Heavy Rotation | Asphodells + Lusine + Deetron + Factory Floor

Heavy Rotation | XLR8R Reviews

Corralling our latest commentary from around the Web.

by Joshua P. Ferguson

We're two months into 2013, and our web-based music musings haven't abated any. We've been steadily contributing  reviews for XLR8R and figured it was time to collect them all in one place, to give readers a sense of how the release landscape is shaping up for this year, and what we've had to say about it. 

Album Reviews | XLR8R

The Asphodells Ruled by Passion Destroyed by Lust

"[Andrew Weatherall and Timothy J. Fairplay]'s debut full-length, Ruled by Passion Destroyed by Lust, is a tripped-out excursion through disco, psych rock, post-punk, new wave, and cosmic grooves; the album massages these sounds into a singular being, which is then left to mutate into something all its own. In the end, we're left with a sort of tie-dye disco, held together with safety pins and pomade."

Lusine The Waiting Room

"Picking up right where A Certain Distance left off, the Seattle-based producer [Lusine]'s latest LP shows the same passion for methodical soundscapes, which are no less thoughtful for their glowing warmth. McIlwain's ability to toggle between tempos and textures is no less prevalent either."

Singles Reviews | XLR8R

Factory Floor "Fall Back"

"'Two Different Ways,' [Factory Floor]'s first single for seminal indie-dance imprint DFA, was a sweat drenched, acid-meets-punk-funk workout, and "Fall Back" doesn't deviate from that concept much—which is a good thing. Leading with a bass modulation that vibrates tighter than a rubber band stretched between New York and Manchester, it sets a relentless pace and demonstrates the group's nuanced appreciation for both of those musical meccas."

Aeroplane "I Don't Feel" (Deetron remixes)

"By the time We Can't Fly, the [Aeroplane]'s debut full-length, rolled out in 2010, anticipation was at a peak. Unfortunately, the members of Aeroplane had already passed their own. The record lacked the impact of much of the pair's earlier work, and Fasano actually left the group even before it was released. Given that, offering up another single from We Can't Fly, especially one as dubious as "I Don't Feel," several years later might seem like overkill, but enlisting Swiss deep-tech authority Deetron for remix duties does brighten the prospects considerably."