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Death in June
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Death in June are a neofolk group led by English folk musician Douglas Pearce, better known as Douglas P. The band was originally formed in Britain in 1981 as a trio, but after the other members left in 1984 and 1985 to work on other projects, the group became the work of Douglas P[citation needed ]. and various collaborators. Douglas P. now lives in Australia. Over the band's three decades of existence, they have made numerous shifts in style and presentation, resulting in an overall shift from initial post-punk and Industrial Records influence to a more acoustic and folk music-oriented approach. They are sometimes considered controversial (largely due to usage of themes and imagery relating to Nazi Germany). Douglas P.'s influence was instrumental in sparking neofolk, of which his music has subsequently become a part.
Death in June
Origin Genres England Post-punk Experimental Martial Neofolk Post-industrial
Years active 1981present Labels NER Crisis deathinjune.net (http://www.deathinjune.net) Members Past members Douglas P. Patrick Leagas Tony Wakeford David Tibet Boyd Rice John Murphy
Contents
1 Origin 2 Early Death in June (19811985) 2.1 Live debut 2.2 Introduction of folk music 2.3 Tony Wakeford departs 2.4 Nada! flirtation with dance music 2.5 Patrick Leagas departs 3 Mid-period Death in June (19851996) 3.1 Creation of World Serpent Distribution 3.2 Collaboration with David Tibet 3.3 Collaboration with Boyd Rice begins 3.4 Collaboration with LJDLP 3.5 Collaboration with John Murphy begins 4 Contemporary Death in June (1996present) 4.1 Collaboration with Albin Julius Martinek 4.2 Demise of World Serpent Distribution 4.3 Collaboration with Andreas Ritter
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4.4 Collaboration with Boyd Rice ends 5 Etymology 6 Neofolk music 7 Influences 8 Symbolism and aesthetics 8.1 Masks 8.2 Camouflage 8.3 Totenkopf-6 8.4 Whip-Hand 8.5 Three Bars 8.6 Runes 9 Controversy 9.1 Banned in Lausanne, Switzerland 9.2 Cancelled performance in Chicago, Illinois 9.3 Federal restrictions in Germany 10 Discography 10.1 Albums 11 References 12 External links
Origin
Main article: Crisis (band) Pearce formed Death in June in 1981 in England, along with Patrick Leagas and Tony Wakeford. Pearce and Wakeford had been members of the political punk band Crisis, which formed in 1977. Crisis had gained a substantial following in the UK punk subculture. Crisis performed at rallies for The Right to Work, Rock Against Racism, and the Anti-Nazi League.
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Live debut
The band played their first show on November 20, 1981 in London, at the City of London Polytechnic now London Guildhall University, England, supporting The Birthday Party followed by a short British tour in 1982 (the May 28 show was released unofficially by Patrick Leagas later in 1987 as Oh How We Laughed) and a more extensive tour in 1983.[citation needed ]
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In 1991, Douglas P. named and helped form World Serpent Distribution;[1] a British distribution company that specialized in esoteric, experimental and post-industrial music, which would distribute his NER releases until the late 1990s. During this period, Pearce collaborated with many artists who also had material distributed through the company in various ways.
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Douglas P. having recently moved to Australia, came back into contact with John Murphy of Knifeladder and previously of SPK. Murphy began playing live percussion with Death in June during tours from 1996 onwards. From 2000 a period of very stripped down, largely acoustic live performances for Death in June began up until Douglas P. announced no further live shows in 2005. In September 2011 a European tour was announced commemorating the 30th anniversary of the group's foundation in 1981. However the tour started off in Sydney, Australia without the actual inclusion of John Murphy.
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After Andreas Ritter suffered a stroke and subsequent loss of memory and ability to play musical instruments, Pearce contributed acoustic versions of Death in June songs to a tribute album to Ritter entitled Forseti Lebt released in August 2006.
Etymology
Much has been made of the origins of the name Death in June. It is sometimes considered to be an allusion to the Night of the Long Knives Sturmabteilung purge on June 30, 1934, or alternately to the 1914 assassination in Sarajevo that helped spark World War I. However, "Death in June" is actually a mondegreen, Pearce has said that he once misheard Patrick Leagas during a rehearsal and he "heard" it as "Death in June" and settled upon this chance mishearing. The group then subsequently applied it to the project in 1981. Pearce has stated that the name does not express any single idea for him and remains multifaceted.
Neofolk music
Main article: Neofolk Pearce's influence was also instrumental in creating a genre of music called neofolk throughout Europe. Pearce often plays live with artists that are considered a part of this genre and guests on their records.
Influences
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Film and certain television programs have been a major influence on Death in June, sometimes being worked into compositions or referenced directly in album titles. Influential films and television shows include The World That Summer, Take a Closer Look, The Night Porter, The Prisoner, Night and Fog, and Come and See[citation needed ]. Pearce has cited Friedrich Nietzsche, the Norse Eddas, Yukio Mishima, Saxon poetry, and Jean Genet as strong influences upon his work[citation needed ]. Although some of these influences have waned as the discography has increased, Genet and Mishima were quoted in the booklet of the rare track retrospective Abandon Tracks (2001). Pearce has stated that Nico, Scott Walker, Ennio Morricone, Industrial Records-era Industrial music, Forever Changes-era Love and traditional European folk music have all had a considerable impact upon his musical output[citation needed ].
Masks
According to Pearce, since its inception Death in June: "[We] did not want to become a part of a normal rock 'n' roll thing. Pretty boys staring into the cameras with huge cocks and IQs of one million... It doesn't work like that."[5] Since the early days of Death in June, the band would appear on stage wearing various masks and uniforms pertaining to the subject matters presented. The band shunned group photos, with very few ever taken, usually featuring the band masked or with their back to the camera. In 1992, during a trip to Italy, Pearce encountered a unique mask at a carnival shop. Fans were so taken by the mask, it became iconic for Death in June. Pearce often wears the mask when playing live and it appears on various Death in June releases, most visibly on the live Something Is Coming double LP.
Camouflage
Specific varieties of camouflage are regularly worn by Pearce and appear on various Death in June releases. Most commonly, the variety of camouflage used is the German World War II Waffen SS autumnal Erbsenmuster/"pea pattern"[6] (usually on original items) though sometimes the modern Bundeswehr Flecktarn[7] or possibly the post-World War II Austrian fleckerlteppich[8] pattern is used.
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The subject of camouflage has also appeared in the lyrics of Death in June, notably in the song "Hidden Among the Leaves", a reference to the Japanese Hagakure.
Totenkopf-6
A slightly grinning skull, framed by a circle and a small 6 in the lower right corner. Death in June has, since at least the State Laughter / Holy Water 7, used variations of the Prussian Totenkopf or "Death's Head" symbol. Pearce has stated repeatedly that the symbol is not an endorsement of extermination camp atrocities and the symbol far predates the Third Reich, having been used by the Prussian army under Frederick the Great. Although the particular version used by Death in June is a modified, faintly grinning version of the SS insignia, Pearce has stated the symbolism is clear: "The Totenkopf for Death, and the six for the sixth month - June." [9]
Whip-Hand
The Totenkopf-6.
A studded, gloved hand holding a whip surrounded by a circle and a small 6 in the lower right corner. This symbol has been used by Death in June since at least the She Said Destroy 7/12, stated by Pearce to signify control and relates to having the whip hand, a British expression.[9] The hand is gloved, giving it both a medieval and fetishistic element, and is often used either in place of the Totenkopf or with it. This symbol was used later than the Totenkopf and is usually secondary to it. As with the Totenkopf-6, the 6 presumably refers to June.
Three Bars
Three parallel, up-standing vertical bars accompanied by a small six in the lower right corner. Although a very basic symbol, this symbol likely originates, for the use of Death in June, from the 1943 Kursk version of the insignia of the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. This symbol was used as vehicle markings on the vehicles of that unit. It may have been used to signify the three members of Death in June at the time. Scantly used afterwards for the purpose of Death in June, it first appeared on the Lesson One: Misanthropy! LP and is rarely used when not referring directly to this period of Death in June.
The Whip-Hand.
Runes
Germanic paganism has been more and more a common theme for Death in June with each successive release[citation needed ]. Runic text has appeared on many Death in June albums, as well as references to runes in the lyrics of the songs themselves[citation needed ]. In a 2005 interview, Pearce states:
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"I'm very happy about that because I see Death in June as part of a European cultural revival. I'm pleased that the Old Gods are being resurrected, for want of a better word. Old symbols. I feel very pleased that I am a part of that process and that I have had influence. At this stage in the game, so to speak, it's not false modesty to say that I am content with my influence."[4] There is a combination of runes that is etched on to the To Drown a Rose 10 and the original cover for Rose Clouds of Holocaust LP. Pearce has also this bind rune as something of a signature. According to Pearce: "In 1986 whilst staying with Tibet in his flat in Freya Aswynn's house in north London over a period of 3 nights I dreamed I was falling in a sort of rain of indistinct runes. On each separate night I managed to concentrate enough on one particular rune to stop it from spinning and moving so I could actually see which one it was. When I awoke I made a note of it. After 3 nights the dream stopped and I decided to try and form an 'appropriate' bind rune from the original 3. This I did and after Freya saw it I basically was given a 'thumbs up' about the whole thing. It definitely does not refer to my name but it definitely does refer to ME."[10] The Odal rune has sometimes been used by Pearce. This can be seen very visibly on the Come Before Christ and Murder Love 7 cover. The algiz rune has often been used by Pearce for non-album Death in June purposes, appearing sometimes with a circle around it as seen on The World That Summer 2LP, on the official website and elsewhere.
Controversy
Detractors have accused Death in June of harboring neo-Nazi sympathies. Pearce has said, "At the start of the eighties, Tony and I were involved in radical left politics and beneath it history students. In search of a political view for the future we came across National Bolshevism which is closely connected with the Sturmabteilung hierarchy. People like Gregor Strasser and Ernst Rhm who were later known as 'second revolutionaries' attracted our attention."[11] The Sturmabteilung (Stormtroopers) were a paramilitary unit of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), and Strasser and Rhm were Nazi leaders who vied for Adolf Hitler's power. Protests have been staged and some performances have been cancelled due to these accusations.[12] Justification for the cancellations stem from strong aversions to the Nazi inspired symbolism of Death in June coupled with an interpretation of select lyrics as containing deliberate Third Reich-era imagery and tropes. When questioned about his interest in the Third Reich, Pearce responded, "I've an interest in all aspects of the Third Reich. It has had such a huge influence on the world, who could fail to be intrigued by it? However, I've still read more pages of Das Kapital than Mein Kampf!"[13] Pearce, who is openly homosexual, has collaborated with various ethnic Jews throughout his music career. The official Death in June website site featured the flag of Israel, and Death in June played a concert in Israel on June 18, 2004 for a predominantly Jewish audience.
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Debate continued on The Empty Bottle's website, fueled partially by an email and ten-day telephone campaign waged by the Center for New Community to ban the event. Finkelman offered a compromise: He invited the CNC to distribute anti-racist information within the venue, as well as any other group that wished to do so, and offered to give the venue's proceeds of the concert to the Anti-Defamation League. The CNC refused.[12] Finkelman, feeling the pressure, started to relent and decided to remove Changes from the bill. As the controversy mounted from complaints regarding the band due to the Center for New Community's campaign, he eventually cancelled the night altogether. Due to the mounting pressure and threats of violence by other groups, Finkelman expressed regret for this decision, describing the censorship as a "black mark on the arts community" and continued to encourage open discussion instead of censorship.[12] The venue was moved to Deja Vu, another venue in Chicago that Saturday. Members of Anti-Racist Action began to gather at the venue. The concert was cancelled by the venue owners just before it was scheduled to begin, due to violence between Anti-Racist Action and fans of Death in June.[12][17]
Discography
Main article: Death In June discography
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Albums
The Guilty Have No Pride (1983) Burial (1984) Nada! (1985) The World That Summer (1986) Brown Book (1987) The Wall of Sacrifice (1989) stenbrun (1989) But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter? (1992) Rose Clouds of Holocaust (1995) Death in June Presents: Occidental Martyr (1995) Death in June Presents: KAPO! (1996) Scorpion Wind : Heaven Sent (1996) Take Care & Control (1998) Operation Hummingbird (2000) All Pigs Must Die (2001) Death in June & Boyd Rice : Alarm Agents (2004) Free Tibet (2006) MP3 release only via official website (http://www.deathinjune.net/disco/dij-freetibet.htm) The Rule of Thirds (2008) Peaceful Snow/Lounge Corps (2010) The Snow Bunker Tapes (2013)
References
1. ^ Douglas P. stated in 2002, in a post on the official Death in June Yahoo group (http://www.deathinjune.org/modules/mediawiki/index.php/Interview:2003Yahoo_Groups_3): "In turn, I have sold back to world serpent distribution my shares in the company that I actually named and help form in early 1991." 2. ^ Interview with LJDLP via the French Raven's Chat webzine. (http://industrialmusic.ru/ljdlp/text/interview/) it states: "First, it was only planned to edit an interview with Douglas P., the text for Death in June Collaboration : Carried Away By Despair, used as a womb, is gone after. Douglas was apparently very enthusiastic about the music I sent to him. At the time, he wrote me : We have a similar path!... The use I was doing of the Poly-800 inspired to him, I think, like a kind of following to The World That Summer This same keyboard was used as a base-line for the release of the double album but I learnt this after and in my ingenuousness, maybe, I had completed something! During this collaboration, at every musical as well aesthetic change, I sent it to Douglas That took me a lot of time to have his entire approbation and his benediction when the product was finished." [sic] 3. ^ Heimdallr webzine, Death in June - Tribe of Circle - Les Joyaux de la Princesse - Der Blutharsch Brussels - 1st December 2001 live review (http://www.heimdallr.ch/Live_Reports/2001/Brusselsgb.html) 4. ^ a b c Powell, Erin. 2005 interview with Douglas Pearce (http://www.deathinjune.org/wiki/index.php?title=Interview:2005-Heathen_Harvest).
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^ 2002 Edge of Time interview (http://www.deathinjune.org/modules/mediawiki/index.php/Interview:2002-Edge_of_time) with Douglas Pearce ^ "SS- Erbsenmuster, Greater German Reich" (http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/00117.php). kamouflage.net. Brad Turner. Retrieved 7 July 2012. ^ "Bundeswehr Flecktarn" (http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/00009.php). kamouflage.net. Brad Turner. Retrieved 7 July 2012. ^ "Fleckerlteppich" (http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/00008.php). kamouflage.net. Brad Turner. Retrieved 7 July 2012. ^ a b interview with Douglas Pearce for Judas Kiss zine (http://www.deathinjune.org/modules/mediawiki/index.php/Interview:1996-Judas_Kiss1996) ^ Response to question asked by fan in 2002, on the official Death in June Yahoo group (http://www.deathinjune.org/modules/mediawiki/index.php/Interview:2002Yahoo_Groups_1) ^ Misery and Purity: A History and Personal Interpretation of Death in June by Robert Forbes (Jara Press, Amersham 1995) p15 ^ a b c d e DeRogatas, Jim. "Nazis or not? Censorship keeps fans from deciding" (http://www.jimdero.com/News2003/BottleDec17.htm), Chicago Sun-Times, December 17, 2003. ^ 1999 interview with Douglas Pearce by Russian webzine Achtung Baby (http://www.deathinjune.org/modules/mediawiki/index.php/Interview:1999-Achtung_Baby) ^ Online copy of the petition (http://www.sanctuary.ch/report/DeathInJune/Petition.htm) ^ [1] (http://www.sanctuary.ch/report/DeathInJune) ^ 2001 Gothic Info webzine interview with Douglas Pearce. Viewable online here:[2] (http://www.deathinjune.org/modules/mediawiki/index.php/Interview:2001GothicInfo) ^ Anti-Racist Action released a statement condemning the band on their website here (http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=03/12/17/8467619), and after the show here (http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=03/12/16/7922038&query=death%2Bin%2Bjune), which resulted in a critical response of Anti-Racist Action by a self-described African American fan here (http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/34629/index.php) ^ Death in June France news page (http://www.deathinjune.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=70) ^ Pearce made this request via a fan-run discussion group here (http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/deathinjune/message/28176).
External links
Official Death in June Site (http://www.deathinjune.net/) Official French-speaking Death in June Site (http://www.deathinjune.org/) Archive Of Death in June Interviews (http://www.deathinjune.org/modules/mediawiki/index.php/Interviews) Documentary about Boyd Rice featuring Douglas P. (http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1827439/) Official Death In June Merchandise for Europe (http://deathinjune.info/) Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_in_June&oldid=573825317" Categories: Neofolk music groups Musical groups established in 1981 British industrial music groups This page was last modified on 20 September 2013 at 20:23. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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