Test Dept
INDUSTRIAL OVERTURE
STUDIO & LIVE RECORDINGS 1982-1985
4xCD box set | digital
out 5th December 2025
(Artoffact)
Bandcamp
also includes
GDAŃSK
(RED HERRINGS VERSION)
Bandcamp audio | Spotify
The pioneering UK industrial music act Test Dept have issued a 1983 John Peel Session version of one of their earliest tracks, ‘State Of Affairs’, as a digital single. It is taken from ‘Industrial Overture. Studio & Live Recordings 1982-1985’, the first in a series of planned box sets that will chronicle the group’s career.
“We went into the BBC studios in Maida Vale [West London] to record our first John Peel session in 1983 and devised much of the material right there as we liked to explore spontaneity and experimentation in the studio environment,” the band explain. “’State Of Affairs’ started from a collection of sound source material we had gathered and brought in to work with and we then developed that into a live piece and recorded it. Its theme of burning books seems once again relevant to the times we are living through.”
TEST DEPT | 1983 photos
Out on 5th December via the Artoffact label, ‘Industrial Overture. Studio & Live Recordings 1982-1985’ consists of 42 tracks across 4 CDs and will also be available digitally. 26 tracks are new to CD and digital formats, of which 12 have never been previously available at all. All contents have been compiled by Test Dept and are newly remastered by Paul Lavigne (Kontrast Mastering).
The box set includes a first ever reissue of the group’s 1983 cassette-only debut album ‘Strength Of Metal In Motion’, the classic ‘Ecstasy Under Duress’ and ‘Atonal & Hamburg’ albums (both of which have been unavailable for over three decades), plus a disc of hitherto unreleased studio recordings that incorporate two full sessions recorded for the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1.
Housed in a 5-panel ecopak designed by Paul Jamrozy and Stefan Alt (Ant-Zen), the set also includes a 24 page booklet featuring a specially commissioned essay by Test Dept expert Alexei Monroe, as well as period photographs.
Formed in London in the early 1980s, Test Dept have long been recognised for their groundbreaking sound and powerful performances that pushed the boundaries of music, art and protest while exploring political and social issues.
Centred around the founding duo of Paul Jamrozy and Gray Cunnington since resurfacing in the mid-2010s, the group recently signed to the Artoffact label to issue a series of carefully curated box sets plus a brand new album targeted for 2026.
Having performed at festivals in Poland and Germany in October, they will play in Whitstable, Kent in late November followed by shows in Spain, Finland and Sweden prior to Xmas. Augmented by their trademark striking visuals, a fully electronic set with remixes of early recordings plus a preview of new material encompasses aggressive percussion, industrial noise and experimental soundscapes. Expect power and confrontation in what will be visceral and immersive experiences.
TEST DEPT | remaining 2025 live shows
28th November WHITSTABLE (UK) Soundhouse tkts
7th December BARCELONA (ES) Ombra Festival tkts
18th December HELSINKI (FI) On The Rocks tkts
20th December STOCKHOLM (SE) Hus 7 tkts
TEST DEPT : Gdansk (excerpt) filmed in Ealing Studios 1984 | Shockwork (excerpt) Striking Miners’ Benefit show filmed live in Newcastle 1984
TEST DEPT | brief biography
From the outset, Test Dept were lauded for their innovative use of found objects, scrap metal and industrial detritus as instruments. The group’s unique blend of aggressive percussion, noise, distorted samples and experimental soundscapes also reflected their commitment to challenging the status quo, most famously in 1984 when they ventured into the industrial communities of Britain to perform live with the South Wales Striking Miner’s Choir, raising money and awareness for that cause.
Envisioning themselves as part of a broader cultural movement exploring the intersection of art and social change, their collaborative instinct led to the formation of The Ministry of Power, an umbrella organisation for working collectively on multidisciplinary projects that integrated music, movement, theatre, film and political activism. This led to large scale multi-media productions in disused industrial spaces and unusual environments.
2015 saw the publication of an extensive book entitled ‘Total State Machine’ that chronicled Test Dept’s history, philosophy and work, while the ‘Disturbance’ album issued in 2019 incorporated expansive electronic production and was promoted with a tour. In 2023 the group was commissioned by the arts organisation A/POLITICAL to create the new large-scale work ‘Furnace’ in an old iron foundry in southern France. This is an ongoing relationship that has further works in the pipeline.
TEST DEPT | music
Spotify | Apple Music
TEST DEPT | Gray Cunnington & Paul Jamrozy (2025 photography by David Altweger)
