline.[21][22] "Burned Out" is constructed from an R&B guitar loop and ambient melodies that establish the bittersweet tone before the introduction of an indistinct, distorted voice.[21][16][23]

"Arpeggiated Love", also reminiscent of Willner's previous work,[20] consists of laid-back synth grooves and a disembodied vocal sample that asks, "Are you gay?"[24][9] "Looping State of Mind" is built off of a "throbbing sonorous bass loop and a tropical dance pattern"[15] that take the form of "various melancholic but richly uplifting ambient melodies [that] take turns directing its emotional tone".[23] "Then It's White" is a "lullaby-esque song"[25] and a piano ballad[19] that combines classical music with the Field's distinct ambient sound.[13] The song's foundation is an ornate piano melody that is gradually developed by synths and echoing vocals over a subtle beat.[22][15] The song is emotional,[12] described by Josh Hall of The Line of Best Fit as "lugubrious, melancholic yet optimistic",[26] and progresses "hypnotically and methodically".[7] The "strangely emotive" closer, "Sweet Slow Baby", features stuttering beats.[21]

Release and promotion

Willner announced the release of Looping State of Mind in August 2011.[27][28] Willner said that the title "comes from the feeling of having looping thoughts—both good and bad—in your head, and being unable to get them out. But then, of course, my music is based around loops and repetition too."[29] The album's release date was planned to be 25 October 2011. In September 2011, the planned release date was changed to 10 October.[30]

Looping State of Mind was released for digital download on 5 September 2011.[31] The track "Then It's White" was released the same day on Kompakt's SoundCloud account,[32][33] leading to Willner to enter Hype Machine's most blogged artists chart that week.[34] Kompakt released Looping State of Mind physically on 10 October 2011.[35][36] Willner toured throughout North America and Europe from October–December 2011 to promote the album.[37] A remix EP version was released by Kompakt on 30 July 2012.[38] The EP consists of three songs: a Junior Boys remix of "Looping State of Mind", a Blondes remix of "It's Up There", and a Mohn[lower-alpha 1] remix of "Then It's White".[39]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[40]
Metacritic83/100[41]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
The A.V. ClubA−[9]
Drowned in Sound9/10[21]
NME8/10[11]
Pitchfork8.5/10[14]
PopMatters9/10[16]
Q[42]
Resident Advisor4.0/5[24]
Spin8/10[20]
Uncut[43]

Looping State of Mind has received critical acclaim; it received a score of 83 by the review aggregator website Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[41] Metacritic listed Looping State of Mind as the 17th best-reviewed album of 2011 with over fifteen reviews, stating that Willner's quality as the Field has remained consistent and that critics "admired his considerable composition skills" on the album.[44] Jess Harvell of Pitchfork called Looping State of Mind "Willner’s masterpiece-to-date",[14] and Resident Advisor's Derek Miller considered the album "Willner's most diverse and satisfying statement to date...an album that establishes him as one of electronic music's more subtly lateral thinkers."[24] Alex Young of Consequence declared that Looping State of Mind is well-constructed, beautifully ambitious, and a "refreshing return without any unnecessary sheen and gloss – minimalism that moves".[8]

Critics lauded the composition and songwriting behind Looping State of Mind. Many critics found the composition to be hypnotic and immersive due to its textured subtlety and repetitive nature.[lower-alpha 2] Mike Newmark of PopMatters explained, "Willner understands...that...loops must develop to remain engaging." Newmark states that this is recognized in Looping State of Mind, citing the gradually developing melodies and volume.[16] Multiple critics also praised Willner for developing and improving upon his musical style for the album, especially in light of Yesterday and Today, which had a relatively disappointing reception.[lower-alpha 3] Beats Per Minute's Alex Young opined that "here he has never sounded more confident and purposeful".[15] Tiny Mix Tapes's Art Ivan stated that Looping State of Mind could be redemptive for Willner after Yesterday and Today and that the profound nature of the album showcases "not only that he has successfully moved past the confines of his early work, but also that he’s presently at the top of his game".[23]

Accolades

Looping State of Mind has appeared on several year-end lists. For example, it was ranked as number 17 by XLR8R and number 19 by Drowned in Sound.[45][46] Pitchfork ranked Looping State of Mind as the 26th-best album and "Then It's White" as the 31st-best track of 2011.[47][48] In 2013, Beats Per Minute ranked Looping State of Mind on "The Top 130 Albums" at number 87.[49] Future Music listed Looping State of Mind as among the best electronic albums.[6]

Year-end lists for Looping State of Mind
Publication List Rank Ref.
Beats Per Minute The Top 50 Albums of 2011
42
Drowned in Sound DiS' Favourite Albums of 2011
19
Mixmag Albums of the Year
33
NME NME's best albums and tracks of 2011
28
Pitchfork The Top 50 Albums of 2011
26
PopMatters The 75 Best Albums of 2011
70
Spin Spin's 50 Best Albums of 2011
37
XLR8R XLR8R's Best of 2011
17

Track listing

All tracks are written by Axel Willner

Looping State of Mind track listing[35]
No.TitleLength
1."Is This Power"8:39
2."It's Up There"9:19
3."Burned Out"7:33
4."Arpeggiated Love"10:52
5."Looping State of Mind"10:31
6."Then It's White"7:52
7."Sweet Slow Baby"9:16
Total length:64:02

Personnel

The personnel behind Looping State of Mind is uncredited in its liner notes. The following credits are adapted from outside sources.

Charts

Chart performance for Looping State of Mind
Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[55]
20
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[56]
10

Notes

  1. ↑ Mohn is a duo consisting of Jörg Burger and Wolfgang Voigt.[39]
  2. ↑ Attributed to multiple references:[8][9][10][12][14][16][18][19][20][21][24][17][43]
  3. ↑ Attributed to multiple references:[8][13][12][14][15][16][21][22][23][24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gorman, Francine (11 November 2011). "Arpeggiated Love: The Line of Best Fit speaks to The Field". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  2. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (25 February 2009). "The Field Returns With Yesterday & Today". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  3. ↑ Reeves, Mosi (29 August 2012). "Axel Willner turns the Field into a band". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Willner, Axel; Spencer, Roy (December 2020). "The Field - Looping State of Mind". Future Music. Vol. 365. pp. 18–20.
  5. ↑ Willner, Axel (9 October 2013). "Interview: The Field on Searching for the Perfect Loop". Red Bull Music Academy (Interview). Interviewed by Aaron Gonsher. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  6. 1 2 Willner, Axel (11 November 2022). "30 of the best electronic albums of the past 30 years (and how they were made)". Future Music. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023 – via MusicRadar.
  7. 1 2 Hockley-Smith, Sam (6 September 2011). "The Field, 'Then It's White' MP3". The Fader. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Young, Alex (15 September 2011). "Album Review: The Field – Looping State of Mind". Consequence. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Williams, Christian (25 October 2011). "The Field: Looping State Of Mind". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  10. 1 2 Wragg, Stephen (19 September 2011). "Looping State of Mind". No Ripcord. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  11. 1 2 Gardner, Noel (21 October 2011). "Album Review: The Field - Looping State Of Mind". NME. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Fallon, Patric (9 September 2011). "The Field Looping State of Mind". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 Walsh, Fintan (3 August 2011). "The Field - Looping State Of Mind". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Harvell, Jess (7 September 2011). "The Field: Looping State of Mind". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Ryan, Will (6 October 2011). "Looping State of Mind". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Newmark, Mike (27 October 2011). "The Field: Looping State of Mind". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  17. 1 2 "The Field: Looping State of Mind". The Times. 22 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Wallace, Wyndham (2011). "The Field Looping State of Mind Review". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Kellman, Andy. "Looping State of Mind – The Field". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Soderberg, Brandon (11 October 2011). "The Field, Looping State of Mind (Kompakt)". Spin. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McVeigh, Elliot (7 October 2011). "Album Review: The Field – Looping State Of Mind". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  22. 1 2 3 Grant, William (10 October 2011). "The Field Looping State of Mind". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Ivan, Art (24 October 2011). "Looping State of Mind". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Miller, Derek (21 September 2011). "The Field – Looping State of Mind". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  25. ↑ Murphy, Sarah (6 September 2011). "'Then It's White'". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  26. ↑ Hall, Josh (6 September 2011). "Download: The Field – Then It's White". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  27. ↑ Breihan, Tom (9 August 2011). "The Field Announces New Album". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  28. ↑ Adams, Gregory (9 August 2011). "The Field Returns with Looping State of Mind". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  29. ↑ "The Field: New Album, Same Artwork". The Quietus. 10 August 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  30. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (5 September 2011). "Listen: The Field: "Then It's White"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  31. ↑ "Looping State of Mind". Apple Music. 5 September 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  32. ↑ Kompakt (5 September 2011). "The Field - Then It's White". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  33. ↑ Murray, Robin (9 September 2021). "Download: The Field – Then It's White". Clash Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  34. ↑ "Most blogged artists: electro artist The Field drops new track from upcoming disc". The Independent. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  35. 1 2 "Looping State of Mind (CD)". Kompakt. 10 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  36. ↑ "Looping State of Mind (2xLP+DL)". Kompakt. 10 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  37. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (29 September 2011). "The Field Announces Tour". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  38. ↑ "Looping State of Mind Remixes". Kompakt. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  39. 1 2 Harvell, Jess (2 August 2012). "Looping State Of Mind Remixe EP". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  40. ↑ "Looping State Of Mind by The Field reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  41. 1 2 "Reviews for Looping State of Mind by The Field". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  42. ↑ "The Field: Looping State of Mind". Q. No. 305. December 2011. p. 126.
  43. 1 2 "The Field: Looping State of Mind". Uncut. No. 174. November 2011. p. 84.
  44. ↑ Dietz, Jason (30 December 2011). "The Best Albums of 2011". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  45. 1 2 Jackson, Glenn (21 December 2011). "XLR8R's Best of 2011: Releases, Part One". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  46. 1 2 Adams, Sean (14 December 2011). "DiS' Favourite Albums of 2011: 20-6". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  47. 1 2 "The Top 50 Albums of 2011". Pitchfork. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  48. ↑ Raposa, David (12 December 2011). "The Top 100 Tracks of 2011". Pitchfork. p. 7. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  49. ↑ Finlayson, Ray (15 October 2013). "BPM 5: The Top 130 Albums". Beats Per Minute. p. 3. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  50. ↑ Baer, Harrison Suits (15 December 2011). "The Top 50 Albums of 2011". Beats Per Minute. p. 5. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  51. ↑ "Albums of the Year: No. 35 - 31". Mixmag. 18 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  52. ↑ "NME's best albums and tracks of 2011". NME. 10 October 2016. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  53. ↑ Britt, Thomas (26 December 2011). "The 75 Best Albums of 2011". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  54. ↑ Weingarten, Christopher R. (12 December 2011). "Spin's 50 Best Albums of 2011". Spin. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  55. ↑ "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  56. ↑ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
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