Although some dismiss him as a sort of one-trick pony, Axel Wilner no doubt broke through with his debut full-length From Here We Go Sublime and pretty much didn’t slow up after it was released, putting out an iTunes-exclusive epic 4 track album under commission and touring all over the world. His sample-clipping style hovered somewhere between ambient and dance music and I personally found it to be invigorating, even though it was essentially trance lite.

Following almost exactly 2 years on the heels of that debut album is Yesterday And Today, and while it plays out almost like you’d expect for a second album, it has more than enough stunning moments to give it the feel of another solid body of work. Oddly enough, the album is even receiving a co-release in the United States on the rapidly-expanding Anti label (home of Tom Waits, Nico Case, Bob Mould and others), so Kompakt no-doubt thinks that this one can chip into the consciousness of the world even more.

The main thing that second albums usually do is find artists shaking up the formula just enough so that people won’t completely nail them into a corner, but not enough that they’re going to alienate fans of their past work. To that end, this 6 song effort succeeds, throwing in a couple nice tricks while offering up more jaw-droppingly gorgeous dance music in other places. As one might guess from the lack of total tracks, the overall length of cuts is much longer this time out, with only a single one clocking in at under 8 minutes and a hefty average of over 10. The unfortunately-titled “I Have The Moon, You Have The Internet” kicks things off with a slow build of the familiar looped samples, taking forever to get going before it splashes into a dew-covered morning about halfway through and doesn’t slow down.

The follower of “Everybody´s Got To Learn Sometime” is one of the curve balls, a cover that finds Wilner slowing down what was once a British pop song into an ultra-white, almost R&B style number that’s gorgeous at times but feels just a bit on the long side.

After that, though, the switch flips and “Leave It” drops as what is easily one of the better tracks on the album. Running 11 minutes in length, it’s relentless out of the gate as choir samples, bells, and a super juicy bassline push things forward.

“Leave It” – The Field

On paper, “Yesterday And Today” sounds like another probable barnburner (with John Stanier of Battles on drums), but it actually plays out much more gently, with the usual short wisps and impeccable programming wafting to a gentle crescendo before Stanier adds some crisp crackling and a few good rushes. Instead, it’s the album-closer of “Sequenced” where Wilner completely strays from his usual sound, veering off to inhabit a dense, winding analogue cut that sounds something like Studio crossed with Lindstrom. I’m not sure if it’s the hint of a new direction or just a stab at something different, but it certainly closes the release on a high note.

“Sequenced” – The Field

So, while Yesterday And Today definitely ventures into some new territory and stumbles just a bit in a few places, none of the issues are cause enough to detract from the strength of the album as a whole. If you enjoyed his first, this is another well-crafted album of electronic music that stretches out with a bit more range.

(buy Yesterday And Today from amazon.com)

1. M Says:
   May 19th, 2009 at 3:44 am

   Good review, right on track with its release date! For me the best electronic album this year so far. I can feel the Lindstrom influences in this, which means you have to check out the Lindstrom/Prins Thomas Collaboration “II”. It’s also mesmerizing.

2. aaron Says:
   May 19th, 2009 at 5:36 am

   I definitely plan on getting to that Lindstrom/Prins Thomas. Their last couple (the first release and the batch of remixes) were excellent, and Lindstrom has been getting better with each album, so I imagine that it’s worth hearing.

   I have to say, 2009 is starting to shake out pretty well for electronic music (after what I felt was a somewhat lackluster 2008 in that genre). The Intrusion, Wisp, and Eine Kleine Nacht Musik are all right up there for me as well (I’ve reviewed them all previously on this site if you haven’t checked any of them out yet).