Lusine

Equally adept at making abrasive yet melodic IDM as well as upbeat, experimental electro-pop, American electronic musician <a href="spotify:artist:33Jk7uAkaZognE8ooe4ITS">Jeff McIlwain</a> produces a wide range of material under the name Lusine. Initially billed as L'usine or Lusine Icl, his early releases for labels like <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Isophlux%22">Isophlux</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hymen%22">Hymen</a> often consisted of intricate, pinprick beats and bright, expressive melodies, while also exploring downtempo hip-hop and glitchy techno. After moving to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ghostly+International%22">Ghostly International</a> and shortening his name to Lusine, he produced his most accessible work, emphasizing abstract yet danceable beats on 2004's Serial Hodgepodge and incorporating a greater presence of lyrics on subsequent releases like 2009's A Certain Distance and 2017's Sensorimotor. 2023's Long Light explored glitch-pop as well as ambient post-minimalism.

Originally from Dallas, <a href="spotify:artist:33Jk7uAkaZognE8ooe4ITS">McIlwain</a> studied 20th century electronic music and sound design at California Institute of the Arts. He started producing music as L'usine (French for "the factory"), and after meeting <a href="spotify:artist:5DWwO7qOEvpfGKsTcA0Gq6">Shad T. Scott</a>, co-founder of Miami-based experimental electro label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Isophlux%22">Isophlux</a>, the Coded EP and debut full-length L'usine were released by the label in 1999. A Pseudo Steady State, credited to Lusine Icl, was issued by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22U-Cover%22">U-Cover</a> in 2000; its tracks were split across two 12" EPs released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hymen+Records%22">Hymen Records</a>, Freak and Slipthrough. Limited live release Coalition 2000 was issued by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22U-Cover%22">U-Cover</a> in 2001, and a second EP for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Isophlux%22">Isophlux</a>, Surface, came out the same year. The full-length Iron City was co-released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hymen%22">Hymen</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mad+Monkey%22">Mad Monkey</a> in 2002; also appearing that year were Sustain, a 10" EP bearing a remix by <a href="spotify:artist:4K9tGGFyw0Rab8akZVBMQR">Funkstörung</a>, and a split 7" with <a href="spotify:artist:1yjWjKvyOrQ12vTTIZ8f2O">the Buddy System</a>. Around the same time Lusine Icl's Chao EP was released by Mental.Ind.Records in 2003, <a href="spotify:artist:33Jk7uAkaZognE8ooe4ITS">McIlwain</a> signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ghostly+International%22">Ghostly International</a>, going by the shortened name Lusine (Armenian for "moon") and releasing the Push EP. A collection of tracks from compilations and vinyl-only singles, Condensed, was issued by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hymen%22">Hymen</a> the same year.

Lusine's first <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ghostly%22">Ghostly</a> full-length, Serial Hodgepodge, appeared in 2004. The non-album EPs Inside/Out (2005) and Emerald (2006) preceded the remix album Podgelism, which was released in 2007 and included mixes by <a href="spotify:artist:2GLf7iaOOujAem5R87xwto">Matthew Dear</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:40Ojab0UtVQFjA76qXr8Ot">Apparat</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2JWmMcE8Z0vapxOIiT7PLq">John Tejada</a>. Additionally, <a href="spotify:artist:33Jk7uAkaZognE8ooe4ITS">McIlwain</a> returned to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hymen%22">Hymen</a> (and the Lusine Icl moniker) for the minimal, ambient full-length Language Barrier that year. Back on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ghostly%22">Ghostly</a>, A Certain Distance appeared in 2009, featuring guest vocalists Vilja Larjosto and <a href="spotify:artist:28qqm6AM0aryOtK1zDHOXD">Caitlin Sherman</a>. Both singers returned for the more overtly poppy The Waiting Room in 2013, which also included contributions from <a href="spotify:artist:33Jk7uAkaZognE8ooe4ITS">McIlwain</a>'s wife, Sarah. The Arterial EP was issued in 2014, and Sensorimotor, which featured <a href="spotify:artist:77SQlBEZyyJ7neYnlp0cDl">Benoît Pioulard</a> in addition to Larjosto and Sarah McIlwain, arrived in 2017. The Retrace EP, this time featuring <a href="spotify:artist:4DNoAXTvMQBzmxWdBuIB6V">Jenn Champion</a> and CIFIKA, appeared in 2019. Long Light, Lusine's 2023 full-length, included glitch-pop songs similar to his previous few albums, as well as more hypnotic, drone-influenced instrumentals. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi