Factory Floor are a London-based band formed in 2005. They have been described as '

post-industrial In sociology, the post-industrial society is the stage of society's development when the service sector generates more wealth than the manufacturing sector of the economy. The term was originated by Alain Touraine and is closely related to s ...

', using live drums, synthesizers and

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...

History

The band formed in 2005, originally comprising Gabriel Gurnsey and Mark Harris, who were then joined by Dominic Butler. Harris later left, going on to form

Shift Work Shift work is an employment practice designed to make use of, or provide service across, all 24 hours of the clock each day of the week (often abbreviated as '' 24/7''). The practice typically sees the day divided into shifts, set periods of ...

.Macdonald, Kit (2015)
Shift Work - Document II
,

Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. It was established in 2001. ''RA''s editorial team provides news, musi ...

, 27 November 2015, retrieved 4 May 2015 Gurnsey and Butler were then joined by Nik Colk (aka Nik Colk Void), formerly of

KaitO Kaito (written: 海斗, 開士, 魁斗, 海翔, 海人, 快斗, 凱斗 or 海都) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer * Baruto Kaito (born 1984, surname Baruto), ...

, in 2010. Gurnsey played drums and drum machines, Butler played modular synths and electronics,FACT mix 28: Factory Floor
, ''

FACT A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...

'', 10 February 2009, retrieved 1 September 2011 and Colk added manipulated vocals, guitar and samples.Turner, Luke (2010)
Factory Floor Live: Beyond The Industrial Production Line
,

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quiet ...

, 26 January 2010, retrieved 15 August 2011 After two singles in 2008, and a mini-album, ''Talking On Cliffs'' in 2009, the band signed to

Blast First Blast First is a sub label of one-time independent record label Mute Records, founded in approximately 1985. It was named after a phrase taken from the first number of the radical Vorticist journal ''Blast'', published by Wyndham Lewis in 1914 ...

's 'Blast First Petite' label, releasing several twelve-inch singles, including "Wooden Box" (featuring a Stephen Morris remix) and an untitled ten-inch

mini-LP A mini-LP or mini-album is a short vinyl record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A ...

in 2010.Lester, Paul (2009)
New Band of the Day: Factory Floor
, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 23 December 2009, retrieved 15 August 2011 The latter was described by the ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' as "a terrifying racket that simultaneously frazzles the nerves and slackens the bowels" and "an incessant drone of keyboards wired through twisted-metal synthesizers and thundering drums summoned from the heavens"; writer Ben Hewitt giving it a 9/10 rating.Hewitt, Ben (2010)
Album Review: Factory Floor - 'Untitled'
, ''

'', 3 May 2010, retrieved 15 August 2011 The singles "Real Love" and "Two Different Ways" followed in 2011. The band approached Morris by sending him a CD and asking if he would do a remix.Turner, Luke (2010)
Stephen Morris Talks Factory Floor Production & Remix
,

, 28 June 2010, retrieved 15 August 2011 After remixing "Wooden Box", Morris continued to work with the band as producer. Two twelve-inch releases followed featuring remixes by Stephen Morris and Chris Carter. Since then, Factory Floor released "(R E A L L O V E)" (Optimo) and "Two Different Ways" on

DFA Records DFA Records is an American independent record label founded in 2001 by Mo' Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, musician James Murphy, and manager Jonathan Galkin. They previously had a production team called The DFA, consisting of Goldsworthy and ...

. In 2011 the band played a support slot for

Chris & Cosey Chris & Cosey, sometimes known as Carter Tutti, are a musical duo formed in 1981, consisting of couple Chris Carter (electronics) and Cosey Fanni Tutti (electronics, guitar, cornet), both previously (and currently the sole surviving) members o ...

at the ICA, and Chris Carter joined the band later that year for two performances at

Primavera Sound Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as simply Primavera) is an annual music festival held in Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain that takes place between the end of May and beginning of June. The first edition took place in 2001 in Poble Espany ...

and

the Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...

. Colk Void released a single, "Gold E", under the name Nik Colk Void in February 2012. "Fall Back", the first single off their debut album, was released on 14 January 2013. Factory Floor's debut self-titled album was released on 9 September 2013 featuring new versions of their previous singles "Two Different Ways" and "Fall Back", after which Dominic Butler departed the group.Eede, Christian (2016)
LISTEN: New Factory Floor
,

, 25 May 2016 Their second album ''25 25'' was released on 19 August 2016,Owen, Chris (2016)
LISTEN: More New Factory Floor
,

, 7 July 2016 to positive reviews.

Musical style

Early single "Bipolar" drew comparisons with

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after attend ...

and The Fall.Milton, Jamie (2008)
Factory Floor - 'Bipolar'
, Gigwise.com, 22 April 2008, retrieved 15 August 2011

Paul Lester Paul Lester is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster from Elstree, North London. Career He began his career as a freelance journalist, for ''Melody Maker'' in the early 1990s, as well as ''City Limits'', ''20/20'', ''Sky Magazine ...

of ''

'' described the band in 2009 as "metronomic synth-noir over which a woman – who vaguely resembles, vocally, Nico in a particularly dark mood – intones mournfully". Collaborator Stephen Morris described the band's sound as "unsettling disco". The ''NME'' described the band as "post industrial, but it moves beyond that; this is post-apocalyptic, the soundtrack of an underworld disco." ''FACT'' magazine described them as "tech-savvy but pared-down no wave electronic rock".Foxx, Trilby (2011)
Factory Floor: '( R E A L L O V E )'
, ''

'', 6 April 2011, retrieved 15 August 2011

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Factory Floor'' (2013), DFA Records/Rough Trade * '' 25 25'' (2016), DFA Records * '' A Soundtrack For A Film'' (2018), Heart Of Data Records

EPs

*''Talking On Cliffs'' (2009), mini-album *''Untitled'' (2010), Blast First Petite

Singles

*"Bipolar" (2008), Outside Sound *''Planning Application'' EP (2008), One of One *"A Wooden Box" (2010), Blast First Petite *''Remix Series 1'' 12" (2010), Blast First Petite *''Remix Series 2'' 12" (2010), Blast First Petite *"(R E A L L O V E)" 12" (2011), Optimo *"Two Different Ways" 12" (2011),

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Factory Floor English electronic rock musical groups British industrial music groups English experimental musical groups British musical trios Musical groups established in 2005 Musical groups from London