There’s a certain irony in the fact that Factory Floor, a group known for their chaotic and energetic blend of techno, rock, and house, engages in such grounded discussions. In conversation with members Gabe Gurnsey and Nik Colk, there’s an unexpected tranquility that contrasts sharply with the physical energy of their music, which is marked by the pounding repetition and tension they've been recognized for. Nonetheless, they have been at this for quite some time.
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Earlier this year, the band announced a wave of new activities following an unspoken hiatus. After spending several years focused on individual projects, Gurnsey and Colk’s comeback feels more like a natural evolution rather than a reunion.
“It’s been incredible,” Gurnsey shares with enthusiasm as he reflects on their new material released through Erol Alkan’s Phantasy Sound. “It goes back to when Erol played at Trash in London. Both Nik and I attended, but we didn’t know each other at that time. Later on, we were approached to remix one of Daniel Avery’s tracks. That’s when we started talking, and Erol was a huge fan of Factory Floor. He was actually the first to feature us on 6 Music when he played ‘A Wooden Box’, so there’s always been a connection with him.”
Their recent singles ‘Tell Me’ and ‘Between You’ showcase the group’s focus on a more refined, direct sound while still radiating the intensity that characterized their self-titled debut and 2016’s ’25-25’. Before joining Phantasy, Factory Floor was with the iconic New York label DFA Records. This partnership brought them closer to the city's downtown experimental scene, creating some uncertainty regarding their musical identity at the time.
“We had a fantastic time with them,” Gurnsey explains. “Many people here thought we were a New York band, which was quite fascinating. That experience introduced a whole new perspective. Performing in New York and socializing with them was always a lot of fun.”
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If the DFA phase highlighted their global reach, their current return feels more intimate. Factory Floor’s live performances remain a core aspect of the group’s bold identity, reinforcing the physical immediacy that made their shows must-attend events in the early 2010s.
“One of the motivations for reuniting was to recapture the live experience of three people sharing a stage with electro-acoustic instruments,” Colk notes. “Live drums, percussion – it’s all very tactile. I hope there are moments when it feels like it’s about to fall apart, which can sometimes be the most thrilling experiences. I want the audience to grasp the concept of risk and the excitement it brings in a live setting, and to bring back that energy – and of course, the volume.”
Volume has always been essential to the group's essence, a crucial thread from their early warehouse performances to their current iteration. For Factory Floor, the live environment has consistently been a place where fresh ideas emerge in real time, ultimately influencing their recorded work.
“Our recordings and live shows have always been entirely separate entities,” Colk reflects. “With live performances, it’s semi-improvised. It happens in that moment and won’t be replicated. That’s a significant gift for the audience. For me, as a participant, it’s the ultimate thrill to experience something that may never happen again.”
This sense of risk and unpredictability is evident in Factory Floor’s new material. Released earlier this year, ‘Tell Me’ and ‘Between You’ both convey a heightened momentum, distinctly leaning toward the dancefloor more than ever before.
“Absolutely, I completely agree,” Gurnsey states. “We performed at MUTEK in Montreal last year, which definitely influenced our future direction. We tried out those tracks in very stripped-down versions, and we received excellent feedback from that live show—it really inspired us to push for a more danceable sound.”
The result is a collection of tracks that feel like a natural progression for the band and a declaration of intent for the future.
“We’re currently working on our album,” Colk affirms. “For me, those two tracks needed to be released, but the subsequent tracks might be a bit harder, as we are focusing more on live performance. That experience shapes what we do. If you saw any footage from the Green Man Festival, that was almost bordering on a harder techno sound. It reflects the natural progression of our work. We are three individuals collaborating on ideas. Many of the tracks we perform live aren’t fully polished; they are partially completed and evolve during live performances.”
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This process connects back to Factory Floor's origins in the mid-2000s when Gurnsey played drums and sang, and Mark Harris handled guitar and percussion. They were later joined by Dominic Butler on keyboards and bass, with Colk coming on board in 2010 after Harris left. Their sound was directly influenced by their environment at that time.
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