Joy Division will be re-releasing a 40th anniversary edition of sophomore album ‘Closer,’ on 17th July 2020. The release follows last year’s reissue of the ground-breaking debut album ‘Unknown Pleasures,’ and will be pressed on crystal clear vinyl.
In addition to the LP release, non-album singles ‘Transmission,’ ‘Atmosphere’ and ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ will be reissued on the same day with 2020 remastered audio. Since the demise of Factory records, these singles have never been repressed or reissued before and are cut on 180g vinyl, featuring the original artwork on heavyweight board. ‘Transmission’ will feature an embossed sleeve.
18th May 2020 also marks the 40th anniversary of Ian Curtis’ passing.
Joy Division recorded only two albums before singer Ian Curtis tragically took his own life in 1980. But what the Manchester quartet lacked in longevity, they more than made up for in quality. The two albums were pioneering and helped shape the sound and mood of the alternative music that followed in the band’s wake.
Ian Curtis (guitar/vocals), Bernard Sumner (keyboard), Peter Hook (bass), and Stephen Morris (drums) released their debut, ‘Unknown Pleasures,’ in 1979. By the end of the year, the album’s atmospheric sound had won over fans and critics with tracks like ‘She’s Lost Control,’ and ‘Day Of The Lords.’
‘Closer,’ the group’s second album, arrived the following year and its dark and melancholy tones continued to earn rave reviews for songs like ‘Isolation’ and ‘Heart and Soul.’
The compilations ‘Still’ and ‘Substance’ fill in the missing pieces of the band’s history with non-album singles ‘Transmission’ and ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart,’ unreleased studio tracks ‘Something Must Break’ and ‘Ice Age,’ and choice live recordings ‘Disorder’ and the only performance of ‘Ceremony.’