Free Web Hosting Provider - Web Hosting - E-commerce - High Speed Internet - Free Web Page
Search the Web


Clock DVA 1978-1998:
A 20 Year Timeline
by Martin Hastings
This year being DVA's 20th anniversary, I thought it would be a good time to write this timeline.
Prologue: The Future

In June of 1977, Adolph "Adi" Newton joined his friends Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh (who were then in a band called The Dead Daughters), in a new band called The Future. Their music explored the boundaries of experimental electronics which was fueled by their mutual infatuation with futuristic films like 2001 and especially, A Clockwork Orange. The band produced many demos including songs like Blank Clocks and Future Religion, but Adi departed shortly after and was replaced by Philip Oakey. The Future soon changed their name to The Human League and began concentrating on music that grew more and more accessible through the years. In 1981, Virgin Records were to release an album of old Future tracks entitled The Future Tapes, but has yet to see the light of day. Future tracks can still be found on various bootlegs like Human League's In Darkness.

1978- Shortly after his departure from The Future, Adi teamed up with his friend Stephen "Judd" Turner and formed Clock DVA. They adopted the name Clock DVA from A Clockwork Orange, a book and film that depicted a violent future where language was a mixture of English and Russian. DVA is actually the number "2" in Russian. Although in Russian dva is pronounced "dee-vah", Adi pronounces it "dee-veh" which is evident in the song "1.23." During that same year, former partners Ware and Marsh had another band in the works called the British Electronic Foundation and released a cassette called Music For Stowaways. The tape featured a track called "Uptown Apocalypse" which was a collaboration between B.E.F. and the newly formed Clock DVA, with Adi on guitar and Judd on bass. Later on, Clock DVA recruited two more members and began work on a cassette entitled Fragment and a film entitled Genitals And Genesis, the latter featuring Genesis of Throbbing Gristle. Personnel 1978: David James Hammond, Simon Mark Elliot-Kemp, Adi Newton, Stephen James and "Judd" Turner

1979- Clock DVA releases a new cassette product entitled Deep Floor. During that same year, they release a track entitled "Brigade" on Vice Versa's (pre-ABC) compilation, 1980: THE FIRST 15 MINUTES. Also, Adi begins work on a "J.G. Ballardish" novel entitled Invisible Suns.

1980- Clock DVA achieves a bit more exposure by releasing their third cassette product, White Souls In Black Suits, on Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records label. The album itself is a sixty minute cassette gleaned from fifteen hours of improvisations that this "full piece band" version of DVA recorded on a mobile unit. Special guests on the album include Richard Kirk, Stephen Mallinder, and Chris Watson of Cabaret Voltaire. Personnel 1979-80: Charlie Collins, David J. Hammond, Adi Newton, Roger Quail, Stephen James "Judd" Turner, and David Tyme.

1981- The band achieves its first real record deal with underground label, Fetish Records. They release the album Thirst and a single entitled 4 Hours, both produced by Ken Thomas. The material is far less experimental than previous efforts with an emphasis on funk/jazz. Surprisingly, the album is also void of synthesizer. Later that year, tragedy struck the band with the death of co-founder Stephen Turner. The re-released versions of the White Souls In Black Suits album along with the Passions Still Aflame e.p.. are dedicated to the memory of "Judd" Turner. A later song, "The Voice That Speaks From Within," contains a veiled reference concerning the circumstances of his death. Not long after, complications mount within the band and eventually Clock DVA breaks up. Three of its members join Peter Hope and Terry Todd in a new band called The Box. Personnel 1981: Charlie Collins, Adi Newton, Roger Quail, Steven "Judd" Turner, and Paul Widger.

1982- Adi forms an all new six piece incarnation of Clock DVA and even experiments with the idea of dropping Clock from their name for the High Holy Disco Mass single. He also adds more horns to the project including Paul Browse on sax, Mick Ward on flute and sax, and himself on trumpet. With the new horns, their sound becomes even more jazzy. At this point, Clock DVA had become a high commodity as far as underground bands go and was quickly signed to a major label, Polydor Records. Unfortunately, the six piece withered down to a four piece shortly before recording began for Passions Still Aflame, their new film and e.p.. Personnel 1982: Paul Browse, John Valentine Carruthers, Adi Newton, David James Palmer, Nick Sanderson, Mick Ward, and Shaun Ward.

1983- Jazz/funk had definitely began to infiltrate the sound of Clock DVA during their stay at Polydor Records and during this time the band records its best received product to date, Advantage. It follows closely in the path of the two previous singles with it's combination of funk/jazz and Gothic overtones. The production values stand bold in comparison with previous efforts. They also finish work on an outstanding video for the single entitled Resistance in cooperation with Peter Anderson and Peter Care, the latter being the writer and director of the avant epic Johnny Yes No. There are still a few abandoned tracks floating around out there from the Advantage sessions including "Transition" and "The Final Cycle in Motion". In November of 1983, the band finds itself at the peak of its career when the unthinkable happens. Adi abruptly quits the band to begin work on more abstract and conceptual ventures. Apparently, Clock DVA was becoming too much of a 'big thing' for Adi who was becoming frustrated with the hype and commercial direction that was being laid out for the band. The band tries to continue on without Adi by promoting back up singer Katie Kassoon to lead singer for a live gig. Unfortunately, the poor girl did not know all the lyrics to their songs and so, made up her own! The band sounded great, but the combination of the band and her ad-lib vocals was embarrassing. Personnel 1983: Paul Browse, John Valentine Carruthers, Dean Dennis, Katie Kassoon, Adi Newton, Nick Sanderson, and David A. Heppenstall (later in T.A.G.C.).

1985- Adi starts work on more abstract and conceptual ventures like T.A.G.C. 1988- Clock DVA triumphantly returns to the music world with a totally new electronic sound void of traditional instruments.

"I only use computers now. I used to play the trumpet and the clarinet, but I found them too restrictive. The computer, because of it's open architecture, is a more interesting device." -Adi Newton

The band line up now consists of three members of the Advantage era line up: Paul Browse, Dean Dennis, and Adi Newton. Likened to Kraftwerk's darker half, the band promotes a cyber-punk "man + machine" philosophy. "Clock DVA have picked up where Kraftwerk left off" - Alternative Press

1989- Adi begins work on soundtrack material which became Digital Soundtracks, released in 1992. Personnel 1988-89: Paul Browse, Dean Dennis, and Adi Newton.

1990- DVA releases their first new album in seven years, Buried Dreams, which was originally to be titled Velvet Realm. Also that same year, a live album entitled Transitional Voices, was released that marked the departure of Paul Browse and the first appearance of Robert E. Baker as a member of Clock DVA.

This recording also caused a big uproar between Adi and the issuing record label, Interfisch Records, Germany. Apparently, they released the album without Adi's knowledge or permission which resulted in Adi cancelling his contract with Interfisch. This dispute effected U.S. record label Wax Trax! records who was to be re-releasing the Clock DVA back catalog via a licensing agreement through Interfisch. All Wax Trax! got in the end was the album Buried Dreams a few singles, a broken licensing agreement, and a catalog number for the un-re-issued Advantage album. Soon after that fiasco, the band signed with Contempo Records in Italy. A reputable company very interested in promoting and contributing to the advancement of Clock DVA. Personnel

1990: Robert E. Baker, Paul Browse, Dean Dennis, and Adi Newton.

1991- Clock DVA headline the first Contempo Festival in Florence, Italy.

1992- Most of Clock DVA's back catalog is re-issued on CD. "I'm quite happy when I listen to Thirst and Advantage. There are things on Advantage that I don't think were done particularly right- but 80 percent of it is good. I think the early records stand in time. It sounds fresh on compact disc- the format adds alot of detail." -Adi Newton, Alternative Press

1993- DVA release the last of their full length albums to date, Sign originally to be titled Film, and an excellent video collection. This year also marks the departure of long time member Dean Dennis and a very successful European tour for the band. Personnel

1992-93: Robert E. Baker, Maurizio Fasolo (live support), Adi Newton, Ari Newton (live support), and Andrew Mackenzie (live support).

1994- Collective 1, a back catalogue of older material, is released on Cleopatra Records. Hyperium/Sub- Mission also releases a 3 CD box set of DVA’s older material.

1995- Clock DVA releases a single track, The Operators, on a compilation entitled Dream Injection on Sub Terranean Records.

1996-Present- Clock DVA is silent for now, with talk of other side-projects. A book of DVA’s history is supposedly in the making.

[News] [Reviews] [Links] [Staff] [Interviews] [Contact] [Art]
[In_Formation] [Home] [Contest] [Order] [Articles & Extras]