Death in June Album: “Discriminate”

This is a compilation of a personal choice, tracks picked up by DIJ mastermind Douglas P from the years 83-98. Lots of remixes and other unreleased material is featured on this compilation. Still there are no new songs, just new versions of old songs. Great compilation introducing many sounds DIJ has had over the years. Even thought this is not a "best of", all the songs you'd expect are there. This is the one DIJ album to start with.

I can't really say i'm a fan of goth music, nor am i a fan of folk music. But when an artist finds a way to meld the two together, i seem to be drawn to the music in ways i cannot begin to describe. This cd should appeals to anyone who is a fan of melody and obscure yet compelling lyrics. Sure, some of the lyrics have some suspect tangents (Rose Clouds of Holocaust, Giddy Giddy Carousel and a multitude of others), but it's easy to glance over this and appreciate the music for what it is, well crafted neo-folk(or whatever the kids call it these days).

I had the (mis)fortune of only hearing a few, very good Death in June songs before I bought this compilation; I sort of thought that everything else might match up to those in terms of atmosphere, and I was a little disappointed. If you've never heard this band, think New Order meets Bauhaus with a horn section on some tracks. This is an oversimplification; some tracks have a very restrained, more folksy feel and some veer off more into straight dance territory, but usually there is some combination of strings and synth with occasional shots of trumpet. The vocals are all done in a restrained manner that kind of reminds me of a little of Ian Curtis but really more of the guy from Swans. There are some tracks that remind me a little of Dead Can Dance but without their own complex blend of sounds. The reason I rated this three stars is that there are tracks on here all over the scale from two to five, most tending around 3-3.5 or thereabouts. The lyrics are uniformly boring and pretentious; I think industrial, neofolk, and similar musicians often use the same kinds of references over and over again without actually saying anything coherent with them, and Death in June certainly seems to. I've read interviews with Douglas Pearce, the core member of the group, and he's pretty obviously a moron; but on its own, away from his dodgy personal politics and inability to make any worthwhile statements, the music itself often holds up pretty well. Songs like "Luther's Army", "Rose Clouds of Holocaust", and "Giddy Giddy Carousel" are full of ambiance and extremely well arranged. Some songs towards the middle, like "Fields of Rape" and "Hullo Angel" are perfectly listenable but unlikely to make any new converts. A few songs are frankly annoying; "Hail the White Grain" could have been cut in half, it's so repetitive, and "Till The Living Flesh is Burned" is just a boring exercise in grimness. If you're already a dij fan, you already know if you like this or not; if you discovered the group relatively recently, like I did, you may find it a bit more image than substance. Either way, I'll give this a listen again sometime, but doubt I'll pick anything else up.

Although I own most of the tracks on vinyl, I decided to buy this on CD as it is as close to a DIJ "best of" as you are likely to find (so far). The selection spans from about 1981 to 1995 on 2 CDs. The style is difficult to describe. It's moody, dark & folky, in a psychotic, not hippy sense; lyrically there are images of nightmares & flirtions with nazi imagery. It sometimes makes the hairs on your back stand on end. Key tracks: Heaven Street, Leper Lord, Fields of Rape & The Gulity Have No Pride. Sublime, yet scandelously overlooked by critics, I cannot recommend this enough, if you like your sounds spooky and original.

This album is incredible. The words 'hauntingly beautiful' would apply if they were'nt already a cliche. It may be too morbid for some, and I can see how people might find it a little repetitive, but I loved it. Great accoustic folk-goth.