Clock DVA

Clock DVA is an experimental music group from Sheffield, England. Originally formed by Adi Newton and Steven Turner in late 1977 after Adi Newton departed from The Future. The band became associated with the nebulous industrial music genre in 1980 with the release of their album White Souls in Black Suits on Industrial Records, although in reality the early material that predates this release is a blend of extreme electronics and frequencies that was heard only by a spartan few, including John Balance and other notaries. The album Thirst followed in 1981, by which time Adi Newton and Steven Judd Turner had combined musique concrète techniques with guitar, bass, and drum instrumentation, fused with Newton’s unique art direction and existential lyrics and writing.

After the tragic death of Steven Judd Turner, Adi Newton formed a new version of the band in 1983. First releasing the singles Passions Still Aflame and High Holy Disco Mass on the major label Polydor under the name DVA, the group then released the album Advantage (along with several singles). During a European tour a dispute amongst the musicians occurred resulting in Adi Newton disbanding the group. However the remaining musicians attempted an abortive continuation of the tour without him, which resulted in negative reaction from DVA fans appalled by Newton’s absence.

After the 1983 breakup of Clock DVA, Adi Newton put in process his original concept of the multimedia arts project The Anti-Group aka T.A.G.C., which staged a number of performances directed and choreographed solely by Adi Newton. In 1987 Adi Newton, while still working within TAGC, reformed DVA. He was at the time experimenting with computer sound sampling techniques and sequencing and had already created a blueprint for a track originally titled “Diamond Bullet,” which later became “The Hacker.” This reformed line-up consisted of creative director Adi Newton; vocalist, sound designer, and bass player Dean Dennis; and saxophonist / programmer Paul Browse. From this line-up came the album Buried Dreams, which draws its exceptional power from sourced sample material and concepts researched and provided by Newton.

After the release of Buried Dreams (1989) and a series of singles taken from the album, a number of problems occurred. Paul Browse left to try to resolve issues with the record label in Berlin but remained in Germany and never returned. As a result, Robert Baker joined the line up, which then released the albums Man-Amplified and Digital Soundtracks. Later the working relationship with Dean Dennis deteriorated and it was decided by all that it would be better for Dennis to leave the band. The album Sign followed during a transitional period in which Adi Newton relocated to Italy, taking Clock DVA / TAGC with him as sole director and reactivating the project in a new direction.

Adi Newton and creative partner Jane Radion Newton are currently working on the remastered release of their whole back catalog, which is set to be released by Mute records as a box set including a 120-page book. They are also working with invited guest artists on new Clock DVA / TAGC studio albums, which are scheduled for a 2009 release to coincide with a number of key European performances and installations.

Electronic, Industrial, Musique Concrète, EBM, Experimental

Discography

Clock DVA (Official)
Myspace - Clock DVA (Official)
Myspace - The Anti Group Communications (Official)
Myspace - Adi Newton
Last FM - Clock DVA
The Golden Hour of the Future (Wikipedia)
Complete 42-page Interview with Clock DVA .doc