NewObject23
Unregistered User
(4/1/04 12:21 am) Reply
Best of Death in June
If you were a really, really cheap person and/or not that interested in the musical zeitgeist of Douglas P. and Death in June, you could actually get away with owning just ONE release, and it's:
DISCriminate (1981-1997) 2xCD (1997)
It's a really nice double-disc retrospective of some of the best material collected from Death in June's studio albums. But just getting the best of would be a little pedestrian, and there's really some rewarding stuff if you penetrate a little deeper into his discography, so here goes. There are three basic periods of Death in June.
INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH FOLK
This period includes the early, noisy post-punk martial folk stuff, as well as the synth-heavy goth-folk stuff. And here's what you need:
The Guilty Have No Pride LP/CD (1983)
NADA! LP/CD (1985)
The World That Summer LP/CD (1986)
Brown Book LP/CD (1987)
Burial LP/CD (1984) is good too, but most of those tracks appear on Guilty, so it can be skipped.
NADA! is essential, a lot of powerful, gothy, synth-heavy, atmospheric Nietzschian songs. First appearance of Tibet93 on a DiJ album as well.
The World That Summer and Brown Book have a lot of powerful folk songs rubbing shoulders with noisy, musique' concrete soundscapes. Heavy forays into holocaust imagery, homosexual SA-fetishization and overtly romantic Mishima/Genet allusions.
Back when I was first collecting DiJ, there were two CDs which no longer exist - The Corn Years and Cathedral of Tears - which juggled around and reshuffled all of the material on Summer and Brown Book. I really got used to the sequencing on these releases and I actually prefer them, because they separated the songs from the noisescapes. But the deluxe reissues recently of Summer and Brown Book are also great, and since they're better packages and more readily available, you should probably just spring for those.
GUITARS AND WINDCHIMES
This is the infamous mid-period of DiJ. Douglas P. in lush, evocative, amazingly-produced musical settings. The lyrics are more subtle, more romantic. Songwriting at an all-time peak for Douglas P. This is my favorite period for DiJ music, and here's what you need:
The Wall of Sacrifice LP/CD (1990)
But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter? LP/CD (1992)
Rose Clouds of Holocaust LP/CD (1995)
All of these are great albums, But, What Ends and Rose Clouds in particular have nary a wasted track among them. Absolutely stunning production influenced by 60's folk like Love, and the Spaghetti Western soundtrack music of Ennio Morricone, full of beautiful horn sections and Spanish-inflected guitars. Great stuff.
Some people like DiJ euro folk-rock side-project KAPO!, who released one self-titled CD in 1996. I am not one of those people. The album is marred by weak songwriting.
NAZI LOOPS
This is the infamous incarnation of DiJ that included Albin Julius of Der Blutarsch and The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud. The sound is based on atmospheric sound loops, dialogue samples, industrial beats, etc. and Douglas P.'s delivery is no longer the soft crooning new romantic guy, he's now the dark brooding Ernst Rohm guy. This stuff took some time for me to get used to, after getting over the disappointment that DiJ has decided to abandon the great sound of the last three albums. Here's what you need:
Take Care and Control LP/CD (199
Operation Hummingbird LP/CD (2000)
And stay far, far away from the atrocity known as All Pigs Must Die CD (2001). What utter bullshit.
Until I see some evidence that indicates otherwise, I must assume that Douglas P. has completely lost interest in making any worthwhile music whatsoever under the DiJ banner or any other. His collaboration as Wolf Pact with Boyd Rice and Albin Julius is terrible and not worth anyone's time.
I think this pretty much covers it. Comments are welcome.
wzagmeister
Unregistered User
(4/1/04 1:26 pm) Reply
RE: best
I agree with most of the above. Certainly 'All Pigs Must Die' & 'Wolfpact' are shamefull outings. Still, some of the acoustic tracks on 'All Pigs...' can become somewhat addictive listening (especially 'Disappear In Every Way' & 'Enemy Within'). Wheter or not Douglas has lost it will be answered when his new album, 'Alarm Agents' featuring Boyd Rice, is released. The compilation of rareties, 'Abandoned Tracks', soon to be released is sure to be good.
When it comes to dividing DIJ's work into different eras I have a few modifications to the first approach. Douglas seems to conceive of TWTS & BB as twins, likewise with BWEWTSS & RCOH, and TCAC & OH. To me it makes more sense conceiving of 'The Wall of Sacrifice' as the final album in a trilogy starting with TWTS & BB. Evidently there is a lot of 'romantic Mishima/Genet allusions' and noisy evocative soundscapes on 'Wall of Sacrifice' as well. The general feel, sound, look and Weltanschaung of these three albums just goes together really well. All one really needs is a name for this trilogy. (btw. the reissue of 'Sacrfice' has pictures of Douglas reading 'Brown Book').
"there's a mask on the wall and he leafs through the pages of a book."
RE: Best
>Wheter or not Douglas has lost it will be answered >when his new album, 'Alarm Agents' featuring Boyd >Rice, is released. The compilation of >rareties, 'Abandoned Tracks', soon to be released is >sure to be good
sounds very intriguing. where did you hear this news of these upcoming releases? and do you have any dates for this stuff? let me know...
wzagmeister
Unregistered User
(4/2/04 12:06 am) Reply
'The forthcoming 'Abandon Tracks!' rarities album might even show 1 or 2 styles that I ventured into but didn't
take any further. 'The Concrete Fountain' title track that's
featured on it might surprise a few people? The release date for the compilation album is still scheduled for late April.'
...............
About 'Alarm Agents' I don't know. I believe the album is already finished. I'd bet it'll be out no later than June.
Btw. Be sure to get a hold of Scorpion Wind if you haven't already got it. It is an amazing album and by far the best thing Douglas and Boyd have done together.
"beyond his skulls's form a scorpion lies"
The live album 'Heilige!' also has its moments. Beautifully dedicated to 'All Those Who Fight In Isolation.'
"though empires cannot last where blood and soil's concepts have faltered and failed"
The Guilty, Nada!, Brown Book, The World That Summer, and the Wall of Sacrifice are all very good.
Nada has a synth sound which can be a bit weak (like NIINs first album) - hopefully the reissue is better - which can take a bit of getting used to, but it is good.
Burial is skippable, half of it is live the rest is (done better) elsewhere.
Rose Clouds and But What Ends I'm not a big fan of. Some of the lyrics are quite good and work well on the live albums. Tibets influence on the earlier albums was good, here there are some dire tracks in my opinion.
I really like KAPO album.
Occidental Martyr is some guy speaking DIJ lyrics with soundscapes in the background, skippable.
Take Care and Control is good, Operatoin Hummingbird EP is a bit weaker - initially sounds good but doesn't stay the distance.
All Pigs Must Die - I don't listen to much. Some of the folky tracks were ok.
Stay away from Born Again 12" - there is a reason why one of the tracks was not put on a later compilation or something. Paradise Rising is also awful, IMO.
Re: Best of Death in June
Take Care and Control, KAPO!, Brown Book, and Operation Hummingbird are my personal favorites. Though I really do like ALL of Doug's work, even Occidental Martyr! Oh, the one w/ La Joyeaux De La Princess is nice too. Can't wait for the new releases and the forthcoming re-releases!
**well why don't I just kick my legs back and pollute my britches with delight?**
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