Group Production Companies

"New Transmission Records are a UK Independent Record Label that operate in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. Forming in 2011, they are attempting to revert back to the ideals of Factory Records and Tony Wilson and bring new life to the industry. The company consists of three founding members: Callum Moreman, Jonny Hughes and Joel Colborne.

They specify on everything Joy Division. Late July will see the release of their first official album; Joy Division's "The Singles". From then onwards, the sky is the limit."

Our record company are an indie formed specifically for releasing Joy Division's work. This is something very often seen with bigger artists that essentially have their own labels, often attached to a major. When creating our company will thought deeply about the whole vibe that Factory Records had about them. Essentially we want this to carry on in our label.
The name "New Transmission" is a tribute to the classic Joy Division track "Transmission". The "new" part we feel shows how the label is very much about the future even though it's releases are from former bands. This about bringing Joy Division to a 2011 audience.
I created the logo on Photoshop, again with Factory Records in mind. Their logo is simplistic and based on their name, as is ours. The logo consists of a radio tower sending out signals. This links to the idea of distribution to a wider audience too. The imagery is very simplistic and stylised. The logo is in a modern, industrial serif font signifying the genre of music of the label. At the end of the day the logo should be something iconic and easily transferrable to releases. I created a few alternatives a long the way as shown here.

Limited Edition Graphics (or LE Graphics) are a subsidiary of parent company Limited Edition that coincidentally were behind Callum's 2010 debut Not A Chance. Many big companies now converge their interests over different media, and this was essentially our thinking behind this. Importantly it also shows that our small indie company has major backing.
The logo was again made on Adobe Photoshop. I stuck to the essential use of gold on the lettering but added a white border to really emphasise the logo. Again the design was kept simple, but this helps it stand out. We feel this logo really shows a sense of class about the company, anchored by both the serif font and name itself. Reducing the parent company to simply initials is again a common technique, most probably because it makes the name catchier, and logos are all about grabbing the consumer's eye quickly.

Treatment

Joy Division - Disorder [Treatment]

Links with Books

As well as taking influence from films and television, it was essentially that we used books as part of our research. We needed to understand the genre of Music Videos in general, as well as gaining a deep knowledge of the band we were creating the video for - Joy Division.

Money for Nothing [Saul Austerlitz]
This book became essential to developing our understand of music videos. Austerlitz analyses the history of music videos in great detail, and covering a wide range of genres and bands.
  He had a specific section on post-punk bands such as Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen, as well as discussing the work of Anton Corbijn and his work with New Order, Depeche Mode and U2.
  This book gave us the information needed to springboard our production to being relevant to the genre and directors. It also discusses modern exhibition of music videos such as the internet and their relevance. Basically it was great in every aspect, and perfect for our coursework.




Touching From A Distance [Deborah Curtis]

Written by Ian Curtis' wife, this book helped us gain a great insight into the life of the Joy Division frontman. She was seemingly the closest person to Curtis, so the book is deeply personal and emotional. It also helped us get an idea for the sort of lifestyle people had in the late seventies.
  Because we were signifying similarities between our central protagonist and Ian Curtis, this book was great for helping be a true tribute to him. The iconic characteristics such as the coat and cigarette became a part of our concept and visuals.
The book also features pictures of Ian inside so this was also very helpful in making it an accurate portrayal of the singer. The gritty style is something we could incorporate.
Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic Control was also based upon this book.


Joy Division [Kevin Cummins]

The book is a great collection of over 200 photographs of Joy Division. Though Corbijn took some photos of the band, Kevin Cummins was their main photographer and did a lot of their most iconic images.
It features pictures of the band offstage, so again the book is a very personal insight into the band. It also features concert flyers and other artwork which will help inspire our ancillary texts.
Again there is a distinct use of black and white imagery, so this further anchored the need for us to do the same.





Though the internet is often a very good, quick source for research, books very often provide us with a much more deep insight into the topic. Internet sites are often a page of useful information, but books can be hundreds of pages of very deep analysis. The writers are often very close to the subject matter, as shown here.

Links with TV/Film

With Film:

Control [Anton Corbijn][2007]:
Plot (from IMDB): A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23.

This film acted as our most useful source of inspiration. Directly linked to the subject matter, director Anton Corbijn will have had to make the same choices as us for how to best capture the spirit of Joy Division. Sam Riley's near-perfect performance as Ian Curtis helped us as music video makers create Curtis' tortured character, and Riley's performance was a huge help for our own actor.
A few of our shots link to some of those used in the film such as the telephone wire sequence. It also helped further our location scouting, to find suitable places to feature. It didn't have a huge budget, and was filmed in Nottingham, England. These are two important factors we have to deal with too.
Corbijn makes use of black and white as always, and the deep contrast of tones is again something we hope our video will capture. The film is a great portrayal of who Joy Division and Ian Curtis were, and therefore a massive help for us.

Requiem For A Dream [Darren Aronofsky][2000]:
Plot (from IMDB): The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island individuals are shattered when their addictions become stronger.

Requiem deeply explores what it is to be a drug addict. The cast are young and poor, which again shows a link with our protagonist. His protrayal of the emotions behind addiction is fascinating because of it's intensity and the way it grabs it's audience's attention. The film is tragic, but if we can capture the similar emotions behind the piece, our music video should be successful.
It's also shot very artistically. Aronofsky is an auteur, and we have been inspired by him in terms of how we plan to film our music video. Particularly important is his use of a snorricam (featured on a previous post) that will also be used in our own production. The snorricam puts it's audience in a very surreal manner, and is great for capturing your protagonists emotion in a strikingly different way.

Trainspotting [Danny Boyle][1996]:
Plot (from IMDB): Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends. 

Again a film about addiction to drugs, Danny Boyle takes a slightly different spin on it. This film though intense, also makes use of comedy. It's set in Scotland, which in itself is a variation on Requiem. This will be particularly useful for looking at the representation of drugs and addicts in Britain.
The cold turkey scene used in the film inspired our sequence. We plan to make ours slightly more ambigious but at the same time, we still want to use similar type of shots and emotions.


With TV:

This is England '86 [Shane Meadows][2010]:

Shane Meadow's television programme again offers insight into the troubled lives of young, working class people in Britain. Though the subject matter itself is not directly linked, the sheer devastation and power of his work will inspire our own.
  The programme is also set just five years after Ian Curtis' death, making it very comparable with the film Control. The useof council flat estates, is another aspect we are considering for our own production.

Importantly all of the above inspirations have fairly low budgets, and are all artistic in their own right. Most represent working-class British youth, and they all protray tortured individuals. These are all vital factors we must deeply consider when making our own production, especially when taking into account the serious subject matter.

Existing Videos for Ideas

Fan Videos For Joy Divison - Disorder :

Post Punk - Codes & Conventions

Post Punk originated in the late 70s before finding true success amongst the indie-rock scene of the 1980s. It takes influence from the original Punk scene of the early 1970's, but musically is much more complex, experimental and industrial. It was seen as the starting point from which the Gothic Rock scene evolved. During a time in which big budget bands were dominating, Post-Punk grew as a low-budget genre for the everyday person. Essortment.com makes a great definition as what defines the genre from it's predecessor saying "the punks were marked by their attitude, where as most post-punk musicians can be marked by their lack of attitude. Punk music wanted to create a revolution. Post-punk music wanted to create art."

Key bands of the genre were Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Jesus & the Mary Chain, (early) The Cure, The Sound, The Fall, Killing Joke and Bauhaus. Some even class certain albums by Sonic Youth, U2, REM, The Smiths and Depeche Mode as dipping into the genre.

Music Videos

Echo & the Bunnymen - Killing Moon [1984]

- It is for the most part a concept video, although certain aspects of performance are seen.
- Prominent shots of the moon (clearly linking to the song name). These shots of the moon are reoccuring, anchoring their importance.
- Very simple colouration for the video. A blue filter has been used giving the video a horror-like vibe. At 2.09 and 1.12 there is a very strong use of the colour red. The majority of the video lacks colouring, so this extremely contrasts.
- The video is surreal in many ways. Shots of water changing to the moon (through editing) help signify the strange elements to the music.
- Though most of the video is darkly lit, in parts it makes use of a flashing light. Shadows are also used to great effect in the video.
- Quite a lot of shots are repeated throughout, signifying a strange importance about the objects.
- The rest of the band feature in a cameo role. They all appear very emotionless. Interesting piece of editing is used at 2.29.
- There is a use of coldness (snow) which helps signify the dark, cold style of music.

Bauhaus - She's in Parties [1983]

- Concept video
- Bleak, black & white colour filters.
- The video is very slow paced (as is the song), and there is actually little shot variation. These slower paced shots are contrasted with quick cuts to imagery such as plates smashing. The cutaway shots are very often more tightly framed close ups.
-  The gothic genre is signified through the band's appearance (clothing, hairstyle, makeup etc.)
- Again there is a use of flashing imagery to contrast normal shots. It gives the video an interesting visual element. But it also conceals the bands faces slightly. There are more examples of this, such as the frame used at 1.00
- Another emphasis on coldness. At 1.01 as the singer lip syncs, we get shots of his breath as he sings. This is coldness helps signify the darker mood.
- Use of overlaying and cross-fading transitions to keep the pacing the same. Also adds to the distortion.
- Lots of frantic editing at 2.32, with shots zooming in and out and shaking. Lots of examples throughout of distortion of shots.
- As well as the black and white colour filter, there are other colours used such as purple and blues.
- At the very end of the video there is a shot of the bands single. This is a technique commonly used in the 80s.

The Cure - A Forest [1980]

- Performance/concept video
- For the most part the video makes use of a green/blue colour filter. Gives the video a striking appearance.
- Again the pacing is slow to match the tempo of the music. There is a lot of camera movement in the shots though...
- Interesting use of zooms/pans in the forest section especially the spinning shot of the trees. Clearly the forest's locations is linked to the track name and theme.
- The band show little emotion in the performance sections - if anything they look unhappy. The performance section uses standard close ups of drums/guitars etc.
- Use of cross-fade transitions from the performance to the concept. Keeps the video flowing and pacing the same.
- Use of cutting to the beat (lyrics) at 2.00. Nice shot of camera panning down (with distorted filter) as he sings "down" also with a distorted sound.
- Lots of experimentation with colour filters towards the end of the video. Overlaying is also used here. Helps bring the video to a dramatic, strong ending as does the song.
- Fades to black at the ending.

The Fall - Fifteen Ways

- Extended 25 second introduction with a extreme editing. Inversed black and white? Striking in appearance. Colour then reverts to standard black and white as the song comes in.
- Much quicker cutting than previously discussed videos. The shots of the lip syncing are slower paced and again deadpan. Contrasting use of very quick cutaways to other objects.
- Performance aspects are again included.
- Has a quick break away from the main concept at 2.13 when the drums play alone. Nice little break in the middle of the video.
- The use of black and white is very strong. Contrast has been increased to emphasise this.
- Locations used are very industrial, and urban. But they are in predominantly run down areas. We can guess that there was little budget behind the making of the video.
- Again use of flashing imagery towards the end of the video such as at 3.02.
- Little references to the lyrics in the imagery. Typewriter types "15 ways" for example.
- News report style delivery in places. Still has a combination of performance in this. Use of split screen.
- Lots of movement within the shots.

The Smiths - There is a Light That Never Goes Out [1992]

- Concept video
- Fairly slow paced. Lots of use of overlays in which most of the time the background shot lasts throughout various cuts on the top layer.
- There are also lots of repeated shots such as the one of the women laying down at 0.11 and various other times.
- Use of lots of different colour filters. At different points we see sepia, black & white, red and most commonly a blue filter used.
- There are slight relations between the imagery and the lyrics. Such as shots of a couple, and also a car.
- A shot of some waves (?) with a sepia tone overlays a large majority of the video, and it remains by itself at the end of the video. This actually distorts a lot of the other shots, signifying the past and/or memories.
- Unlike most of the previous videos, the band never appear in the video.
- As Morrissey sings "double decker bus" at 1.05 we see a shot of a bus in the background. This also reveals a location of the city. This shot looks like old stock-footage, however I could be wrong.
- Use of flashing imagery again. Slightly quickens up the pace in some sections.
- The video here more than other seems to want to bring more attention to the song rather than the visuals.
- The ending shot carries on after the track has finished before fading to black.

Conclusion
Having looked at videos of the post-punk genre, I can begin to suggest certain codes and conventions that most of the videos include. So far I have found:
- A lot of the videos are performance or concept based. Many combine the two in some manner. 
- There is a lot of use of flashing imagery.
- Multi-layering is also used very often as is cross-fade transitions.
- Whilst the videos often use slow paced imagery, quick cutaways to close ups are used to keep the video flowing. 
- Locations used are generally run-down or urban. 
- Use of colour filters, especially black and white. 
- Lots of camera movement to help keep the visuals interesting.
- Some sort of motif or theme is repeated through the video. This can sometimes link to the lyrics. 
- An emphasise on the cold and dark to signify the mood of the band. Characters often seem very deadpan.

JC - Similar Bands: New Order (Case Study)

New Order were an English New Wave/Electronic band who formed in 1980. The originate from Macclesfield and were formed by Peter Hook (Bass, Backing Vocals and Electronic Drums), Bernard Sumner (Vocals, Guitar and Synthesizers) and Stephen Morris (Drums, Electronic Drums and Synthesizers). This three started the band after Ian Curtis' suicide which led to the end of their previous band Joy Division and they moved onto New Order in the same year. They then appointed Gillian Gilbert as their keyboard player.

New order combined New Wave and Electronic Dance for their music, and became one of the most influential bands of the 1980's and one of the most influential bands for electronic music ever. The bands biggest success was the song "Blue Monday" which proved they became pioneers of dance music as it is still the biggest selling 12-inch single of all time, which made them the biggest selling band on factory records.

They first received bad criticism from Joy Division Fans and Critics as the death of Ian Curtis still over-shadowed the band. They also received criticism for their choice of band name. It was claimed there band name came from Hitlers book "Mein Kampf" which quoted "the new order of the Third Reich" and the name Joy Division originated from the prostitution wing in concentration camps mentioned in the novel "The House of the Dolls". Critics believed both names sympathised with Nazi regimes but Sumner later saying "We really, really thought it didn't have any connotations, and we thought that it was a neutral name, it didn't mean much...."

Overall New Order have released 8 studio albums, the first six were released in the hay-day of electronic music and the introduction to the 'rave' scene in the early 90's. The last two albums were released in 2001 and 2005. These two albums did not succeed as much as their predecessors.

New Order - True Faith

•  The single for True Faith was released on the 20th of July 1987 and was directed and choreographed by Philippe Decouflé.
• It is a Concept/Performance video.
• Themes, choreography and other elements of the video re-occurred in the opening ceremonies for the 1992 winter Olympics in Albertville. 
• Choreographed to the beat with the face slapping at the start of the song.
• Dark lighting in the performance shots to signify the "dark processed beats" that New Order produced.
• Shots in reverse from editing techniques signifies the surrealism of the video and abstract style the director had intended.
• Blue lighting had been used during the production of the video to anchor the sense of surrealism and mystery of the video.
• The mise-en scene used (costumes) anchors the futuristic style that electronic music had in this era.
• Camera tilts to a dutch angle in one movement, adds to the abstract style intended.
• Lyrics of the song has been translated into sign language within the videos choreography. Again it anchors the the surrealism intended and could also attract other secondary audiences.
• Large focus on lead singer throughout the video, small range of shots used to focus on him. 
• Shots start to focus on drummer and crowd dancing along to the song. New Order one of the first bands to develop the "Rave" scene.

New Order - Round & Round

• The single for Round & Round was released on the 27th of February 1989 and was directed by Patrick Jean.
• It is a concept video with a lack of shot variation.
• Consists of eight young female models. The shots types were close-ups featuring the heads and shoulders.
• The shots of the eight models were edited to black and white which contrasts the one second inter-cut shots of flowers or marbles featuring lots of vibrant colour.
• The models are speaking but no diagetic sound is heard in this video.

New Order - Blue Monday (Original Video)

• This version of the songs video was released in 1983, one year after it was recorded.
• The videos colour filters show a very retro style, signifying the bands intentions for this song to be a timeless classic in the future.
• Like True Faith choreography of the hand clapping in sync to the music.
• Simple on screen special effects with the line graphics and animations.
• Shots of the Military on screen edited with a negative/false colour filter, signifies the bands interpretations of the military of being false.
• Aged low frame rate contrasts with the art style the director has gone for with the negative colour filters.
• Military footage taken from the Falklands War. The video signifies the negativity towards the idea and Margaret Thatcher, this is anchored by the False/Negative colour filters.
• Documentary footage of bombings during the Falklands War. This time shown without colour filters. Contrasts the false colour filters used in the other shots to signify how real it was.
• Band footage has been presented as small still images that cover the screen in a mosaic fashion, other shots are very low frame rate and quality to mix in with the retro art style of the other colour filters and animation.
• The electronic music and animation used in the video both processed. Animation is a processed art form, electronic music also has a processed feel to it.
• Footage from the video game Zaxxon, again it anchors how false the Falklands war was, and like a game the war could have been stopped before you get to into it.
• Sound FX of gun shots and missiles in the song matching the visuals on screen. 

After Their massive success New Order went on hiatus for five years between the years 1993 and 1998. They came back and released the album "Get Ready" in 2001. Their most influential song from their new era was the song "Crystal" which featured a fictional band mimicking New Order called "The Killers". The band originally called "Blush Responce" changed their name to "The Killers" in RESPONSE (caps intended to exaggerate the Pun) to the New Order video. The video for Crystal also inspired the video for "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers a similar set up and lighting rig. The lead singer of The Killers, Brendon Flowers joined New Order on stage for T in the Park in 2005 for the performance of this song. Without further a due here is the video:


New Order - Crystals:

• This video was released in 2001 for the new album Get Ready. The artwork for the single is in a very similar style to the albums artwork.
• The video was directed by the Swedish director Johan Renck aka Stakka Bo.
• This video is a Performance/Concept video. The concept aspect in the video isn't as clear as others, but its the way the band playing isn't New Order.
• The video features a mocking band performing the video named the killers.
• Strobe lighting during the heavier bass riffs. Anchors the faster more upbeat style of the song. 
• The lighting rig at the back is also used as an edited filter over the top of the performance footage from the back of the band, anchors the more electronic/processed feel to the song.
• Red filter and slowed down footage achieved through editing, this is shown on screen when the song slows down. Gives the video a darker, more un-nerving feel to it. 
• Band members and invading crowd in video are much younger than New Order and their core audience. These people are used to attract a new secondary audience of teens of today.

New Order - Krafty

New Order - Krafty by aquanote

• This video was released on the 7th of March 2005 alongside the single release.
• It was directed by Johan Renck, the same director for the video Crystals. The styles are very different but both videos are based around younger people, maybe to draw in a larger secondary audience. 
• The camera is constantly moving in this video, signifies the intense pace of a young adults life and how their emotions are constantly moving and changing.
• This video is a concept video as the video don't match the lyrics. If they did the director would have gone for a more narrative approach to the video.
• The bright shades of colour within the setting (for example the snow and the colours within the kitchen set) signify the innocent intentions of the protagonists.
• Counter-types for the young protagonists, darker haired characters signify a more pure type of nature. The fairer haired characters usually signify the sexually active types, this theory is opposed in this video.
• Mise-en scene of the clothes and condom wrappers on the floor signifies they have just pursued in sexual activity (Ooooh Cheeky)
•  The location of the roof-tops signifies the freedom the protagonists feel in the video. 

Overall the newer style that New Order has presented is much more different to their older one. You can tell that their change in sound is to "fit in" with today's music industry. The change in style will mean they are attracting a new target audience and they know that this audience are the type who will go out and buy CD singles and contribute to the bands success in the charts. But at the same time they have moved away from their older style (they still have features which they have carried on e.g. electronic drums) which as a result has pushed away the original core audience.

Here is a Brief, light hearted interview with New Order with Jools Holland. They discuss why they formed New Order after Joy Division and the reasons why they got back together after their eight year hiatus.


 

CM - Similar Band Case Study: Echo & The Bunnymen

Echo & The Bunnymen are currently a 5 piece Post Punk band, though the bands line up has changed a lot since their formation in 1978. The original line up consisted of f vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine.

The band have up to date released;

• 11 studio albums
• 9 live albums
• 9 compilation albums
• 8 EP's
• 30 singles 
• 5 music albums 
• 22 music videos.

Which is quite a collection, the response to the albums in particular has been very varied, with the album Porcupine released in 1983 reached number 2 in the album charts and album Reverberation (1990) didn't even make it into the charts.

The band have been through many changes in its career, the biggest change was in 1988 when the band split up after McCulloch quit and another member was killed in a motorbike accident. In 1994 two of the members started to work together again under another name but after a third member joined the double they reformed Echo.

Music Videos

The band have released quite a collection of music videos over time  and i will look at 5 of their biggest music videos and try and find similar codes and conventions within the bands style and how well this fits into the Post Punk genres code and conventions.

The Cutter 

• Performance video
• Mainly performance video in a pretty dark room with a projecter shining on the lead singer, typical shots for a performance video. Band in typical 80's fashion.
• Interlinked with sony are short clips showing nothing more then a cold icey location. In some of these shots they use a person smoking.

Bring on the Dancing Horses

• This video is the dark horses of the lot (if you pardon the pun), this could be because the video was directed by Anton Corbijn, ceebs going into it now its also pretty dark.

Lips Like Sugar

• This video is in two location/ pats. All the shots which are not performance are in black and white,
• Follows a lone figure with a guitar on his back, walking through a city, the person passes three people and they enter a room and the performance aspect kicks in. It is once again in a dark room. They is a gaint eyeball behind them during performance aspect. The lighting in the performance shot is a blackish purple. At points it jumps back to shots of the long figure.

Porcupine

• Performance
• Opens with shots of old WW2 imagery of posters, then clips (anchored with title) of war time russia.
• The band then slowly fade into shot playing the song (in the cutter the band are playing in a dark room)
• The rest of the song is merely repeats of the start but in different order linked with more performance shots.

The Killing Moon

• Performance video with hints of concept
• Imagery of moons and stars and different planets
• Recurring shot of cloth blowing in the wind.
• Performance mainly focus on lead singer for most of song of him performing, framing of just his face with a constant swinging light bulb lighting up his face.
• Dark mood and setting

JH - Similar Bands: Depeche Mode (Case Study)

Depeche Mode formed in 1980 in Essex UK, and still tour and record albums today. They are an electronic band, that have been hugely influencial since they first formed; Q magazine branding them "The most popular electronic band the world has ever known".
The band consist of vocalist Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher, and have been a trio since 1995. That being said, session musicians often feature at live performances.

Depeche Mode have sold over 100 million records around the world. Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993) and Ultra (1997) earned them UK number one albums, with SoFaD also taking the US number one spot. Their latest album Sounds of the Universe (2009) reached no.2 in the UK, showing they're still hugely popular today. The band have not had any number one singles in the UK or US, but are still regarded as one the biggest and most influencial bands to come from the UK for a considerable time. Songs such as Enjoy the Silence, Personal Jesus and Just Can't Get Enough are just three of their biggest hits.

Due to the length of their career it is understandable that Depeche Mode's musical style has changed. They were originally part of the New Romantic movement in the UK, with their debut album Speak & Spell often classed as "synthpop". Notably this was the only album featuring Vince Clarke as chief songwriter, which would explain the dramatic change in sound. Their later releases are much more industrial sounding than previous tamer efforts. There is much dispute about Depeche Mode's genre even between their own fans, as seen here. Gahan's lyrics signify a gothic side to the band, and it is undeniable they are a much darker band than they used to be.

For a great link to all of Depeche Mode's music videos click here.
They have so far had 57 music videos, and wikipedia has a good entry listing them all here.

Early Videos

Just Can't Get Enough [Speak and Spell][1981]


- Depeche Mode's first music video and the only one featuring Vince Clark. It was directed by Clive Richardson.
- Lots of close ups of the keyboard signifying the bands focus on electronic music and synthesisers. It also helps establish them as a synth pop band. The fact that the camera focuses on the synth for such a length of time also connotes that riff is a large part of the song, and iconic of the song.
- Our first shot of the band at all is of the singer at 0.24 when the vocals come in.
- The band are all dressed in leathers and in truth the video has a very "camp" feel - like a lot of 80s pop videos. Not lease by singer Dave Gahan's dancing... They are signified as a rebellious but fashionable pop group eg. wearing aviator sunglasses. Woman dance around them.
- The set up is best shown in a long shot at 1.18 revealing the band consists of 3 synth players and the singer - notice at this point the band do not play instruments such as drums or guitar. The singer is also the focal point in this shot and the whole video. They are in one room throughout the video, and it simply has a grey background with a shadow of a fence. Little colour is seen.
- Interestingly Dave Gahan (singer) avoids looking in to the camera (something we normally expect from pop group videos). In some ways the band are signified as being quite shy throughout especially in the none performance footage.
- A succession of two shots with the band looking through notes happens at around the 1.30 mark. Strangely these shots seem almost out of place but show the band in a different light - just normal people. Likewise is the outdoor long shot of the trumpeteers at 1.45. A similar shot takes place at 2.58 with the band in the foreground.
- At this point the band are signified as leaning towards a young female audience.

Stripped [Black Celebration][1986]

- Last video to be directed by Peter Care. Depeche Mode by now were starting to gain a much darker sound than previously, and the video follows this change. They were now classed as "darkwave".
- The video uses very dark lighting, and more gothic aspects such as smoke are included to match Gahan's ever more gothic lyrics.
- Lots of shots use overlay transitions which works well with the smoky appearance given to the video.
- Like with JCGE our first shot of a band member is of the singer when the vocals come in, at 0.21. We pan down to see Gahan again wearing black leathers, but here is much more gothic in appearance with black gloves, pale skin, no sunglasses.
- Blue filters have been used to further signify that almost horror style of film. This is further connoted with shots of band members holding flowers as if it were a funeral almost.
- The band are shown destroying a car with sledgehammers. No performance is shown apart from them lip syncing to the lyrics. This further signifies them as being rebellious but now with much darker tones.
- Interesting projections are used such as at 1.21 and 2.36. These very often are distorted almost as if signifying the distortion in the band's new sound.
- Lots of shots feature some sort of destuction or distortion. This video in many ways acts as a transition towards their new sound, so old aspects are featured such as Gahan's dancing, but they are clearly trying to move away from their past. In contrast to their earlier shy portrayal, they name seem miserable but confident.
- This video appeals to an older, more male audience. They have tried to include old aspects to keep old fans but a lot of the video seems to signify destroying their former image. The video is perhaps what you would expect from a rock band if there were more performance aspects.

The Anton Corbijn Years

A Question of Time [Black Celebration][1986]

- Their first video to be directed by Anton Corbijn. Many more followed...
- The video is performance/concept based, and though being his first with the band many of the techniques seen even here would be carried through all their videos.
- Opening shot is of a crowd before we cut to a close up shot of a man's face. The fact that this video features performance aspects, is a continuation from the change to more of a rock band style that I discussed about their video for stripped. If it shows they peform well live, they can tap into that audience too.
- Corbijn's trademark black and white with high contrast is seen here. This creates much darker shadows to match the dark vibe of the song.
- The narrative/concept side to the video is left ambigious so the audience can interpret it for themselves. This suggests an older, more sophisticated audience. The concept of the video is very often strange when directed by Corbijn, and this is no different.
- A technique seen here by Corbijn is to blend the concept side of the video with the band side, such as at 2.56 where Gahan and the band are seen holding the baby.
- This strange sequence with the baby acting as clock hands at 3.18 again shows Corbijn's abstract nature. It also though relates to the lyrics ("Time"). In this sequence, we also see the band posing as they lip sync. This is something we wee in other Depeche Mode/ Corbijn videos.
- The use of shadow is important as when mixed with black and white, creates some very varied tones, making it visually interesting.
- Also important is the way he combines very long takes with very quick cuts, to keep it entertaining. He also at some points cuts to the beat.
- This video shows Depeche Mode's continued efforts to disassociate themselves with their past.

Personal Jesus [Violater][1989]

- This was Corbijn's first colour music video for Depeche Mode. Even then most of the scenes are in sepia, and colour does not feature prominently.
- It also the first Depeche Mode song to centralise on a guitar riff. This could be the reason that guitars are featured at many times in the video such as at 2.34.
- Saul Austerlitz desrcribes in Money For Nothing: "Corbijn favored stark, resonant imagery for his Depeche Mode work, often invoking deserts, empty rooms, Western flavored setups, and other markers of classical muscluar individualism... Corbijn turns the Wild West into a sexual wonderland."
- Unlike many earlier Depeche Mode videos, this one does focus a lot on the woman that feature. They are now a much darker, adult orientated band focusing on sexual obsession  rather than the innocence of Just Can't Get Enough and See You.
- This video has a very dirty, grainy look to it which links to early Western films.
- Lots of use of shadow again. This is most clearly seen at 0.58 with a shot of the four band members silhoutted in an arch way.
- Lots of looking into the camera both from the men and women. This could signify the video is aimed at both men and women. There are lots of suggestive shots such as just the bottom half of a woman at 1.21 and also Martin Gore's suggestive mouth movement (which MTV cut out) at 2.17.
- Interesting jump cuts of same movement at 3.16. This is not cut in time to the beat here which is something we might expect. There are a few sequences similar to this throughout the video.
- Each shots has an artistic quality to it. Lots of use of symmetry and creative framing, and you can see how being a photographer has influenced his work. Shots such as those at 3.20 and 0.56 act almost as portraits.
- Whereas the start reflects a classic Western, once the band are inside the brothel you see the much darker side coming through. It still has Corbijn's strange quality as an auteur throughout, and the vibrant green of the car at 0.19 signifies the bizarreness that Depeche Mode and Corbijn bring to the Wild West.
- This signifies the way in which Depeche Mode have used the classic acoustic guitar in a much more modern, dance orientated way, and there desire to break boundaries.
- The video was also parodied in The Killers video for "All These Things That I've Done" which was also directed by Corbijn.

Enjoy The Silence [Violater][1990]

-Was the next single after Personal Jesus, so there are similarities in the music videos style. Was released in 1990 and is now the band's signature song.
- Wikipedia says the band originally rejected the video idea until Corbijn explained how the King represents ""a man with everything in the world, just looking for a quiet place to sit"; a king of no kingdom."
- The video is based on the bizzarre story and themes of the children's book The Little Prince. 
-From 0.00 to 0.17 we have black and white shots of the band posing until one by one they all disappear leaving just singer Gahan. They are all looking into the camera. Like in most of their videos, they all wear black leather jackets. Quickly intercutting this section is an image of a rose (which links to the album artwork for Violater and single cover).
- Lots of long shots which show the protagonist's isolation. Other than the posing band shots, the singer is alone throughout the whole video. A prime example of the is at 1.08 where a large frame, with the singer small at the bottom of the screen.
- Again aspects of lip synching are used such as at 1.00. Corbijn blurs the gap between concept and performance often in his videos.
-Like Personal Jesus, this video makes use of colour. On that topic Austerlitz says in Money For Nothing: "Corbijn favors the texture and grain of black and white stock footage for most of his videos, and when shooting in colour, often depends on an over processed, supersaturated stock that makes individual colors (like the red of Gahan's kingly robes in "Enjoy The Silence" [1990]) pop off the screen."
- More linking the of concept part to the band section is used with the shot of Gahan posing as the king at 2.10. Again this video is all about Gahan, anchoring him as the focal point of the band.
- Use of black, contrast and shadows is again vital to the video with many silhouettes used but also in the posing sequences they give it that photographic appearance.
- Makes use of natural lighting for creative purposes. The sunset for example is used to great effect.
Importantly they shot on location rather than simply in a studio.
- Filmed in the Alps, Portugal and Scotland we can suggest that this video had a fairly large budget. This was around the band's peak of success.
- Again Corbijn and this time Coldplay pay homage to the video in their video for "Viva La Vida".
- An alternate video for the song was shot by French TV with Depeche Mode performing on top of the WTC in 1990.
- Austerlitz continues to say in Money For Nothing how "his Depeche Mode videos often empahasise the archaic (kings, cowboys, shacks, lanterns, even old cars) out of a desire to frame the band's timeless qualities and the cinematic scope of their songs' landscapes."   

Suffer Well [Playing the Angel][2006]

- Depeche Mode's first music video since Useless to be directed by Corbijn again, after a 9 year gap. It turned out to be his last (to date anyway)..
- A concept music video focusing on Dave Gahan's drug problems. Gahan and his wife (who appears in the video) seem to be reflecting on the life he would have had if he had continued using drugs.
- The video is one of the few exceptions to Corbijn's black and white schemes. The video instead uses pale blues until the disco scene which features a vibrant red (link to Enjoy the Silence?). This scene also links to the album art for Playing the Angel. As does the angel at 0.57.
- There a few instances of lip-synching such as at 2.51 when backing singer Martin Gore sings along whilst dressed as a bride. Andrew Fletcher is also in this scene but for the most part this video just focuses on singer, Gahan. This shows how he has now become the focal point of the band, in the same way a singer is in a rock band.
- There are a lots of still, steady camera shots mixed in with panning shots with movement. Very often the still shots are long shots, whilst Corbijn opts for a moving frame in close ups/ mid shots. Similarly the speed of editing varies throughout.
- The video is a continuation of Corbijn's strange concepts. Like many of his works with Depeche Mode, he has the band dressing up and acting out parts.
- We can suggest the video had a fairly large budget as it is clear a set has been built for filming. Depeche Mode at this point are a huge band worldwide.

Below is a short interview with Corbijn discussing his work with Depeche Mode. Press the CC button in the bottom right of the video for subtitles unless you can speak Dutch.


I also found a lengthy interview with Depeche Mode here in which they discuss their music videos and working with Corbijn. They discuss their general disappointment when working other directors in compared their partnership with Corbijn. I have picked out some of the key parts below...

- "Øyvind Holen (interviewer): I’m finished with the B.AC. era now. So why did you start cooperating with Anton Corbijn? 

Martin Gore: We had been trying to work with Anton for quite a while, but he wasn’t interested in working with us, because he felt we were too much of a pop band, and he didn’t really like what we were doing. It was probably the third attempt when we sent him the single “A Question of Time”, and asked him if he was interested in doing a video for it. And finally he actually liked something we were doing. There was also some coincidences going on as well, because Anton’s been really important for the visual output of the band. But we also did change drastically musically around 1986 anyway, and that’s why he decided to change and work with us."

"Øyvind Holen: Do you feel he helped you with making the transition from 80’s to 90’s in a way?

Andrew Flecher: A combination of Anton’s input into the artistic side, combined with the way the music was progressing. Before Anton, we made the decision to start wearing black."

- " Today, if Anton did a video and wanted us to go on spacehoppers we’d do it, because we would know he would make it look cool."

Post Corbijn Videos 

Wrong [Sounds of the Universe][2009]


- Directed by Patrick Daughters in 2008, in the previous interview Depeche Mode discussed how they were happy with the outcome of the video. It was their 46th single.
- Nominee for "Best Short Form Music Video" at the 2009 Grammy's. Time magazine said it was the second best video of the year.
- It's a concept music video focusing on a man trapped in a car going backwards. It links to the themes of the lyrics but not directly.
- The video is shot in colour which could signify the director's attempts to seperate his work from that of Corbijn. The lighting is that typical inner city lighting with vibrant blues and yellows.
- The opening shot is an abstract shot possibly of the top of the car window.  This instantly suggests the polysemy of the video. Music videos are often polysemic as they are intended for multiple viewings.
- The second shot is a long shot of the car probably edited in reverse. A lot of the video will have been filmed in reverse to make it play back normally, if you watch the video you will understand what I mean.
- Because of the dark lighting we believe at first that there is no driver of this car. At 0.50 it becomes apparent he has been tied up and is currently unconscious. The reason for him being trapped is left as narrative enigma.
- No performance aspects are included in the video although the band do make a cameo appearance at 1.38 as people walking down the road.This in itself a big departure from previous especially the earliest ones which we nearly all performance centralised on the band. As they are now older could it be that the music is more important the band? This video in itself is a short film rather than simply a music video.
- Two main shots reoccur. One is a POV shot looking out the windscreen from the "driver"'s perspective. The other is the shot of camera going backwards. This shot has a very surreal feel to it, and in truth reminds me of the effect that a snorricam creates.
- The mask makes our protagonist unknown until the very end of the video where he breaks free (just in time to get hit by another truck!). This scene could signify that video had a large budget behind it. The mask not only distorts our view of the driver, it makes his identity irrelevant, as well as supporting the video's bizarre vibe.
- The artistic styling of the video continues where Corbijn left off. The video is strange both plotwise and visually, which fits with the themes of the actual band these days. Importantly this video is very clever and sophisticated, showing that even though Corbijn doesn't direct their videos any more, his influence is seen through the successful ones that have followed his departure.

Record Label Profile

-Originally starting out as a club, Factory Records was created by Tony Wilson, Alan Erasmus, Peter Saville and Martin Hannet in Manchester, 1978.
-A year later A Factory Sampler was released - An EP consisting of tracks performed by bands at the club. Notably Joy Division were on the EP.
- They were a small indie label who over the years managed big success due to the bands they had attributed.
- Very often bands didn't even have contracts with the label.
- Bands such as Joy Division, New Order, The Durretti Column, Happy Mondays and A Certain Ratio all helped give the label it's legacy.
- The company had a unique labelling system; they labelled everything, including artwork, posters etc. Even Tony Wilson's coffin was labelled FAC501.
- Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (1979) was not only their own personal debut, but was the first LP release by Factory.
- Rob Gretton (Joy Division's manager), became the fifth member of the Factory Record team also in 1979.
- After Factory's biggest success so far (scoring a UK Top 20 hit with Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart"), 1980 saw the suicide of Ian Curtis. The remaining members of Joy Division went on to form New Order, and stayed with Factory Records.

The Hacienda
- In 1982 the doors opened to the nightclub "The Hacienda". The club has been credited as playing major role in the development of "Rave" music. The club was formed by both New Order and Factory Records.
- Though originally being funded by the label, New Order's record sales supported the club as it struggled to keep customers. According to wikipedia the clubs low prices were partly to blame and in the end " the Hacienda ended up costing New Order 10,000 a month".
- "Acid House" music was again attributed to the nightclub.
- Alledgedly customers spent more money on buying drugs from the bouncers than actual drinks from the bar. Therefore it struggled to make a profit.
- It closed in 1997, due to both security issues and ever-growing debt problems.

"Blue Monday"
-New Order's song "Blue Monday" was the biggest success for Factory Records. It was the biggest selling 12" in the UK and is often said to be the biggest of all time, with over one million estimated sales.
-It has recieved chart success at many different times, and is very often remixed.  
- FactoryRecords.Net claims that due to high production, Factory Records still lost money for each die sleeve it cut.

The Fall of Factory Records
- New Order and another of the labels successful bands "Happy Mondays" caused the label even more financial issues in 1992. Both spent excessive amounts recording their latest albums, New Order not Factory owned their back catalogue, and in late 1992 the label declared bankruptcy.
- Many of the bands joined London Records after Factory went out of business.
- In 1994, Tony Wilson (centre) attempted to revive Factory Records, rebranding it as "Factory Too" in partnership with London Records. After moderate success, Wilson left the label in the later 1990s going on to form Factory Record LTD., and then later F4 Records. The latter closed in 2007.
- After a battle with cancer, Tony Wilson sadly died of a heart attack on 10th August 2007, aged 57. This was just three months before the release of Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic Control, in which Wilson is played by Craig Parkinson. He is also played in the loosely accurate film directed by Michael Winterbotoom in 2002, 24 Hour Party People, by comedian Steve Coogan.

Recent Media Coverage of the Band

Though Joy Division were not around long, they left a significant impact on music. Their influence is huge and covers a wide range of bands and song titles (such as The Wombats *erm* tribute? "Let's Dance To Joy Division"). Though it's been now 30 years since they split up, they still have a huge following.


Just very recently "a dark township house" cover of "She's Lost Control" was released by artist Spoek Mathambo, who has renamed the track "Control".The cover is interesting in comparison to most covers. The Guardian said it was "Grim - but very good". I'd agree but they're not describing the original...
The video has the dramatic black and white tones of Anton Corbijn, too. Like Corbijn, the video's director (Pieter Hugo) is mainly a photographer, hence why the video is so artistic.
Joy Division influenced not just alternative music, but a huge range of genres. The actual sound of the track is very much a combination of Depeche Mode and Joy Division with a S.African touch. From what I have seen, it has generally received positive feedback, which is often rare for cover versions, especially when it comes to Joy Division. The video can be seen above.

NME celebrated Joy Division in the 30th anniversary issue. The front cover features a photo of Ian Curtis that had previously been used when they were a band. The magazine stated that "the album is still a masterpiece".
Former bassist Peter Hook, is now touring America playing the whole of Unknown Pleasures with a back up band, as well as debating rerecording some of the songs with that band (why?). He has also just opened a new venue in Manchester called "The Factory" (a tribute to Factory Records). Bernard Sumners and Stephen Morris now play in Bad Lieutenant, an alternative rock band. Meanwhile everyone else eagerly awaits a New Order reunion.

Each year we can expect a new Joy Division compilation album to be released, hence ours this year. The latest was a collection of 7" singles entitled "+- Singles 1978-80". The fan reviews heavily criticised the boxset, especially the artwork with one fan saying "Very, very disappointing - refrain from buying." Most packages are just the same songs except in a different format with different artwork. This is especially true when it comes to a band like Joy Division, who only actually had two studio albums. The boxset was never released on CD, so we intend ours to improve upon this good template and tracklisting, except improve it to aim to please the fans.

The Band as a Brand

Joy Division unfortunately weren't around long enough to be defined as a "brand" but that doesn't mean they weren't iconic. There are certain patterns in their imagery and look which we see repeated throughout all their work and subsequent releases.
They were around at a time where national and international exposure was hard to get, especially on an indie label. Bands like Joy Division relied on their live performances to spread word of mouth, and if they were lucky they might get one appearance on television or in a magazine. Joy Division were one of those bands that forced their way on to the scene through their brash attitude and great following. They toured Europe briefly and were going to tour America until Curtis' suicide.
   Many bands nowadays rely on getting money through merchandise. Female pop singer's now release perfumes not CD's, and metal bands now sue people who try distribute their music to a wider audience. Joy Division never had that oppurtunity and Factory Records were renowned for being unreliable backers. The fact that Joy Division never joined a major even after being offered the chance, shows that they felt a connection with Factory that was more important than money.

 They still have key characteristics visually. Black and white have become the defining colours (well lack of) for the band. Likewise a lot of their iconic appeal is in their music; Curtis' haunting vocals, Hook's bass melodies, Sumner's distorted guitars, Morris' intuitive drumming, gloomy Manchester, chain smoking, and grey overcoats = the Joy Division brand.

Joy Division - History, Genre & Music Videos

Joy Division were an English post-punk band formed in 1976 in Salford, Manchester. Though originally starting out as a punk band, they became one of the key bands of the post-punk movement. The band consisted of Ian Curtis (vocals), Bernard Sumner (Guitar and Keyboards), Stephen Morris (Drums) and Peter Hook (Bass Guitar).

Though they were only a band for four short years, they has a substantial impact on music. They had two full length albums: Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980) both of which received critical acclaim. Today they are still cited as one of the best alternative British bands of all time, and bands ranging from the likes of U2 and The Cure, to more modern artists like The Killers have claimed to be influenced by Joy Division. Their biggest hit was the song "Love Will Tear Us Apart" which was released just one month before Curtis' suicide in May 1980. It reached number 13 in the UK charts. In 2002, NME magazine placed at number 1 in it's list of the Best Singles of All Time. Following Curtis' death the remaining members went on to form the hugely successful group New Order who split up in 2007.

History 
(References: Wikipedia, The History of Rock Music: Joy Division, Joy Division Central )

20th July 1976 - The Sex Pistols played a gig at The Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester. Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and their friend Terry Mason attended, and apparently this concert is what inspired them to form a band. Ian Curtis also attended with his wife Deborah.
21st July 1976 - Peter Hook buys his first bass guitar. Sumner already owned a guitar and Mason soon bought a set of drums. After failed attempts with singers from their area, they posted an advertisement in the local record shop.
Late 1976 - Ian replied to the advertisement, having already met the three before at past gigs. He too had tried to setup a band, but thus far his attempts had come to nothing. He was hired without audition.

1977 - Buzzcocks' manager Richard Boon (who Curtis now knew) suggests the band call themselves Stiff Kittens. The band did not like the name and it was only used to give them a name for their first concert.
May 29th 1977 - Just before their gig supporting Buzzcocks at Manchester's Electric Circus the band rename themselves Warsaw taking influence from a David Bowie song; "Warszawa". The band were mentioned in national magazines NME and Sounds, and gained mixed reviews. Mason was now their manager and Tony Tobac played drums.
June 1977 - Finding a decent drummer was clearly a problem for Joy Division. Tony Tobac left and was replaced by another drummer Steve Brotherdale. He also played in another band Panik, and tried to persuade Curtis to leave Warsaw to join Panik.
July 1977 - Warsaw record their first demo. It consisted of five songs and was recorded at Pennine Sound Studios in Oldham.
August 1977 - After firing Brotherdale, the band place an advertisement in a shop window in an attempt to recruit a new drummer. Stephen Morris, a former schoolmate of Ian Curtis replies and like Curtis is instantly a member of the band. This would be the lineup that stuck.
December 1977 - The group record four songs for their E.P "An Ideal For Living".

Early 1978 - They rename themselves Joy Division (which was allegedly the section of Nazi concentration camps where woman were kept for the soldier's pleasure). This instantly showed the bands dark nature. They renamed themselves to avoid confusion with London Punk band Warsaw Pakt.
January 25th 1978 - They play their first gig under the name Joy Division.
April 14th 1978 - The band play the Stiff/Chiswick Challenge concert at Manchester Rafters Club. Tony Wilson and Rob Gretton attend. Gretton is so impressed he convinces the band to let him be their new manager.
May 1978 - The band again enter the studio intending to record their debut album. They were unhappy with the resulting mix that followed and the album was never released. It can now be found with the title "The Warsaw Album".
June 1978 - The E.P An Ideal For Living is released. It features Nazi themed artwork and when combined with the band's name, they were often criticised and accused of Nazism. All of which the band denied.
Summer 1978 - The band now rehearsed at an abandoned warehouse. Their music was now taking on a much darker, moodier feel than their original punk roots.
September 20th 1978 - The band appear on Granada TV hosted by Tony Wilson after Curtis complained at not already being shown. The band were now making regular appearances at Wilson's club "The Factory".
Late September 1978 - Joy Division contribute two songs ("Digital" and  "Glass") to the complimation album "A Factory Sample". This was the first Factory Records album. The album sells out two months later.
December 27th 1978 - They play their first gig in London, at the "Hope and Anchor" Pub. Disappointed with their performance, things get worse when Ian suffers his first epileptic fit on the car journey home.

January 13th 1979 - Ian appears on the front cover on NME. Joy Division were beginning to get real exposure.
January 1979 - Recorded their first session for BBC's John Peel.
February 14th 1979 - Joy Division were played on national radio. They continued to build public exposure and were on the verge of success. This very positive time for the band was happening at the same time as Ian's struggles with his condition got worse.
March 4th 1979 - They supported The Cure at The Marquee in London. This show was much more successful then their previous London disaster.
April 1979 - They record their debut album Unknown Pleasures at Strawberry Studios, in Stockport. Martin Hannett produced the album, and is credited as been a main contributor to Joy Division's haunting tone. The artwork was created by Peter Saville, who had previously done poster designs for gigs at The Factory.
June 1979 - Unknown Pleasures is released through Factory Records. The album is seen as giving the label a serious credibility, and it's sells out of it's original 10,000 presses, which were funded by Tony Wilson's £8500 life savings. The album recieves mainly positive reviews.
July 1979 - Tony Wilson puts them on Granada TV again, this time playing "She's Lost Control". They also made their only nationwide appearance later that year on BBC2's Something Else. During this time they also record and release the single "Transmission" which whilst receiving very good reviews, did not achieve commercial success.
August 31st 1979 - They play their biggest ever show to 1200 people at London's Electric Ballroom.
October 1979 - They begin a 24 date tour with Buzzcocks. Many reviews favoured Joy Division over the headline act. During this time Ian Curtis attention was swayed to a young Belgain woman called Annik. His affair with her caused him lots of trouble both at home and mentally.
They also record Licht und Blindheit with Martin Hannett, which featured Atmosphere and Deal Souls.
November 26th 1979 - A second Peel Session is recorded featuring the song "Love Will Tear Us Apart". The lyrics to this song focus on Curtis' relationship with Annik and his wife Deborah, and the title is now on his gravestone.

January 1980 - The band tour Europe, featuring concerts in Holland, Germany and Belgium. Their reputation was growing and growing.
March 1980 - Licht und Blindheit is released minorly in France on small French indie label Sordide Sentimental. It had just 1578 copies.
Their second album Closer was recorded at Britannia Studios in London. Ian's depression was evident through the lyrics as was his broken relationships with Annik and Deborah. This was a difficult time for Ian, but the album was already beginning to recieve hype, and an American tour was booked.
April 7th 1980 - Ian failed in a suicide attempt. He overdosed on phenobarbitone and was admitted to hospital.
April 8th 1980 - Joy Division play a concert in Bury at the Derby Hall. The singer of fellow Factory band "A Certain Ratio" has to step in whilst Curtis struggles off stage. He then comes on stage before again leaving as a riot including band members, manager and the crowd breaks out.
Late April 1980 - After cancelling some concerts to allow Ian some time off, the band film a promotional video for single "Love Will Tear Us Apart". This was the only music video they filmed before Curtis' death.
May 2nd 1980 - They played what would be their last concet at Birmingham's High Hall.
May 18th 1980 - Just two days before the band were set to embark on their first tour of the US, Ian Curtis commits suicide. After visiting his wife to tell her to drop the divorce suit, he then told her to leave him alone and return to her parents' house. In his final moments he watched Werner Herzog film Stroszeck and listened to Iggy Pop. He then hung himself in the kitchen. Deborah Curtis found him the next day.

After Ian Curtis' Death 

June 1980 - The posthumous single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is released. It gets to number 13 in the UK chart.
July 1980 - Closer is released to wide critical acclaim. The album gets to number 6 in the UK albums chart.
September 1980 - Factory Records release the Joy Division single "Atmosphere".
March 6th 1981 - The Joy Division song "Ceremony" is released under the remaining members new band name New Order. New Order's sound was a giant step away from Joy Division's gloomy moods. They went on to do exceedingly well commercial and critically.
October 8th 1981 - The complication album Still is released, which features rough recordings of previously unreleased Joy Division songs and a live recording of their last concert ever.
July 11th 1988 - Factory release Substance (another compilation album). They rerelease "Atmosphere" to promote the album along with a music video directed by Anton Corbijn.
June 1995 - Following Factory Records going out of buisiness, London Records buy the rights to Joy Division's backcatalogue. They release their own compilation album Permanent in 1995.
December 1997 - The boxset Heart and Soul is released. It includes nearly every Joy Division song ever recorded, and was met with generally positive reviews.
April 5th 2002 - The film 24 Hour Party People is released. It is directed by Michael Winterbottom and focuses on Factory Records. Though largely being about Tony Wilson, Joy Division are portrayed by actors and discussed.
2005 - Joy Division are inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, along with New Order.
October 5th 2007 - The Anton Corbijn directed Ian Curtis biopic is released to positive reviews. The film is based upon Deborah Curtis' book Touching From A Distance.
March 24th 2008 - The Best of Joy Division CD is released. It features a bonus disc of The Complete BBC recordings.

Genre
Somewhat abandoning their roots in punk music, Joy Division took on a much more original darker toned sound. They were driven by Peter Hook's bass guitar melodies which often overshadowed Sumner's distorted guitar. They become pioneers of Post-Punk.

Sumner said of their sound "It came out naturally: I'm more rhythm and chords, and Hooky was melody. He used to play high lead bass because I liked my guitar to sound distorted, and the amplifier I had would only work when it was at full volume. When Hooky played low, he couldn't hear himself. Steve has his own style which is different to other drummers. To me, a drummer in the band is the clock, but Steve wouldn't be the clock, because he's passive: he would follow the rhythm of the band, which gave us our own edge."

The slowed down pace of songs, and the eerie edge that synthesisers provided sepereted them from other punk bands. On live performances the band often sped up the songs, playing them much more aggressively and angrier than the original recordings. This allowed the fans to feed back of this and create a powerful atmosphere at the concerts. They encouraged crowd reaction. 

Post punk was often very experimental and more complex. It led to gothic rock, industrial music and the indie scene. Similar style bands were Echo & The Bunnymen, early The Cure, The Sound and Bauhaus. The movement was helped by John Peel of the BBC. A lot of the bands were linked through Factory Records, and many bands played concerts together.

NME described Joy Division and other bands as "grey overcoat music" in tribute to Ian Curtis' iconic clothing.

Music Videos

Love Will Tear Us Apart [1980]


- The video was filmed by the band themselves with a very low budget. Due to this there were production errors such as the "browned out" effect, though this became part of the video's appeal.
- The band also refused to mime playing instruments and singing so the song was re-recorded. Again there were production errors, this time with Curtis' vocals.
 - Opens with a POV shot walking up stairs. Repreated shot a a door opening and closing. The bands initials are carved into the door.
- The rest of the video is just a performance of the song. Lots of close ups of each member but for the most part focuses on Ian.
- This video features a rare performance with Ian on guitar and Bernard on keys. That being said, you can see in the video that guitar is not a prominent feature of the song.
- There are quite a few instances where the lip synching is not accurate with the lyrics. You can tell that the band have done this low budget, and yet because of the bands sound it suits them perfectly. It has become iconic of the video.
- There's a particularly nice panning out shot at 2.53 which is  the only time we see the whole band in the frame.
- There is very often a use of cross-dissolve transitions between long shots and close ups. These help the video flow at a steady pace.
- The video ends with a hand again opening the door to reveal an empty room. The band have have played their song and now gone. It could signify how people play their part in life and then just go, leaving nothing behind.
- None of the band make eye contact with the camera at any point. They are all devoted to their performance and this is what they are all about. They play music, nothing more. They don't even play of each other or interact with each other, they are in the moment.

Atmosphere [1988]

- Directed by Anton Corbijn to promote the Substance compilation album. Clearly as Ian Curtis had passed away and the band members were now in New Order, now performance aspects are included.
- Use of still images, much as you would expect to see at a funeral. Corbijn did a lot of photogrpahy for Joy Division, and some of his neverbefore seen images are shown here. On the video, in his book "Money For Nothing" Saul Austerlitz says: "Corbijn's mystical side found a fitting client in the mournful posthumous video he shot for Joy Division's "Atmosphere" in 1988. In a landscape of dead trees and heavy shadows, the remaining members of the group watch as diminutive monks trudge through the desert, marching in packs while bearing their burdens through the still wilderness. the monks carry large-then-life photographs of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis (Who committed suicide in 1980). "Atmosphere" is a belated funeral procession, its medieval religious feeling a fitting tribute to the austerity and high moral purpose of post punk heroes Joy Division. Curtis is designated a monk of pain himself there, trudging through the desert of whos own aching psyche, and the relative disparity in size between Curtis and those who honor him is no accident; by "Atmosphere's" dint, Curtis was a giant among midgets."
- The video is shot in Corbijn's typical black and white with deliberate grain. The contrast of black and white is deepend by the black and white costumes of the monks.
- Each monk wears either a "+" or "-" on their top. "+-" became the name of Joy Division's 7" single boxset.
- The opening shot pans down a large object that the monks are gathered round. This show is intercut with panning down shots of the monks. The shape of their costume reflects that of the shrine. This could be signifying how Curtis is now imitated and remembered by all his fans.
- The video is paced very slowly, with often very little movement in the shots. It has a sense of mourning about it. At the beginning each shot is cut in time to the beat of the song.
- He makes use of silhouettes such as 2.15. They give the video for a dark, mysterious feel to it.
- For the most part the video is very ambigious and open to interpretation. All we know is that Corbijn is paying tribute to the late Ian Curtis.
- The video is amost as if Corbijn is himself remembering all his memories of working with the band, and in this video putting them all together in a shrine to Ian Curtis.
- Like many of his videos, Corbijn makes use of desolate landscapes, creating a feeling of isolation and emptiness.The mood is very reflective, as is the song.
- There are lots of empty frames with the monks themselves very small in the shot. They are all unified by the band. The band that they look up to as it towers over them.