Democracy (Killing Joke)
Encyclopedia
Democracy is the eleventh studio album of English
post-punk
group Killing Joke
. It was released on CD
in April 1996, and there was also a cassette version. A remastered CD with a remix of "Democracy" was released on 20 June 2005 by Cooking Vinyl
. The title track was released as a single and reached the UK Top 40 (#39).
and Henley-on-Thames
, Oxfordshire
, where the album was produced. Coleman had spent some time decompressing at the end of Pandemonium in Sedona, Arizona
, where he had been inspired by the new interest in the native American culture, striking a chord with his previous involvement in Maori culture
in New Zealand, where he had been settled for a short while.
A more optimistic and New Age
tinged album lyrically, while keeping some of the weight and import of Pandemonium, the album marked the beginning of a more settled period for singer Jaz Coleman, who had by now also made considerable progress with his orchestral career. Production was overseen by Youth, with live session man Geoff Dugmore on drums. Synthesised textures from keyboardist Nick Holywell-Walker added to the concoction.
The album sessions culminated in a full-moon drumming fire ceremony on a small island on the river Thames at Henley, with Youth reportedly braving the murky waters for a naked swim. Democracy was mixed in Sarm West in London's Portobello Road towards the end of 1995, with the exception of the track "Savage Freedom" which was mixed at Butterfly Studios, Brixton, by celebrated British engineer/producer Ott. However, guitarist Geordie Walker
has expressed disappointment with the resulting Democracy album. After a short tour in the summer of 1996, the band began their longest career hiatus to date, not reforming until 2002 and releasing their second eponymously-titled album in 2003.
called Democracy "Killing Joke's best album in 11 years", praising it for "return[ing] them to the assault and battery of their seminal, self-titled 1980 debut
." Adrien Begrand of PopMatters
, however, felt the album sounded "watered down", saying: "Most noticeably, the acoustic guitar-driven title track sounds limp, the Joke a shadow of their former selves, and much of the rest of the album tends to sleepwalk in the same way".
2005 CD reissue bonus track
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
group Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
. It was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in April 1996, and there was also a cassette version. A remastered CD with a remix of "Democracy" was released on 20 June 2005 by Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
. The title track was released as a single and reached the UK Top 40 (#39).
Recording and production
Hot on the heels of their successful 1994 Pandemonium album and tour, Killing Joke's members converged on the UK from their new found homes in three continents, to hide away in CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, where the album was produced. Coleman had spent some time decompressing at the end of Pandemonium in Sedona, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, where he had been inspired by the new interest in the native American culture, striking a chord with his previous involvement in Maori culture
Maori culture
Māori culture is the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, an Eastern Polynesian people, and forms a distinctive part of New Zealand culture. Within the Māori community, and to a lesser extent throughout New Zealand as a whole, the word Māoritanga is often used as an approximate synonym for Māori...
in New Zealand, where he had been settled for a short while.
A more optimistic and New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
tinged album lyrically, while keeping some of the weight and import of Pandemonium, the album marked the beginning of a more settled period for singer Jaz Coleman, who had by now also made considerable progress with his orchestral career. Production was overseen by Youth, with live session man Geoff Dugmore on drums. Synthesised textures from keyboardist Nick Holywell-Walker added to the concoction.
The album sessions culminated in a full-moon drumming fire ceremony on a small island on the river Thames at Henley, with Youth reportedly braving the murky waters for a naked swim. Democracy was mixed in Sarm West in London's Portobello Road towards the end of 1995, with the exception of the track "Savage Freedom" which was mixed at Butterfly Studios, Brixton, by celebrated British engineer/producer Ott. However, guitarist Geordie Walker
Geordie Walker
Kevin "Geordie" Walker is a rock musician, best known as the guitarist from the post-punk group Killing Joke.-Life and career:...
has expressed disappointment with the resulting Democracy album. After a short tour in the summer of 1996, the band began their longest career hiatus to date, not reforming until 2002 and releasing their second eponymously-titled album in 2003.
Reception
Jack Rabid of The Big TakeoverThe Big Takeover
The Big Takeover is a bi-annual music magazine published out of New York City since 1980 by critic Jack Rabid.-Overview:The Big T usually appears in June and December, with most recent issues coming in around 200 pages. The review section, featuring Jack’s Top 40 for the issue, is regularly 60-80...
called Democracy "Killing Joke's best album in 11 years", praising it for "return[ing] them to the assault and battery of their seminal, self-titled 1980 debut
Killing Joke (1980 album)
Killing Joke is the debut studio album of the London post-punk band Killing Joke. Released in August, 1980 worldwide under E'G Records, Killing Joke was self-produced and was considered an underground album. The album was recorded in early 1980, shortly after a small tour promoting the Almost Red EP...
." Adrien Begrand of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, however, felt the album sounded "watered down", saying: "Most noticeably, the acoustic guitar-driven title track sounds limp, the Joke a shadow of their former selves, and much of the rest of the album tends to sleepwalk in the same way".
Track listing
All tracks written by Coleman/Glover/Walker.- "Savage Freedom" – 4:52
- "Democracy" – 3:39
- "Prozac People" – 6:54
- "Lanterns" – 4:53
- "Aeon" – 8:05
- "Pilgrimage" – 6:29
- "Intellect" – 4:00
- "Medicine Wheel" – 5:18
- "Absent Friends" – 5:40
- "Another Bloody Election" – 4:27
2005 CD reissue bonus track
- "Democracy" (The Russian Tundra Mix) – 17:52
Personnel
- Jaz ColemanJaz ColemanJeremy "Jaz" Coleman is a musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to rock band Killing Joke...
- vocals, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Kevin "Geordie" WalkerGeordie WalkerKevin "Geordie" Walker is a rock musician, best known as the guitarist from the post-punk group Killing Joke.-Life and career:...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Martin "Youth" GloverMartin GloverMartin Glover, also known as Youth, is a record producer and a founding member and bassist of the UK band Killing Joke. He is a member of The Fireman along with Paul McCartney. Glover was born in Africa.-Early career:...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Geoff Dugmore - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Nick Holywell-WalkerNick Holywell-WalkerNick Holywell-Walker performed with London-founded band Killing Joke beginning in 1994, as keyboard player and programmer. He left in 2004 to concentrate on his own projects.A singer, songwriter, producer and composer, he resides in North London, UK....
- synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
Charts
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
71 |