There are some things you can deduce about Factory Floor from their name, and some you can’t. They do not have much to say on industrial relations, for example. On the other hand, they do make a lot of clanging noise. Indeed, at the time of the release of their 2013 debut album, the electronic group were renowned as one of the loudest live acts around. Having thinned down from a three-piece to a duo, Gabriel Gurnsey and Nik Colk have taken the opportunity to rethink their sound. The central elements remain: nostalgic acid melodics, Colk’s haunted vocals and thumping percussion. Part of the original sell was that the percussion was live, or at least analogue; on 25 25, it’s largely programmed. While this removes some of the group’s distinctiveness, it also allows them to explore a less abrasive version of their style without losing any intensity. But from the motorised propulsion of Slow Listen to the squelchy groove of Dial Me In, there’s more to this act than sheer oomph.
