When founders Paul Jamrozy and Gray Cunnington formed Test Department in the early 80s, they probably had no idea they were about to make history. It was a true English collective and one of the pioneers of Industrial music. They released phenomenal records, and their performances were unique within the genre and, in my view, never surpassed. The group evolved and, during the 90s, shifted towards a more Electro-oriented sound, experimenting among other things with Dub. However, many music lovers who knew the group in the 80s will mainly remember that period.

This album consists of four CDs and takes us back to those years with reissues of their debut work “Strength Of Metal In Motion” (1983) and its follow-up “Ecstasy Under Duress” (1984). It also includes a reissue of the live album “Atonal In Hamburg”, originally released in 1992, as well as a “John Peel Sessions And Studio Recordings” disc. Nothing here is entirely new for early followers of Test Dept., yet this box set does contain several exclusive tracks. Much of the familiar material is very old, dating back to the group’s formative years, which will make some fans happy to finally be able to hear and own it.

The sound quality of the recordings is excellent, which is no small achievement considering what Test Dept. were doing. Their work consisted mainly of percussion played on all kinds of recycled and self-built metal constructions. Anything capable of producing sound was fair game. Pure sonic anarchy and chaos, transformed into hypnotic, archaic, rhythms accompanied by bombastic sounds and hymn-like passages. On top of this came the voice, shouted at full volume, proclaiming itself like a call for freedom. And in many ways, that is exactly what Test Department was: a highly committed collective that strongly opposed the government of Margaret Thatcher—something that also caused them a great deal of trouble.

This album brings us back to several essential tracks by the collective, such as “Shockwork,” “Gdansk,” “Beating Retreat,” “Steelwork,” “Total State Machine,” “Kick to Kill,” and others.

Test Department embodied the essence and brutal expression of Industrial music like no other, and this phenomenal release stands as a kind of testament to this exceptional and major group in the history of Industrial music. Respect! (Rating:9).

Listen to “Total State Machine – Atonal Live 85”:

https://testdept.bandcamp.com/track/total-state-machine-atonal-live-85

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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UK industrial group Test Dept will release “Industrial Overture. Studio & Live Recordings 1982–1985” via Artoffact on December 5, 2025. The band recently announced their signing to the Canadian label. The set documents the band’s formative years and coincides with European live dates in late 2025.

In this 4CD box set we first of all get the first reissue of the 1983 cassette-only debut “Strength Of Metal In Motion” (a.k.a. “History – The Strength of Metal in Motion”). Next is “Ecstasy Under Duress” (1984) which was long unavailable in physical formats. The 3rd disc holds “Atonal & Hamburg (Live)” which constitute of 1985 recordings from Berlin Atonal and Kampnagel Hamburg. And finally the fourth disc holds previously unreleased studio material, including two John Peel sessions from the era.

The 5-panel ecopak was designed by Paul Jamrozy and Stefan Alt, with a 24-page booklet including an essay by Alexei Monroe and period photos.

A live version of “Gdansk” which appears on “Atonal & Hamburg (Live)” can be streamed below.

Below is the video for “Shockwork”.

Test Dept live dates (late 2025)

• Oct 18 – Wrocław (PL), Gothic Hall | Industrial Festival XXIV
• Oct 25 – Zwickau (DE), Club Seilerstraße | Elektrisch Festival
• Dec 7 – Barcelona (ES), Ombra Festival
• Dec 20 – Stockholm (SE), Hus 7

About Test Dept

Formed in New Cross, London in 1981, the original core of Test Dept included Graham (Gray) Cunnington, Paul Jamrozy, Jonathan Toby Burdon, Paul Hines, and Angus Farquhar. Early work was self-released on cassette and issued through small imprints, leading to 1984’s “Beating the Retreat” and 1985’s “Shoulder to Shoulder” (with the South Wales Striking Miners’ Choir) on Some Bizzare/Ministry of Power.

Live recordings from Berlin Atonal and Hamburg followed with later Test Dept albums such as “The Unacceptable Face of Freedom” (1986), “Pax Britannica” (1991) and “Totality/Legacy” (mid-1990s).

After a hiatus, the group resurfaced in the mid-2010s; the 2019 studio album “Disturbance” was released on One Little Independent (One Little Indian). In 2025 the band signed with Artoffact to oversee a reissue series and to prepare a new studio album targeted for 2026. Current activity centers on founders Gray Cunnington and Paul Jamrozy.

The group is known for using found objects and scrap metal as instruments and for collaborations that link music, movement, film and political activism – including performances supporting miners during the 1984–85 strike and the formation of the Ministry of Power collective. Their 2015 book “Total State Machine” (PC-Press) documents this history; in 2023 they premiered the large-scale commissioned work “Furnace” with a/political.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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UK industrial pioneers Test Dept have signed with the Canadian label Artoffact Records. The collaboration will see the release of a series of curated box sets documenting the group’s extensive history, as well as a brand new album planned for 2026.

Recent digital listings crediting ℗ 2025 Artoffact Records confirm that catalogue titles are already being handled by the label, including “Disturbance” (2019), “Tactics For Evolution” (1998) and “Legacy (1990–1993)”.

Test Dept 2025 live performances

Ahead of the new releases, Test Dept will perform a series of shows across Europe in the Autumn and Winter of 2025. The performances will feature a fully electronic set, including remixes of early recordings alongside previews of new material.

• 18 October – Wroclaw (PL), Gothic Hall | Industrial Festival XXIV
• 25 October – Zwickau (DE), Club Seilerstrasse | Elektrisch Festival
• 7 December – Barcelona (ES), Ombra Festival
• 20 December – Stockholm (SE), Huis 7
• 21 December – Helsinki (FI), On The Rocks

About Test Dept

Formed in London in 1981, the original core included Paul Jamrozy, Graham Cunnington, Jonathan Toby Burdon, Paul Hines and Angus Farquhar.

From the outset, Test Dept became known for their blend of aggressive percussion, noise, distorted samples and experimental soundscapes, employing scrap metal and industrial detritus as instruments. The band has also always been politically active. In 1984 for instance, they collaborated with the South Wales Striking Miner’s Choir during the UK miners’ strike, raising funds and awareness through live performances.

The band released material on Some Bizzare and later on via Sub Rosa and PIAS/Wax Trax!.

The group later helped form The Ministry of Power, an umbrella for multidisciplinary projects combining music, movement, theatre, film and political activism. Their large-scale productions often took place in disused industrial spaces.

In 2015, Test Dept published “Total State Machine” via PC-Press, a comprehensive book documenting their history and philosophy. The 2019 album “Disturbance” (out via One Little Indian/One Little Independent) was accompanied by a tour. In 2023, they were commissioned by arts organisation A/POLITICAL to create the large-scale work “Furnace” in a French iron foundry in southern France.

Anno 2025 the core of the band consists of the duo Paul Jamrozy and Graham Cunnington.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Back in the early 80s I’d the opportunity to see ‘new’ musical styles and bands emerging at the surface. One of the bands I’ll never forget is Test Department. Their live shows were something unique and still incomparable. They were pioneers of industrial music, but also a reaction against the materialistic-, conservative society. The album “Shoulder To Shoulder” released in 1985 together with the South Wales Striking Miners Choir remains one of the ultimate productions featuring the ‘political and social’ engagement of the band. To fully understand the early years of Test Dept. I recommend the DVD released in 2016 by Cold Spring Records “From The Vaults: The Sound Of Progress”. Test Dept. released several productions, which entered into history. After their 80s industrial experiments and major releases such as “Beating The Retreat” (1984), the legendary “The Unacceptable Face Of Freedom” (1986) they progressively moved towards techno-driven experiments. Their last studio album “Tactics For Evolution” was released in 1998. Twenty one years later core members Graham Cunnington and Paul Jamrozy joined hands again to release a new masterpiece entitled “Disturbance” –released by One Little Indian Records. The songs clearly sound as an offspring between their early industrial work and later techno experiments. Graham Cunnington and Paul Jamrozy kindly accepted to answer a few questions about the past, the present while giving us a little view about their future.

For this interview I would like to thank Side-Line and Peek-A-Boo for their interest to each publish this interview as a kind of ‘collaboration’ between both Belgian online platforms.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Test Dept. has released an impressive number of productions in between 1981 and 1998. The early material remains a real reference in the history of industrial music while the 90s material was more techno-orientated. What did you keep in mind from both amazing periods and what does this new album “Disturbance” mean to you?

TD: Sonically, the new album is at once reaching back into the early 80s work of Test Dept., using the 90s work as a stepping stone, and coming to today with a new and dynamic sound which references and reflects on the past while forging a new path to the future.

Q: I always have experienced Test Dept. as ‘total art’, but also as a collective with a strong and clear humanistic involvement; a reflection about society and the world we’re living in! The global approach of the new work hasn’t really changed and you mentioned a quote of Bertolt Brecht ‘Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer to shape it’! Back in the 80s you’ve been unto surveillance of the British government, which clearly didn’t share a similar meaning of ‘artistic freedom’. What has been the impact of this all on your personal lives and how do you see the situation evolving today?

TD: We do indeed try to reflect and comment on the world around us, as it evolves and changes; but we do not seek to be didactic, in the sense of trying to preach or teach specifically, rather we seek to inform and open up strands of ideas to research and question. It is always most important to question what you see and read and hear, from all sides of the debate. To not do so is to remain ignorant and open to the influence and control of darker forces, to be gullible to fake news and outlandish conspiracy theories, as well as the manipulation of our lives in the global market place. Today the surveillance is done by each and every one of us on ourselves. ‘Surveillance Capitalism’ is the new techno church. Keep your mind open and clear and reserve the right, and ability, to question, learn and adapt to what is happening in the world around you.

Q: The 80s had something fascinating; at one side it was an amazing decade revealing new and creative music styles and artistic formats; underground music really exploded! But at the other side it also was a decade characterized by a kind of decline, political crisis, wars, fanatic regimes, unemployment… but it seems even worst today! What’s your perception about this evolution, the current situation in the UK and do you also see positive trends?

TD: The 80s were an amazing time for musical development. So many different strands of music were born or expanded upon then, and experimentation was much more readily accepted within the mainstream. That seems difficult in today’s market-led environment, although on the fringes there is still a great deal of sonic exploration. The disparate strands, and tribes, in music seemed to come together over the late 80s/early 90s acid house time (in Britain at least) and the techno revolution was born. But then the mid 90s saw a kind of revisionist movement, led by the anti-punk rock of Oasis and others which seemed to reflect the homogenisation of culture and politics under Tony Blair’s New Labour ‘Red Tories’.

The times now seem so crazy and disconcerting, with illegal foreign wars, terrorism at home, racism, the rise of the far-right, Brexit and Trump making previous times seem stable and secure, but all these are actually deeply rooted in the political and social doctrine started in the 80s by the Thatcher-Reagan axis –the laissez-faire neo-liberal free-market global economy. We are currently living through its end-game today, but as the wind of change picks up, and the Establishment begins to feel threatened by the collapse of the system that it has profited from so richly, its grip will continue to tighten for a while to come in order to hold on to power for as long as it can.

It is maybe hard to see positive trends amidst this collapse, but there are many grass-roots movements happening across the globe, albeit swamped in the news stakes by the sensational-seeking private press and the vested interests of the corporate state. But in the end, Climate Change will be the great leveler. All will become meaningless by the need to tackle this existential threat to our world –although all these problems will also be greatly exacerbated by it initially. We have to hope that very, very soon, when reality hits home and the threat is fully understood, the divisions between us start to disappear and we come together to find a solution. We don’t have much time left.

Q: I’ve been always fascinated how artists are transposing themes/messages/concepts into music, the real meaning of it all and the impact on the audience. It’s interesting to see people dancing on a song while the lyrical content of that song deals with a serious subject. I would like to get your opinion?

TD: From the beginning of time, music across the globe has reflected and commented on the social, political and the personal experiences and ideas of the societies that have spawned it. Most, but not all, music has rhythm at its heart, which therefore inevitably leads to dancing. You can dance out demons just as much as welcome in gods or seasons in delirious celebration and bodily movement. In the West, folk music has always commented on outrage and oppression while people turned a mighty jig, Punk opened a generation’s eyes to the injustices of the system while they pogoed the night away, and Blues, Jazz, Soul and Hip Hop have been the call against discrimination and persecution of the black diaspora for successive generations. Music and rhythm are simply the most direct way to express feelings and the easiest way for people to connect and empathise with those feelings, be they beauty, love, sadness or anger.

Q: The basis of the new album “Disturbance” comes from the band’s archives. You next reworked these songs, but can you tell us something more about the original versions (demos). When were these songs originally composed and by whom plus what did you finally added, changed reworked?

TD: We started to remix the older tunes from “Beating the Retreat” and “The Unacceptable Face of Freedom” albums as an experiment some years ago. Those two albums –our first two official studio albums, were quite ground-breaking, in terms of ideas and sound. When developing the new album we decided to just take germs of ideas from those albums, from the tracks we felt still had a resonance with today, mainly in the political/social themes, but also sonically. They are a re-working, a re-imagining, in a broad way, but really they are new pieces, crafted from new raw-materials with a sprinkle of spice from earlier. This gives it the feel of something intrinsically linked to our past, but new in its feel and of this time and place.

Q: Sound-wise “Disturbance” is the perfect fusion between your 80s industrial sound and the more danceable/technoid approach from the 90s. This album could be a kind of sonic epitaph to make people clear what Test Dept. has been all about! What means this work in the band’s discography and might we expect more new work?

TD: Yes, it is an important milestone, for sure. It joins other key works which marked vital moments and transitions in our story, in particular: “Beating The Retreat”; “The Unacceptable Face of Freedom”; “Gododdin”; “Pax Britannica” and “Totality”. We will continue to develop new work and we have a few different project ideas in development, including the continuation of the Prolekult project, a collaborative venture with the kinetic sculpture artist autoPneumatiX from Manchester, which we initially performed at our “Assembly of Disturbance”-festival in London 2017. We are also continuing to develop our hybrid electronic performance/DJ set “Kontinuum” for different environments.

Q: You’re actually playing live again. I’ve read you don’t want to bring a ‘best of’ performance so what might the audience expect and how does the act look-like?

TD: We are currently performing a live version of “Disturbance”. We have built new percussion and trigger equipment, thanks to our brilliant live sound person and producer Lottie Lou Poulet, alongside the electronics. We have the amazing Zel Kaute providing a solid and powerful rhythmic base on drums. We also have a dynamic new visual backdrop created by our visual director David Altweger. An intense all-encompassing live experience.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, experimental, tribal.

Background/Info: If you like industrial music you can only, but agree that Test Department (Test Dept.) has been one of the absolute pioneers of this music genre. They had the truly industrial spirit composing ‘music’ with their own ‘instruments’ constructed with scrap metal and other recyclable rarities. Back in the 80s they were young, unemployed and politically engaged (The Thatcher years you know…). They released a few cult albums, but especially “The Unacceptable Face Of Freedom” (1986) entered into history. Later on they experienced with elements of techno music (released on KK Records) and finally got lost from the music radars. “Disturbance” is the first Test Dept. album since “Tactics For Evolution” (1998) seeing core members Graham Cunnington and Paul Jamrozy joining hands again.

Content: “Disturbance” features 8 songs. The songs are taken from the band’s archives, but have been seriously reworked to obtain a ‘retro-modern’ industrial sound. The opening cut “Speak Truth To Power” brings us back to the midst of the 80s; it reminds me to “The Unacceptable Face Of Freedom” while accomplished with ‘modern’ electro sequences. The album sounds like a fusion between early Test Dept. and their late technoid KK Records influences. This is a fusion between different genres, getting us back to the essence of industrial music. The vocals are more mature than in the past, but the lyrics remain engaged and sometimes performed like slogans.

+ + + : Test Department has been ‘the’ band that made me love industrial music and this original spirit has been lost by contemporary so-called industrial artists behaving behind laptops. “Disturbance” brings this original sound back to life and that feels like a relief. The songs feature great industrial percussion, which sometimes becomes tribal-like. Several layers of percussion are coming together into a real transcendental apotheosis. “Landord” and “Information Scare” both are impressive cuts illustrating this sensation. The songs are elaborate and I also like the slow progression running through a few pieces. Test Dept. composes a sonic web that is progressively taken you under control. The electronic sequences are adding a pretty accessible and danceable touch to the work.

– – – : I don’t see real minus points although I’m less fascinated by the more experimental “Debris”.

Conclusion: Test Dept. remains a true cult band to me so I was a bit afraid when starting the listening of “Disturbance”, but it simply is a genius opus showing the magic of early industrial music mixed with a more contemporary electro approach. Respect guys, this album will be for sure one of my personal favorites from the year! It’s artistic and intelligent music with a humanistic message!

Best songs: “Information Scare”, “Speak Truth To Power”, “Two Flames Burn”, “Landlord”, “GBH84”, “Full Spectrum Dominance”.

Rate: (9½).

Artist: https://testdept.org.uk /  www.facebook.com/TestDept.HQ

Label: http://indian.co.uk / www.facebook.com/olirecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Here’s a release, which although being released already this August, hasn’t gotten enough attention to our taste. Released via Cold Spring and available right here for ordering, this DVD is the official release of the infamous 1988 film “The Sound Of Progress”, directed by Alexander Oey. The film has been completely remastered / authored from the original master film stock for the occasion.

The documentary itself shows the mindset of the some of the most original and influential artists of the experimental scene. An unprecedented insight into the workings, the methods and the ideas that made these names legendary. Filmed in Hamburg (at Neu Konserwatiw/Israelhalle), Amsterdam (at Paradiso and De Olyphant) and London (Sam Therapy) and featuring Coil, Current 93, Foetus, Test Dept..

It aired for the first time on the Dutch TV Videoline program in 1988 and combines interview and performance footage of Coil, Current 93, Foetus and Test Dept. All in all 40 minutes of material. Note that Test Dept. were filmed in a deserted harbour area of Amsterdam where empty buildings were used for concerts and performances. One of the buildings was called De Olyphant, named after the name of the street, Levantkade (now a renovated neighbourhood). They were interviewed just before the concert in the same place. Coil was filmed at the home of Peter Christopherson and John Balance (Chiswick, London, England) in 1986, and inside Sam Therapy studios during the recording of “Horse Rotorvator”. The interview with John Balance and Stephen Thrower was in the courtyard of the studio during a break from recording, 1986.

The DVD includes a 6-panel folded insert with notes and images. Below is a trailer for the film.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com