WORDS MICHAEL LANIGAN
When the artist Brion Gysin conceived his cut-up technique and began to experiment with poetry, the goal was to create new perspectives on a single idea. Radiohead later utilized this method for Kid A, but the leading musical endorsement came from Throbbing Gristle. Hence by 2011, when Factory Floor vocalist and guitarist Nik Colk Void collaborated with former Throbbing Gristle members Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter on Transverse, the first generation seemingly handed the cutup baton over to these younger industrialists for their eponymous début long player; a mantle they took up with flare.
Four years after the release of their critically acclaimed EP Untitled, Factory Floor has further honoured the now defunct Gristle noisemakers with their sparse variations on minimalist electronica. The sound of this LP works like an hourglass, slowly moving forward hypnotically, before refreshing itself with the same ideas except almost in reverse. Their beat driven numbers are the epitome of what every Boiler Room DJ is playing; hence, when the band performed at the club night, they improvised around their own pieces, rather than the typical pandering to other hip artists.
Although the album packs itself with a plethora of danceable moments, the band clearly stays true to the perversion of industrial music. By creating entrancing rhythms, their motive is to hypnotise, awaken, repeat the process, and continue to win the listeners attention, such as on “Two Different Ways”. Dance music does not fame itself for throwing an offbeat rhythm or new time signature into the mix to create a sudden jolt, but this explains why Factory Floor is an album breaking ground. Sonically, it should come as no surprise that this is a release off former LCD Soundsystem leader James Murphy’s label, DFA. The album opens with the stripped down polyrhythmic “Turn It Up”, which echoes Murphy’s dub composition “45:33”. Factory Floor also opt to obtain a similar raw power by using live drums, which is reminiscent of the London Godfathers of electronic oddities, Add N To (X). Gabriel Gurnsey’s drumming helps standout track “Fall Back” avoid a Throbbing Gristle drone from overpowering the sound. By adding a touch of New Order (another strong influence, considering Stephen Morris has been a frequent collaborator with the group) they manage to revitalise the mood of the 80s 12 inch single for a new generation.
A common mistake by bands is to overplay experimentation and lose their direction almost entirely. Factory Floor carefully push the boundaries of their strange oeuvre, reaching a point prior to the threshold of alienation and holding it there in order to excite both the raver, and the noisenik in equal parts. If they wanted to make a truly cerebral album, they could certainly go full force, guns blazing, but for the time being, their unusual palate is a necessary reinvigorating kick for minimalist dance music, proving that behind the machines lie mesmerising, dark soulful songs.
Factory Floor is out now.
