I intended this blog to be more about new music I am discovering, but here's another anniversary so I've been tempted to talk about this amazing record. Unknown Pleasures turned 40 over the weekend and is widely considered to be one of the most influential records of the post-punk scene in the late 70s / early 80s.
The band and producer, Martin Hannett, crafted a truly unique sound on this record. It is characterised by this very intense but spacious atmosphere, giving you this feeling of being smothered and suffocated. The incredibly sharp production on the drums and percussion makes them stab right through the oppressive atmosphere, creating a sense of uncomfort and urgency which drives the album along. Ian Curtis' dark and intense lyrics layer on top of this, detailing disconnect, loss of control, and the creeping feeling of impending doom. I find this album to be Curtis' vocal peak; there's a sense of angst and passion to his approach here which shifted to complete depression and desolation by the time of Closer.
Disorder opens the record with a driving bass and chiming guitar, with Curtis' vocals fast and very rhythmic vocals meshing in. This turns into more of a chant in the back end of the track as these spacey, sci-fi noises are introduced into the mix. Following this is the much Slower and more tense The Day of the Lords. The production on the guitar here is incredible. It sounds like its almost about to explode into complete noise but then retains it's restraint and winds down, over and over throughout the whole song. This creates a knife-edge tension that isn't released at all in the song, leaving it feeling strange and unresolved. Insight is backed by these very alien beeps and bops, reminding me of another isolating, atmospheric masterpiece turning 40 this year, Ridley Scott's Alien. The drums on She's Lost Control pierce right through the mix, keeping the song tense and uncomfortable. More beeps enter this song on the drum hits and gradually increase in volume until the end where they completely overpower the song and remind me of the beeps of a cardiogram you might find in a hospital. This give the song a very sinister feeling, as if the titular character has lost control to the point that they're in mortal danger. Shadowplay has an incredibly simplistic and catchy guitar solo. The driving bass riff propels the song forward. It's dark and sinister, detailing dark city streets and assassins. The album's tension comes to head in Interzone, where the guitar is finally allowed to go as wild as possible, sounding brutal after so much absence. With all the tension gone, the closer I Remember Nothing sounds like a glimpse of their much more gothic sound on Closer.
It honestly astounds me that nothing really sounded like this before, because you can trace elements of so many band's sounds back to this album. It is also really interesting to me that this sound is almost entirely down to Hannett and Curtis, with the rest of the band (particularly Peter Hook) not really understanding its appeal and initially not even really liking it. Honestly this album is fantastic and also really benefits from decent speakers/headphones. My laptop speaker really doesn't do justice to the atmosphere and space the album creates and it sounds so much better when I'm playing it through my speaker.
Top Tracks: Disorder, Day of the Lords, Candidate, Insight, New Dawn Fades, She's Lost Control, Shadowplay, Wilderness, Interzone, I Remember Nothing
10/10
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