About
Dallas born Jeff McIlwain studied 20th century electronic music and sound design for music and film at LA's Cal Arts school, and began making his own music thereafter. His first single was issued as L'usine with Shad Scott, but from then on he typically spelt his production name Lusine, particularly when he started his long relationship with Ghostly International. It will come as no surprise to followers of that label that McIlwain's style leans towards the ambient and experimental end of the techno world - sometimes approachable and melodic, others industrial and challenging. Fans need not worry if a particular release seems too difficult to enjoy, since McIlwain works at a steady and reliable rate, releasing at least one full-length album every year since his self-titled debut in 1999. Many of these works are released by labels other than Ghostly, from which he strays when looking to reach different audiences, but Ghostly's international renown is such that the bulk of his material can be found on their catalogue. McIlwain regularly plays live, using a laptop with Ableton and an external midi controller - a far cry from his early days of bringing his entire studio on tour. His future plans include producing other artists, and making use of his Cal Arts education to score films.
- Nicholas Baker
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.