Adi Newton established the inaugural lineup of Clock DVA in 1978 following his exit from the band The Future (3). He was joined by Judd Turner, a former member of Block Opposite, and soon expanded the group. The name 'DVA,' which translates to 'two' in Russian, was inspired by Anthony Burgess' satirical science fiction novel, A Clockwork Orange. Initially, Clock DVA concentrated on experimental music influenced by science fiction and the occult, later evolving to incorporate elements of the emerging industrial and electronic music scenes from both sides of the Atlantic.
After producing several privately released cassettes—most of which are now collected in the Horology boxed sets—the band released their first official album on cassette through Throbbing Gristle's label. White Souls In Black Suits features Adi Newton (vocals, violin, EMS Synthi E, tapes), Steven James "Judd" Turner (bass, vocals, treatments, rhythm machine), and original guitarist David J. Hammond (guitar, treatments). The lineup was bolstered by two additional musicians: Roger Quail (drums) and Charlie Collins (saxophones, flute, and percussion). The first formal lineup of Clock DVA also included Simon Mark Elliot-Kemp on synthesizer, who had left by that time.
In 1981, David J. Hammond departed, and guitarist Paul Widger joined the group. The subsequent album, Thirst, was produced by Ken Thomas and released via the independent label Fetish. This album was praised by journalist Paul Morley as one of the standout albums of the 1980s. After Thirst, Newton and Turner decided to take Clock DVA in a new direction, leading to the departure of Qual, Collins, and Widger, who subsequently formed the group The Box (3). A tragedy struck with the passing of co-founder Steven James Turner.
By 1983, with Newton as the sole original member, the band was joined by John Valentine Carruthers (guitar), Paul Browse (saxophone), Dean Dennis (bass), and Nick Sanderson (drums). Following a series of singles, they released the album Advantage under Polydor Records. After touring in support of the album, Carruthers and Sanderson left, resulting in Clock DVA continuing as a trio.
Although it would take five years for another Clock DVA album to materialize, Newton was engaged in his audio-visual conceptual project, The Anti Group (TAGC). This project focused on the exploration of ambisonics and psychoacoustics through experimental frequency use and ambient sound pieces, alongside visual and conceptual text works. TAGC produced The Delivery (a live recorded soundtrack for a TAGC 16 mm film), a series of EPs, and the acclaimed ambisonic album Digitaria, as well as the pioneering Meontological Research Recordings.
In 1988, they recorded Buried Dreams, which employed the first digital sampling synthesizers and computer sequencing, tools that Newton had been experimenting with in TAGC. Released in 1989 by Interfisch, it is often regarded as the group's masterpiece. By the time of the 1991 live mini-album Transitional Voices, Browse had departed to form System 01 and was replaced by Robert E. Baker.
Clock DVA left Interfisch and released the album Man Amplified along with its instrumental companion Digital Soundtracks in 1992. Following Dean Dennis' departure, they put out Sign in 1993 on the Italian label Contempo, along with several singles and reissues. In 1994, a compilation featuring alternate versions of single tracks from 1988 to 1993 was released after the collapse of Contempo, effectively closing this chapter of the band's history.
After a 15-year hiatus, Adi Newton reactivated Clock DVA. Since 2011, a new lineup, including Maurizio "TeZ" Martinucci, has performed at major independent electronic festivals and venues across Europe. The Horology series of vinyl box sets, which compile early cassette-only material, began in 2012, with three volumes released by 2019. In 2013, a new archival album titled Post-Sign was released, featuring recordings made by Newton in 1994/95 as an instrumental companion to Sign, which had remained unreleased due to issues following Contempo's closure. Clock 2, a printed aluminum USB Smart Media Card in a metal box, was composed with TeZ and released in 2014, featuring new material, remixes, and several videos by Panagiotis Tomaras, along with a 48-page PDF booklet published through Newton's own label, Anterior Research Media Communications.
TeZ has since become a consistent member of Clock DVA, while Adi Newton's ArmCom has collaborated with the Italian label Rizosfera. Additionally, Newton has reactivated TAGC and continues to publish a wide range of solo and collaborative works.
