Even before Joy Division Unknown Pleasures debut CLOSER is the musical legacy of the pioneering post-punk band from Manchester. During the recording sessions in March 1980 only Annike Honore, Curtis' Belgian lover, the full dimensions of the sinister intentions of the singer should have understood. What was rather a provocative theatricality in gothic rock, was in Joy Division probably deadly serious. About all the world lost lines that brought Curtis to paper for CLOSER, floats like a beacon in the "isolation" formulated shocking realization: "I'm ashamed of the person I am." In Ian Curtis' thoughts semiautistischer world that remains out of reach you: "I put my trust in you," he sings in grim "A Means To An End", this reveals the fickleness of his voice hopelessness. "Got to find my destiny before it gets too late": Like most of the lyrics on CLOSER remains the disturbing final line of Twenty Four Hours ". Enigma betrays a trace of hope, and should" some therapy "Curtis' epilepsy shaken ? but put back in place health yet or intended the singer that entered through his marriage crisis intensification of his suffering - "the crisis I knew had to come" ("Passover") - deep conviction in suicide to end, "Deep in the heart of where sympathy held sway "?
In all autobiographical tragedy itself CLOSER can also beyond Anthony Corbijn's film biography "Control" comprehend: as a universal piece of music. CLOSER tells not only of modern alienation - it sounds more like that. Of course, not least thanks to Martin Hannetts groundbreaking strokes of genius to the Director regulators that Bernard Albrecht (g), Peter Hook (b) and Stephen Morris (drums) were sound cold contributions still icy: the dental drill guitar sound on "Atrocity Exhibition", the relentless Beat of "Heart And Soul", the synthetic drums on "The Eternal". CLOSER, although with its timeless electro sounds stylistically far more adept than the monolithic UNKNOWN PLEASURES, is like its predecessor perfect black and white painting without nuances. All subtleties - there is no shortage of it - serve the sole purpose of perfecting the inherent expression forlornness musically: the the Krautrockers Can (source of inspiration) reminiscent tribal beat of the opener, the refined sound-quiet dynamics of "Twenty Four Hours" , Peter Hooks strange Bassgeschrammel on "Passover", the gently polyrhythmic beginning of "Decades". Sophistication in hochexpressivem minimalism, of which more quiet dozen could give examples.
Aliens cold never sounded more human than the naive genius pre-industrial sounds of CLOSER. The American All Music Guide summarizes the size of CLOSER remarkably together: "No matter how you define rock music: Seldom acts and sounds it as significant, so alive, so irresistible and undeniable as here".
