Factory Records

Joy Division were a Manchester based group that formed in 1978. Their lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide last year. Since his death they have reformed under the name 'New Order'. At last Joy Division's first album Unknown Pleasures and the single (in both 12 and 7 inch versions) Love Will Tear Us Apart are being pressed and are available in New Zealand. Delays had been caused by Factory Records' insistence that the covers and the label designs be exactly reproduced. The simplicity and relevance of the record sleeves successfully transforms what is usually 'packaging' into an artistic statement.

The labels are interesting. Instead of side one and side two we have 'Outside' and 'Inside'. It's not just decoration. The brainwave motif on the otherwise completely black cover of the album reflects the dark psychological Odyssey of the music.

Symptoms, not Cause

Unknown Pleasures is emotional. There has been no attempt made to rationalise the emotional experiences. Instead of laying the blame of our difficulties on society, Joy Division have the courage to closely examine and express the nature of personal crisis. By doing this Joy Division have avoided the trap of dealing with ideas. They deal with people and the unique individuality that people possess. Joy Division's most outstanding feature is their sensitivity. The songs on Unknown Pleasures are emotional explorations which show a reluctance to blindly categorise feelings.

Disorder the first song on 'outside', is a perfect example, it's tightly structured rhythm stands out against a backdrop of spiralling guitar noises. Curtis' deep voice dominates the song. It conveys a variety of emotions; a mixture of hope, sadness, joy and fear. Curtis is undergoing a revelation. For one moment he sees the world without the screen of rationality, he becomes totally exposed to an overpowering wave of awareness. The result is mystery, a lack of any clear conclusion. "Get the spirit lose the feeling" cries Curtis as the song's structure dissolves into chaos.

Day of the lords is a far less ambitious piece. It lacks the tenderness of the other songs. Candidate has the atmosphere of a naked man standing on a bleak stage beneath a blinding spotlight. It is a self dissection. The song is slow and dark, and rhythm has been reduced to the basic necessities so that Curtis' voice can be fully heard.

Insight (like Disorder), generates an' inescapable beat which the listener is drawn into. As we travel deeper into the song we are confronted by the sounds of confinement. Doors are slammed in our faces, bolts are harshly drawn. We are a prisoner trapped within a cell of solitary confinement. Curtis' voice is muffled. He sounds as if he's slowly suffocating. "I'm not afraid anymore" he pleads in a voice drawn taunt with the fear of resignation.

New dawn fades is calmer in its approach. Curtis clearly describes his position in a personal relationship: "A change of style/ a change of speed/ a change of scene/ with no regrets." He is parted from the one he loves. The end of the song is an outburst of regretful frustration. The agreement has been broken.

Human Suffering

'Inside' is, paradoxically, more concerned with the emotions of others. She's lost control is noticeable because of its peculiar rhythmic arrangement. Wilderness deals with the universality of human suffering. Curtis sings of the horror of the concentration camps and of the atrocity of Christ's crucifixion. Interzone is fast and confused. Curtis searches frantically, he's lost in the city. It has all the claustrophobia of running through town in a rush hour.

I remember nothing captures the essence of desperation. It is full of terror Sounds of bottles being broken come out of the songs blackness. It shows the price we pay for being dependent on others. It has the uncomfortable honesty which is the trademark of Joy Division's work.