A product of the same mid-'70s England industrial music community that also gave rise to Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire, Clock DVA emerged in 1980 from the ashes of Sheffield-area bands including the Studs, Block Opposite, Veer, and They Must Be Russians as well as the Future, an early incarnation of the Human League. After a series of shifting lineups, a roster comprised of vocalist Adi Newton, bassist Steven Taylor, guitarist Paul Widger, saxophonist Charlie Collins, and drummer Roger Quail recorded Clock DVA's debut, White Souls in Black Suits, a cassette-only improvisational release fusing metallic noise with funk and soul designs that was issued on Throbbing Gristle's Industrial label.