Death in June is the name for the creative music works by English folk musician Douglas Pearce, better known as Douglas P.
Crisis
Pearce formed Death in June in 1981, along with Patrick Leagas and Tony Wakeford. Pearce and Wakeford had been members of the influential political punk band, Crisis [1], which formed in 1977. Crisis had gained a substantial following in the U.K. punk scene, which was getting its legs at that time. Crisis performed at rallies for Rock against Racism (RAR), and the Anti-Nazi League (ANL}, organizations that neoist and Crisis/Death in June critic Stewart Home wrote were fronts for the Socialist Workers Party.[2] Home further stated that the SWP organized a tour of Norway for Crisis and that Wakeford was a "card-carrying member of the SWP".
Early Death in June
Death in June soon left the reticent punk scene behind and began to infuse their sound with electronics and military style drumming. Their lyrics maintained much of poetry and political urgency of the early Crisis recordings. Tracks such as "Holy Water" and "State Laughter" demonstrated an ongoing fascination with political systems. Further on, Pearce would abandon any overt interest in politics in favor of a more esoteric approach to his work. Both Leagas and Wakeford had left Death in June by 1985. Leagas, who began calling himself Patrick O-Kill , formed Sixth Comm and Wakeford, the noir-folk band, Sol Invictus. From that point until the present, Death in June has consisted solely of the work of Pearce and various like-minded collaborators.
Tibet and the Occult
David Tibet was a member of 23 Skidoo and formed Current 93 in 1982. After meeting Pearce at a club in 1983, Tibet began working with Death in June. Upon meeting Tibet, Pearce began to devote more of his time to various occultic disciplines that markedly affected his approach to composing music. A longtime practioner of rune magic, Pearce introduced them to Tibet. Tibet similarly had been long interested in ceremonial magick and implemented occult concepts into his early recordings with Current 93. He contributed to two of Death in June's more acclaimed LP's: The World that Summer (1986) and Brown Book (1987). He continued his work with Death in June, through 1992's apocalyptic folk LP, But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter?. Pearce also contributed to Current 93 projects, including the pagan folk LP, Swastikas for Noddy , released in 1988.
Leaders
Throughout the substantial history of Death in June, Pearce has worked with some of the more influential artists in the underground industrial, apocalyptic folk, and experimental/noise scenes. These have included David Tibet, Boyd Rice, Rose McDowall, Albin Julius, John Balance, Michael Cashmore , Simon Norris , and James Mannox . Boyd Rice contributed a spoken word piece to The Wall Of Sacrifice album. Death in June has often toured with Rice's NON.
Influences
Douglas P. has expresed admiration for the writing of Friedrich Nietzsche. He's said the greatest inspirations in his life have been Yukio Mishima and Jean Genet [3]. As well as these authors, Douglas found inspiration in Comte de Lautréamont's work Maldoror . This was, and is, unbelieveably common among apocalyptic and industrial groups to cite this book as a major influence; among their ranks are Coil, Current 93, Nurse With Wound, Throbbing Gristle, and Skinny Puppy
Symbolism and Aesthetics
Death in June has, since its inception, used variations of the Totenkopf or Death's Head as insignia. Douglas P. has stated repeatedly that the symbol is not an endorsement of extermination camp atrocities. However, the use of the symbol, replete with its negative associations, does possess personal meaning, as does every aspect of Death in June, for Douglas P. Death in June has demonstrated an appreciation for Order and the primacy of Aesthetic Values. Great attention has been paid to packaging so that every release is as much an objet d'art as the content. Many recordings have been pressed in limited quantities, etched with esoteric or symbolic language, and distributed to elite individuals in various underground circles. This practice has won Death in June a substantial international following. It has also ensured that their most scarce artifacts are exceedingly expensive for collectors and fans.
The Origins of the Name
Much has been made of the origins of the name, Death in June. It is considered to be an allusion to the Night of the Long Knives Sturmabteilung purge on June 30, 1934. Douglas P. has said that a friend said something to him and he "heard" it as "Death in June". He placed great occultic meaning on the name and subsequently applied it to his new project in 1981. Douglas P. has stated that the name does not express any single idea for him and remains multifaceted. Detractors, however, have accused Death in June of being neo-Nazi, fascist, and racist. Protests have been staged and occasional performances cancelled. [4]. Justification for the cancellations stem from strong aversions to the symbolism of Death in June coupled with an interpretation of select lyrics as containing deliberate Fascist images and tropes.
Discography
Reference
- Misery and Purity: A History and Personal Interpretation by Robert Forbes (review)
External links
