The Sociology of Joy Division

I don't read much sociology, but I couldn't resist picking up (from the library) the new essay collection Goth: Undead Subculture from Duke University Press, edited by Lauren Goodlad and Michael Bibby.  The two framing questions of the book are (1) What is Goth?, and (2) Why is it still a viable subculture after over twenty-five years, when the dominant model of subcultures (Dick Hebdige's) sees them being "diffused" and then "defused" within five years or so?  The answer to (1) is nebulous, but the answer to (2) seems to be that Goths do not see their subculture as a response to societal conditions, but rather an extension of a 200-year-old literary tradition and thus impervious to contemporary trends.

Bibby contributes an article entitled Atrocity Exhibitions: Joy Division, Factory Records, and Goth.  He credits Factory Records' producer, Martin Hannett, with being the architect not only of Joy Division's sound, but the sound of Gothic rock in general, in which the bass and drums supplant the traditional primacy of the guitar.  Bibby also provides a deep analysis of several of Joy Division's recordings; following is the paragraph about "Day of the Lords," but first, here's the song itself so you can listen to what he's writing about:

On Unknown Pleasures Hannett made liberal use of digital delay, intensified the drum sound, and overdubbed to help produce a sense of dread, melancholy, and tragedy.  On "Day of the Lords," for example, the guitar uses digital delay and octaver effect, which immediately reproduces the notes played, only an octave higher or lower, thus producing the effect of two guitars playing at once in different registers.  After a bass-dominated introduction, [Ian] Curtis sings:

This is the room, the start of it all
No portraits so fine, only sheets on the wall
I've seen the nights, filled with blood sports and pain
And the bodies obtained, the bodies obtained
Where will it end?
Where will it end?
Where will it end?
Where will it end?

Underscoring all this the guitar, along with a sustained synthesizer treble note, produces minor harmonies to the repeated fifth line, echoing Curtis's resigned singing.  The repetitiveness of the guitar line along with its doubleness through the octaver expresses both the monotony and inevitability of Curtis's question.  Unlike heavy metal guitar, the distortion effects on the guitar signify not power but impotence.  This is also supported by the relationship of bass to guitar in the opening theme, where the bass notes play a rising minor progression, while the guitar hits the same note throughout--in effect, the lower sound is heard rising, ascending to dominance in the mix, while the higher sound of the guitar, which in most rock music signifies power, goes nowhere.  This contrast underscores the lyrics' vision of a world in which death, despair, and the low rise up and dominate.

That's as good an explanation as I've heard as to why Joy Division's music is so disturbing, though I think the knowledge that the singer committed suicide also casts a pall over the music.  Michael Bibby has found a niche in which to exercise music fandom and music-tech geekery in an academic setting, and more power to him!  The whole essay is well worth reading.  Here's the book info: