Death in June

Death in June is 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. Wakeford left Death in June in January 1984 after a gig in Paris, and Leagas followed one album later in April 1985, after a short tour in Italy. Leagas, who began calling himself Patrick O-Kill, formed Sixth Comm, and Wakeford, the folk noir 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.

Leaders

Throughout the substantial history of Death in June, Pearce has worked with some of the more influential artists in the underground industrial, Neofolk, and experimental/noise scenes. These have included Forseti, 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 sometimes toured with Rice's NON as well as played live with various neofolk musicians, a genre he helped foster.

Neofolk Music

Douglas Pearce's influence was also instrumental in creating a genre of music called neofolk throughout Germania and Scandinavia. Pearce often plays live with artists that are considered a part of this genre and guests on their records.

Influences

Douglas P. has expressed 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.

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 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. However, it is unclear how one can accuse a homosexual man whom has collaborated with various ethnic Jews throughout his discography and played in Israel for a Jewish audience as being a neo-Nazi.

Discography

Year	Album title	Format
1981	Heaven Street	12"
1982	State Laughter/Holy Water	7"
1983	The Guilty Have No Pride	LP
1984	Burial	LP
1984	She Said Destroy	12"/7"
1985	Nada!	LP
1985	Born Again	12"
1985	Come Before Christ And Murder Love	12"/7"
1986	The World That Summer	2xLP
1986	Lesson 1: Misanthropy	LP
1987	To Drown A Rose	10"
1987	Brown Book	LP
1987	Oh How We Laughed	Live LP/CD
1989	93 Dead Sunwheels	EP/CD
1989	The Corn Years	CD
1990	The Wall Of Sacrifice	LP/CD
1990	1888	EP
1991	The Cathedral Of Tears	CD
1992	Ostenbraun	2x cassette/CD
1992	But, What Ends When The Symbols Shatter?	LP/CD
1992	Paradise Rising	12"/CDS
1992	Death In June/Current 93/Sol Invictus	CD
1993	Cathedral Of Tears	12"/CDS
1993	Something Is Coming	2xLP/2xCD
1994	Sun Dogs	7"/CDS
1995	Rose Clouds Of Holocaust	LP/CD
1995	Black Whole Of Love	CDS 7", 10", 12" box set
1995	Death In June Presents: Occidental Martyr	10" LP/CD
1996	Death In June Presents: KAPO!	LP/CD
1997	Die Schuldigen und der Nebel: The Guilty Have No Past/Night And Fog	2xCD box set
1997	DISCriminate ('81-'97)	2xCD
1998	Take Care & Control	LP/CD
1998	Kameradschaft	CDS
1998	Passion! Power!! Purge!!!	CDS
1999	Death In June/Der Blutharsch/Forseti/NON & Freunde - Der Tod Im Juni	CD
1999	Heilige!	CD
2000	Operation Hummingbird	LP/CD
2000	Death In June/Fire + Ice - We Said Destroy	7"
2001	All Pigs Must Die	LP/CD
2004	Alarm Agents (as Death in June and Boyd Rice)	LP/Coloured Vinyl
2004	Alarm Agents (as Death in June and Boyd Rice)	CD (different mixes from LP, extra track
2005	Abandon Tracks	2xLP/CD

Reference

Misery and Purity: A History and Personal Interpretation by Robert Forbes (review)

External links