The Field + One Circle

I don't go to many electronic music gigs – truth be told, lately I'm going to fewer and fewer gigs of any kind – but there are always exceptions. In this specific case there are two variables at play: dates organised by S/V/N and dates by The Field, which on this occasion coincided, making my presence a necessity. I'm happy to return to the Buka Club after the memorable evening with Andy Stott, ready to take in my third live set from Mr Alex Willner: from the first time, at the Estragon in Bologna, when he showed up with the full band, I immediately filed him away under unmissable.

The occasion is a preview of the 2013 edition of Turin's Club To Club, the richest and most important electronic music showcase currently held on Italian soil. And once again we're in for a double bill, with Italian trio One Circle opening proceedings, led by well-known producer Lorenzo Senni: their techno blend is pretty direct, built around cold sonic patterns, accompanied by the rapid flicker of white flashes through the smoke billowing from the DJ booth. A detached, unaffected rave, aimed more at the brain than the heart: in particular, during the central section of the set the rhythm grows more irregular and unpredictable, like the atomic scattering of the latest Autechre, making the crowd's movements noticeably less relaxed.

Listening to this trio and their uncompromising approach, I realise it can only sharpen the contrast with the second half of the show, where The Field's emotional loops will give our muscular impulses free rein.

Willner, however, chooses to ease into things, opening with at least three tracks that suggest a set without fireworks. Adding to this is the fact that no other member of the project joins him on stage, so tonight it's all in his hands, which calmly work the knobs of the console at the centre of the room. Thankfully, that first impression proves unfounded, because before long the most distinctive moments of that "going sublime" introduced on his 2007 debut start to resurface. Oddly underrepresented in the setlist is his latest effort, "Cupid's Head", even though the best of his output undoubtedly lies in the three previous albums.

Although by the end he seemed a little less engaged than usual, Willner still gave us another fine moment of release, anchored by the unmistakable style of his seductive techno minimalism. A solid taste of the all-star programme awaiting us at the upcoming C2C.

Thanks to Andrea Macchia for the photo contribution

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