Joy Division is an English group formed in 1976 in Manchester by Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner.
Ephemeral but legendary group because considered as one of the founders of the Cold Wave, which will strongly inspire the Gothic trends of the 2000s.
The name of the group would be a reference to the German name Freudenabteilung, a name of sad reputation because it designated a part of the Nazi concentration camps where some prisoners had to prostitute themselves to satisfy the sexual appetites of their torturer.
Reference chosen by Ian Curtis after he read the book "The house of dolls" by Yehiel De-Nur. And which will earn him certain accusations of Nazi appeasement. Complacency which will be corroborated by other disturbing elements like the cover of their first EP "An ideal for living" with strong Hitlerian connotation or their first name of group "Warsaw".
The adventure therefore begins in 1976 when Summer, Hook and Mason meet at a Sex-Pistols concert and decide to form a band. Curtis will be recruited by classified ads and will join them some time later.
They record their first demo in stride, of strong punk inspiration. Then a mini album a few months later, the famous “An ideal for living”.
It was two years later, in 1978, that things picked up when they signed their first contract with Factory Records.
The first album "Unknown pleasures" was released in 1979 and received good reviews. We owe him in particular "Transmission" and especially "She's lost control".
The second and last album, "Closer" was released in 1980. The last one because Ian Curtis, suffering from severe epileptic seizures and overworked by concerts killed himself by hanging himself at his home on May 18 of that year.
The album will be released posthumously as well as one of the singles that will go down as one of their biggest hit, "Love will tear us apart".
The "3 survivors" will continue their journey by creating another flagship group of the English New-Wave namely "New Order".
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Transmission 1979
Licht und blindheit 1980
Komakino 1980
Love will tear us appart 1980
These days 1980
Atmosphere 1980
She’s lost control 1980
Clips :
1979 ... the beginnings of one of the most ephemeral and sulphurous groups of the end of the 20th century. Sensitive souls refrain...
1980 .. in a very few years of existence, they will succeed in imposing a particularly murky and dark but incredibly innovative sound. An extraordinary sound that will inspire a certain number of groups thereafter ...
1980 ... in the same vein. The group still struggles to find a definitive style and a little bit "General Public" ...
1980 ... this title will change everything and suddenly explode their notoriety. A more successful title, much more inspired than the previous ones ... and this time, the public follows. HU-GE !
1980 ... a somewhat messy sequel which looks much more like their first compositions. Good and less good as they say ...
1980 ... a terribly dark sound but with extraordinary lyricism. With the key to a new success which comes to reward an almost unique inspiration of its kind ...
1980 ... a last track with an incredible sound while being at the limit of the unbearable ... All carried by an Ian Curtis in trance and which sometimes scares ... Undeniably, one of the most disjointed groups of this end of the XXth century ...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :