Factory Floor

Factory Floor
Performing at the Summer Sundae festival, August 2011
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Post-industrial, electronic, minimal techno, acid techno, acid house, experimental, electronic rock
Years active	2005 (2005)–present
Labels	DFA Records, Blast First Petite, Heart of Data, Phantasy Sound
Members	Gabriel Gurnsey. Nik Colk Void. Joe Ward
Past members	Mark Harris Dominic Butler

Factory Floor is a British electronic music group formed in London in 2005. Combining elements of techno, post-industrial music, and experimental electronic music, the band acquired a reputation around the turn of the decade as "one of the loudest, most exhilarating bands around".¹

Factory Floor formed in London in 2005, originally comprising Gabriel Gurnsey and Mark Harris, who were later joined by Dominic Butler. Harris subsequently left the group and went on to form Shift Work.Macdonald, Kit (2015) “Shift Work – Document II”, ‘‘Resident Advisor’’, 27 November 2015.

After two singles in 2008 and the mini-album ‘‘Talking on Cliffs’’ in 2009, the group signed to Blast First Petite, releasing several twelve-inch singles including “A Wooden Box” and an untitled mini-album in 2010.Lester, Paul (2009) “New Band of the Day: Factory Floor”, ‘‘The Guardian’’, 23 December 2009. During this period, Gurnsey and Butler were joined by Nik Colk (later known as Nik Colk Void), formerly of KaitO, who added vocals, guitar, samples and electronics to the group’s increasingly industrial and electronic sound.Turner, Luke (2010) “Factory Floor Live: Beyond The Industrial Production Line”, ‘‘The Quietus’’, 26 January 2010.

The band approached Stephen Morris of New Order and Joy Division to remix “A Wooden Box”. Following the remix, Morris continued working with the group as a producer and collaborator.Turner, Luke (2010) “Stephen Morris Talks Factory Floor Production & Remix”, ‘‘The Quietus’’, 28 June 2010. Additional remix releases followed, featuring contributions from Morris and Chris Carter.

In 2011, Factory Floor supported Chris & Cosey at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. Later that year, Carter joined the group for performances at Primavera Sound and the Roundhouse.

The group’s debut album, ‘’Factory Floor’’, was released by DFA Records on 9 September 2013. The album received widespread critical acclaim and was ranked third in ‘‘The Skinny’’'s Albums of the Year list for 2013.

Following the album’s release, Dominic Butler departed the group, leaving Factory Floor as a duo consisting of Gabriel Gurnsey and Nik Colk Void.Eede, Christian (2016) “LISTEN: New Factory Floor”, ‘‘The Quietus’’, 25 May 2016.

Their second studio album, ‘’25 25’’, was released on 19 August 2016.Owen, Chris (2016) “LISTEN: More New Factory Floor”, ‘‘The Quietus’’, 7 July 2016. The album received positive reviews from critics, including four-star reviews from ‘‘The Guardian’’, ‘‘NME’’, ‘‘DIY’’ and ‘‘The Line of Best Fit’’.

In 2017, Factory Floor were commissioned by the Science Museum in London to compose and perform a new live score for Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film ‘’Metropolis’’. The score premiered at the museum’s IMAX cinema and was subsequently developed into the album ‘‘A Soundtrack For A Film’’.

Released in 2018 on the band’s own Heart of Data imprint, ‘‘A Soundtrack For A Film’’ reworked material from the live performance into a 150-minute studio recording. The album generated the singles ‘‘Heart of Data’’ / ‘‘Babel’’ and ‘‘Transform’’ / ‘‘Wonder’’. The track “Babel” was mixed by producer Marta Salogni. Artwork for the release was created by artist Haroon Mirza and adapted by Nik Colk Void in collaboration with illustrator Sam Moore.

Reviewing the album, Live4ever wrote that the duo “concentrate heavily on matching the film’s themes of paranoia and mob hysteria with a series of industrial drones that pulse hypnotically”.

Following the release of ‘‘A Soundtrack For A Film’’, Factory Floor entered a period of reduced activity. In a 2024 interview, Gabriel Gurnsey stated that the group had become “burnt out”, adding that “it wasn’t like we split up or anything”, but that the break had been necessary.

During the hiatus, Gabriel Gurnsey pursued a solo career, releasing the albums Physical (2018) and Diablo (2023). Issued through Phantasy Sound, Physical developed the dancefloor-focused rhythms and electronic textures associated with Factory Floor, while Diablo explored a broader and more melodic palette. Gurnsey also continued to work as a producer, remixer and collaborator during this period.

Nik Colk Void released a number of solo and collaborative projects including her debut solo album “Bucked Up Space” on Editions Mego label. She also released two albums with Peter Rehberg as part of NPVR and continued collaborations with Alexander Tucker. In 2019 she released ‘’Triumvirate’’, the third and final album by Carter Tutti Void, alongside Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti. The album followed the group’s earlier releases ‘‘Transverse’’ (2012) and ‘‘f(x)’’ (2015).

Factory Floor returned to live performance in 2024 with an appearance at the MUTEK festival in Montreal. The performance featured Gabriel Gurnsey, Nik Colk Void and Joe Ward, and was described by ‘‘The Quietus’’ as “a joyous and sincerely welcome return” and “a masterclass in push and pull, tension and release”.

Following their return, the group began releasing new material through Phantasy Sound, the label founded by Erol Alkan. In 2025 they released the singles ‘‘Between You’’ and ‘‘Tell Me’’. The latter featured additional drumming from Stephen Morris on its extended “XL” version.

Writing about the new material, ‘‘Clash’’ stated that the group were honing a “sharper, leaner sound” while retaining the intensity that had characterised their earlier recordings. Boomkat described ‘‘Tell Me’’ as paving the way for a new album with a “kinky charge of disco-not-disco bass and lithe percussion”.

In 2026, Factory Floor released the single ‘‘Buzz Saw’’, the third release in their series of recordings for Phantasy Sound.

Current members

• Gabriel Gurnsey – drums, electronics (2005–present)
• Nik Colk Void – vocals, electronics, guitar (2010–present)
• Joe Ward – drums, percussion (2024–present)

Former members

• Dominic Butler – bass, electronics (2005–2013)

• Factory Floor (2013, DFA Records)
• 25 25 (2016, DFA Records)
• A Soundtrack For A Film (2018, Heart of Data)

• "Heart of Data" / "Babel" (2018)
• "Transform" / "Wonder" (2018)
• "Between You" (2025, Phantasy Sound)
• "Tell Me" (2025, Phantasy Sound)
• "Buzz Saw" (2026, Phantasy Sound)

Factory Floor have been described as a significant act within the UK underground electronic music scene of the 2010s.

Their debut album was ranked third in The Skinnys Albums of the Year list for 2013.²

25 25 received widespread critical acclaim, including four-star reviews from The Guardian, NME and DIY, and an 8.5/10 from The Line of Best Fit.

Their 2024 return was positively received by critics, who highlighted the continuation of their intense live performance style and the emergence of a stable three-person creative lineup.