Short, sharp, and loaded with tech-powered energy, Viral Load is the latest release from singer, songwriter, artist, and activist Luxtress. Known for her disruptive, one-of-a-kind aesthetic, she delivers a compact but potent EP that fuses electronic beats with bold, unflinching lyricism.
The four-track project kicks off with the title track, Viral Load, which wastes no time in announcing Luxtress’ voice, both literally and figuratively. It’s a visceral invitation into her sonic universe, launching a multi-layered takedown of the systems and narratives she refuses to accept.
Clocking in at just 5 minutes and 32 seconds, the EP dives next into M.E., a song representing the chronic illness ME/CFS. Here, Luxtress constructs a haunting landscape using AI-generated voices she cut and reassembled herself, melding them with music and lyrics entirely crafted without generative tools. It’s a raw, technical feat and a deeply emotional outcry.
“The concept is a young woman gets damaged by the COVID-19 virus and becomes a human bioweapon and seeks revenge by infecting everyone, kinda zombie style or something lol,” she explained. “The first single, ‘M.E.’ Stands for disease ME/CFS and is an expression of being sick, invisible, frustrated, yet like demanding space or to be seen or something.”
The EP continues with Methylene Blue, another danceable track pulsing with layered electronic textures, and closes with Bioweapon, a politically loaded finale.
To fully grasp the emotional and conceptual depth of Viral Load, you have to understand where Luxtress comes from. She emerged from Portland’s underground scene in the late 2000s, later moving to New York and touring the U.S. with her garage rock band, Pony Farm. But it was as a solo artist that she truly found her voice, transforming rage, fragility, and resistance into a form of radical electro-pop.
Luxtress’ signature style blends glitch art, low-budget sci-fi, and horror aesthetics into music that is as politically charged as it is uncomfortable, on purpose. Her previous work has addressed reproductive rights, ableism, and the visibility of chronic illness. Songs like Kill Sex drew inspiration from South Korea’s 4B feminist movement, and her live performances combine choreography, distorted visuals, and manipulated vocals to striking effect.
Now, with Viral Load, Luxtress returns to her most intimate obsessions: the sick body, systemic violence, desire, and control. She brings it all together without losing her sharp edge or her dancefloor appeal. This is discomfort as a mirror, pain as performance, and protest as art. And for those who feel too much? It hits like a pulse.
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