Factory Floor are a London-based band formed in 2005. They have been described as ' post-industrial', using live drums, synthesizers and

noise Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...

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 keep a service or production line operational at all times. The practice typically sees the day divided into shifts, set periods of time during which different groups of workers perform their ...

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

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

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

KaitO Kaito is a popular masculine Japanese given name. The name Kaito is a male name of Japanese origin. (written: かいと, カイト, 海斗, 凱斗, 開士, 魁斗, 海翔, 海人, 快斗, 界人, 嘉惟人 or 海都) Notable people with the nam ...

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

FACT A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...

'', 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 Quietu ...

, 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 Vorticism, Vorticist journal ''BLAST (magazine), Blast'', publi ...

'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 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 mini- ...

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 Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 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, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' 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 based in New York City. The label was originally founded in 2001 by Tim Goldsworthy, musician James Murphy (electronic musician), James Murphy, and manager Jonathan Galkin. Goldsworthy and Mur ...

. 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 (voice, electronics, guitar, cornet), both previously (and as of 2020 the sole surviving) ...

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

Primavera Sound Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as Primavera) is an annual music festival held at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, during late May and early June. It was founded in 2001 by Pablo Soler as "a showcase for Spanish Noise rock, noise ban ...

and the 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 music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...

and The Fall.Milton, Jamie (2008)
Factory Floor - 'Bipolar'
,

Gigwise.com ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site featuring music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 in ...

, 22 April 2008, retrieved 15 August 2011 Paul Lester 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 English musical trios Musical groups established in 2005 Electronic music groups from London