AOTW: Death In June - The World That Summer

[Calfium Jay]

DEATH IN JUNE - THE WORLD THAT SUMMER (1986)

OK, so I'm going back in time a bit for this one. Way back to the year 1986 - when the world was a strange and ungodly place and where the likes of Molly Ringwald couldn't shop for breakfast cereal without getting mobbed.

Ahem....yeah so this week the disc of choice I'm going to promote is none other than the salaciously controversial Death In June magnum opus, The World That Summer. For the unitiated, Death In June loosely belong to a genre commonly referred to as Neofolk. As described by Wikipedia Neofolk is "a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles.Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial music and experimental music.The genre encompasses a wide assortment of themes. Neofolk musicians often have ties to other genres such as neoclassical and martial industrial".

While Death In June's sound is kinda tricky to pin down (anything from stripped back, acoustic campfire anthems to all out sensory assaults of sample cut ups, industrial noise, synthpop and neo-classical flourishes) it is their lyrical and visual statements that seem to rub folks the wrong way. They are heavily into symbolism (runes, European iconology) and often wear masks and army style camouflage. Their use of the Totenkopf (the death's head symbol used by the Nazi party) on both their album artwork and t shirt design has had them unfairly labelled as racists and fascists and they have been banned from performing both in their native UK and throughout parts of America.

Anyway, enough of the history lesson, let the music do the talking. Here t'is. Enjoy:


[youtube][/youtube]


I'm guessing some of you are going to find this tough to sit through. It's kind of......goth in a way. Takes some getting used to! Especially the (odd) vocals.

[not tyson]

I was going to suggest Rose Clouds of Holocaust for album of the week a few times but didn't think it would go down too well here.

Great choice!

[petemasterpete]

OK, so I'm going back in time a bit for ... year 1986

isn't 1986 still to come in Australia (refer Aussie Politics thread: National Broadband Network) ... anywho, I'm unfamiliar with this one and look forward to giving it a listen

[Calfium Jay]

I'm guessing this album will be about as popular here as an ugly child was in a Catholic Home For Boys circa 1972.

[petemasterpete]

Based on originality alone, it's cool. Not something I'd listen too regularly, but is a bit eclectic which is a draw for me and it's quite likely to end up in my collection now. It has a bit of a swans meets the butthole surfers meets pigface meets jello biafra (or something like that) appeal in parts.

7/10

[Calfium Jay]

Based on originality alone, it's cool. Not something I'd listen too regularly, but is a bit eclectic which is a draw for me and it's quite likely to end up in my collection now. It has a bit of a swans meets the butthole surfers meets pigface meets jello biafra (or something like that) appeal in parts.

7/10

Thank you for being adventurous enough......

[not tyson]

You should see him in the bedroom

[petemasterpete]

You should see him in the bedroom

SHHHH ... I don't want any more of you folks to get any ideas ... mu holes hurt!

either way, it was exactly the kind of album I anticipate finding in the AOW, as opposed to some watered-down rendition of something else we've already heard a shitload of from other bands that likely already did it better.

[not tyson]

2 reviews in basically 3 days.

Great job!

[Calfium Jay]

There's only really a small handful of people here that actually bother with the album of the week. Especially when it's an album or a genre that's (audible gasp) "NEW" to them!!!

Oh those Tool fans. Their minds are so open and so hungry for new experiences.

[Ravenpig]

Oh those Tool fans. Their minds are so open and so hungry for new experiences.

Tool fan complaining about Tool fans on a Tool fan forum. Excellent.

On a side note, what's with the recent trend of complaining when there aren't reviews within a couple of days? As was mentioned, only a few of us actually take part. When you complain you're complaining to the few of us who actually take part.

I haven't heard this yet, as it is I was just able to catch up on last week's AOTW and CAOTW. I'll get to it when I get to it.

[Kittaan]

Get off yer high horses Jay and Tyson - two of the worst offenders in the opinionated and closed minded category. Just because you like some obscure shit (as do I, just different obscure shit) doesn't mean you are open minded.

As RP pointed out, take a chill pill. In the US, this is a weird time with the Thanksgiving holiday. I started this but haven't been able to get through most of it yet. I'll post an extremely open minded review of my opinion when I have.

Oh, and in keeping with the spirit of the upcoming season, a hearty FUCK YOU to you both.

[hellboy]

Oh those Tool fans. Their minds are so open and so hungry for new experiences.

Tool fan complaining about Tool fans on a Tool fan forum. Excellent.

On a side note, what's with the recent trend of complaining when there aren't reviews within a couple of days? As was mentioned, only a few of us actually take part. When you complain you're complaining to the few of us who actually take part.

Yep, you nailed it - Califum is a typical Tool fan. He meets the stereotype in every way.

I'll be listening to this album today, as it's the first day I'll be in a position to do so. Apologies if I have other things going on in my life that upset people so tightly wound up about this choice in music it offends them when people don't drop everything to review it.

[Calfium Jay]

Who says I'm either upset or tightly wound? Perhaps I'm posting with a smirk. Perhaps I'm having a smug, sarcastic, yet inoffensive little dig.

Maybe it's you getting all offended and uppity that needs to....ahem...."take a chill pill"??

[hellboy]

Perhaps I'm having a smug, sarcastic, yet inoffensive little dig.

Perhaps the rest of us are too.

[not tyson]

Get off yer high horses Jay and Tyson - two of the worst offenders in the opinionated and closed minded category. Just because you like some obscure shit (as do I, just different obscure shit) doesn't mean you are open minded.

Where did I claim I was open minded?

Please supply some evidence of my opinionated and close mindedness.

I'll try and keep an open mind to said evidence.

Also please try to keep it civil, saying fuck you was rather juvenile.

Also you're rather angry at me for simply posting this.

2 reviews in basically 3 days.

Great job!

[Kittaan]

OK Tyson, I will own that I lumped you in with Jay, perhaps unfairly in this case. I am not angry with you, I just think you're an asshole most of the time. I find it at times amusing, and at other times annoying that you are somehow trying to portray yourself as the injured party when most of the time you're on the offensive.

But that is completely off topic, and likely useless on my part to engage with you on this...

So:

I'm guessing some of you are going to find this tough to sit through.

Yes, for the most part, it was tough to sit through.

Notes I took as I listened. And I assure you I listened with attention and no pre-conceived ideas.

Repetitive and juvenile musical figures.
Casio-Tone percussion
Needlessly "cryptic" vocals in places, with over-the-top effects. At times so grating that I nearly had to fast forward, but didn't.
Even for 1986, the overall sound quality is sup-par. Is lo-fi / many artifacts a style they are going for, or was this just poorly recorded/engineered/mastered?

In general, I wouldn't call this "Music". Performance Art perhaps? Maybe parts of it would be effective as a soundtrack? I honestly don't understand why anyone would choose to listen to this more than once. I certainly won't be.

[hellboy]

I largely agree with Kittaan's review. Perhaps they'd be better in a live setting, but on record I can't see why I'd listen to this a second time.

[Kittaan]

There's only really a small handful of people here that actually bother with the album of the week. Especially when it's an album or a genre that's (audible gasp) "NEW" to them!!!

Oh those Tool fans. Their minds are so open and so hungry for new experiences.

I went back and checked on the first 10 AOTW posts (or at least the ones that were at the top when I checked - this forum doesn't seem to allow you to sort on original post date/time).

of those 10, I missed reviewing 2. Jay missed 9. Of 10.

I am not going to go back through all of them, but if that's representative of your participation Jay, where do you get off making the above statement?

[Calfium Jay]

Jay, where do you get off making the above statement?

Usually in phone boxes or in front of the mirror with somebody else watching.

[Calfium Jay]

Perhaps they'd be better in a live setting, but on record I can't see why I'd listen to this a second time.

They're NOT better in a live setting, I can tell you. For me personally they are a studio band. To be honest, I find the album somewhat hypnotic and otherworldly but do admit freely that it is something of an acquired taste - however this does not imply that those who "get it" are privy to something exclusive.

If you didn't like it fair enough. It's pretty far removed from most of the music that is promoted here and I wasn't expecting a barrage of sudden interest in the band or bands in a similar vein. Was just curious how it would play out.

It's not one of my OMG Like Top 10 Mostest greatest albums ever - but it's certainly....oh let's say if I had to do a Top 100, it'd be in there somewhere....

[not tyson]

I guess I won't be putting up Nurse with Wound - Homotopy to Marie now.

[Calfium Jay]

^

DO IT!! DO IT!!!

You do that and I'll do Merzbow's Venereology.

[Ravenpig]

Felt more like a movie or video game soundtrack than a regular album. It reminded me of music played in the background during serious scenes in 80's action flicks.

Nostalgia aside it didn't do much for me, but I didn't dislike it. Some of the vocals did grind my gears a bit but that seems to be a theme with me lately.
5/10