Interview with Douglas P. (Death In June), 14-15 October 2003 on The Vanishing Point radio program.
The Vanishing Point – 3D Radio, 11pm Tuesday tp 1am Wednesday, Adelaide, Australia
Participants:
Alan Bindig (DJ) Douglas P.
Song: Unknown Song: Death In June – Rocking Horse Night
Alan Bindig: Good evening. You’re listening to The Vanishing Point on 3D Radio 93.7FM. We’re here with Douglas P. from Death In June….
Douglas P.: Good evening… again!
AB: Yes… once again! Good to have you back!
DP: Thank you.
AB: We should explain what this show is all about tonight, and what we’re doing…
DP: Well, it’s going to be a mixture of Death In June and Dath In June/NON: work in progress, rare tracks, unreleased material. Basically there are two projects going on at presernt; there’s the Death In June rarities album, which you’ve just heard an excerpt from, which will contaion mixes of material which has never been released before, such as that. That was a different version of “Rocking Horse Night” which was originally on The World That Summer album as basically David Tibet and I doing a duet on the vocals, but that version doesn’t feature David Tibet. It’s still one of my favourite songs we co-wrote together. During the recent three and a half years of litigation I’ve had with my previous distribution company World Serpent, it forced me into reviewing what tapes I had in the archives, and I actually came up with quite a lot of stuff – I was amazed – I’d completely forgotten about twenrty years ago. So there’s a lot of material put out from there, plus things that have just never been out, and things that we’ve just re-recorded. On the other side, with Boyd Rice, as we mentioned a few months ago when we were in the studio, I think April or May, that we’d been working for almost a year now on a new album called “Alarm Agents” and tonight for people with tape recorders, MP3s, or whatever they do to record their radio shows these days, they should get their record buttons ready, because we’re going to play large excerpts of that this evening, plus the Death In June stuff… so there’s a lot of unreleased stuff just about to hit the airwaves.
AB: Okay.
DP: You won’t be hearing it for at least another six months, probably, in all reality. It’s taken a long time to finish.
AB: Okay now this next one… we’re going to hear some tracks, these are going to be from “Alarm Agents” when it’s done…
DP: We’re going to do a segue now, which will probably last for about 20 minutes, of the Alarm Agent material, Death In June and Boyd Rice. Some of these tracks don’t have names yet, some of them do, and we’ll come to that after we play this segue!
Song: Death In June & Boyd Rice – Unknown Song: Death In June & Boyd Rice – Unknown Song: Death In June & Boyd Rice – Unknown
AB: You’re listening to The Vanishing Point on 3D Radio 93.7FM. We’re here with Douglas P. playing some new and rare stuff from Death In June and NON. Tell us a bit more about those tracks.
DP: Those last three tracks we heard are from the “Alarm Agent” album, the first and the third ones have yet to have any vocals on them, they may not even have any vocals on them. Boyd is working on a whole load of material, from what he’s done to them since I’ve last heard the stuff, it’s completely up to him. We started in Denver last October when we were on tour in America, then we started recording again here, in Big Sound Studios up in the hills in April and then continued with it in Wellington when we flew over to New Zealand to do some more performances there. So it’s an ongoing project which will hopefully be finished this December, and nothing has got titles yet, so the three songs we’ve just heard or three piece of music that we’ve just heard are still unnamed. It’s just the project is “Alarm Agents”.
AB: Next we’re going to play another Death In June track, this is from the “Rarities”…?
DP: Yes. All the Death In June we’re going to hear tonight, as I said is either going to be “found songs” I’ve completely forgotten about, remixed, or re-recorded songs… which is what this one is, “13 Years Of Carrion”, a different version of it which we’ve remixed up at Big Sound… and completely unreleased material which we’ll get to later. And I have to say right now folks, I know it’s unprofessional to apologise on the show, but I just realised I’ve forgotten an entire CDR of Boyd Rice material… it’s stuck in one of the other CD players back home!
AB: Oh well!
DP: We’ll have to make do this evening!
AB: I think we’ve got plenty of stuff anyway! Okay… here’s “13 Years Of Carrion”.
Song: Death In June – 13 Years Of Carrion Song: Death In June – My Black Diaries
AB: You’re listening to The Vanishing Point on 3D Radio 93.7FM. We’re here with Douglas P. from Death In June who is playing some new and rare Death In June and Boyd Rice material. Tell us about the last tracks we played.
DP: The first one we heard was “13 Years Of Carrion” which was I think the very first song I physically wrote in Australia. It was up in a friend’s garden in Algate, in fact, and that was a completely different version that’s new… with different keyboards, at Big Sound. The second track is from a rare German compilation album called “Im Blutwier” and that compilation also features Blood Axis, Sol Invictus, Aller Seelen, amongst others, and that is a second version of a track I’ve done called “My Black Diary”, or depending on the version, “My Black Diaries” – that version was “My Black Diaries”. That features my long-sadly-departed MP40 Schmeiser sub-machinegun, which customs took off me when I actually moved here and declared that it had all the correct certification and was deactivated etc. But no, they wouldn’t have any of that, because evidently, the British way of deactiviating it is in a way that can be reactivated in times of civil strife in no time at all, so they said “It’s a very functioning sub-machinegun and you’re not gonna have it sonny!” Despite letters to Daryl Williams, our late Attorney General, or something like that, I think he was the Attorney General, I had to write to…
AB: Yes.
DP: I couldn’t convince them otherwise, so after several visits to the customs post down at Port Adelaide, it was sent packing back to where it came from, in the UK. Which was quite complicated, because most airlines wouldn’t accept it either! Eventually I found an airline that would accept a machinegun on board, but never mind! Long story, but fortunately, it’s on a record!
AB: Yes, it’s immortalised!
DP: Yes, and those tracks will be featured on the planned rarities album which will be called “Abandoned Tracks”. And it’ll all make much more sense when you see the artwork!
AB: Okay, next up – more from “Alarm Agent”.
DP: Yes, this is a very Death In June-sounding track, Boyd hasn’t put his vocals onto this yet, but as an instrumental you could definitely hear the Death In June influence… once again it doesn’t have a title.
Song: Death In June & Boyd Rice – Unknown Song: Death In June – Unknown
AB: You’re listening to The Vanishing Point on 3D Radio 93.7FM. We’re here with Douglas P. from Death In June. Now there was a different sound for Death In June…
DP: The techno one, yes that was part of three techno recordings that I did in Zagreb in Croatia during the war. The first one started in 1992, and I was approached by one of the DJs that was basically one of the promoters that got Death In June out to Zagreb to perform there, and asked to do some vocals, and it was a very different situation. I wouldn’t normally have done vocals to that kind of material but htey said “no no, look, and listen”, and I did, and while all the strobe lights were going mad in the techno club and people were juggling hand grenades and you were asked to leave your machinegun at the door, but you got it back after, unlike this horrible country….
AB:
DP: Just joking! …I could see the point of it, so I did do these vocals, and it took place over a period of two or three years from about 1992 to 1995. That was the second release, and it also features Occidental Martyr, who was another Adelaide artist, and our heartfelt feelings go out to you at the moment, because I heard he’s been very ill with this pneumonia-type bug that’s been going around and he had to go to hospital. The first one was another, as yet untitled track from the “Alarm Agent” album, and you can hear the very strong Death In June influence I assume, and this album has really got a lot of the writing for the Death In June album that I did that never happened, The Concrete Fountain, which was what I was working on in 1997-1998 when Albim Julius came along, and we veered off in another direction and did Take Care and Control, and then shortly after, Operation Hummingbird. So this album is still yet to come out, and I’ll be playing the title track, minus any vocals, later tonight, because it will be the next project of brand new material from Death In June, but you can hear some of the unreleased album on the “Alarm Agents” thing realistically. That’s where it’s ended up. The next track will be “Europa: The Gates Of Heaven” – a different version that I completely forgotten about and didn’t discover until earlier this year when we were reviewing the tapes. It’s got some nice acoustic guitar on it, which I have no idea why I didn’t use in the first place, becausre it’s not on The Brown Book version of the album, and the original also featured John Balance from Coil, and his vocals are no longer there and this is just sort of the original version of “Europa: The Gates Of Heaven”.
Song: Death In June – Europa: The Gates Of Heaven Song: Death In June & Boyd Rice – Unknown Song: Death In June – Unknown
AB: You’re listening to The Vanishing Point on 3D Radio 93.7FM. We’re here with Douglas P. from Death In June, playing new and rare material.
DP: The first of the two tracks was another track off the Death In June & Boyd Rice album “Alarm Agents”, and the second track, some of you out there might be familiar with if you got the vinyl edition of Take Care and Control, because along with that came a CD with four tracks on it, and that was one of the tracks on the limited edition CD that came with the vinyl, but that will be on Abandoned Tracks, but most people in the world didn’t get that, although probably everyone that’s listening in Adelaide does have that, knowing my luck! “We’ve heard that before!” But continuing, we’re going to play another track off the Death In Jine album, of rarities and remixes, and this one… was originally titled “Daedalus Rising” but now it’s been retitled “Europa Rising”, and completely different again – different vocals, and additional keyboards.
Song: Death In June – Europa Rising Song: Nature and Organisation – Unknown
AB: You’re listening to The Vanishing Point on 3D Radio 93.7FM. Douglas P. is programming the show and playing some new and rare material. Now that was a track by Nature and Organisation.
DP: Yes, it was something that I wrote the words for. Nature and Organisation is Michael Cashmore’s group, who is presently the guitarist in Current 93, and has been for getting on ten years, he sort of replaced me after I’d left. He approached Rose McDowell, David Tibet and myself to make a contribution, and that will be the only song on the “Abandoned Tracks” album that will feature all three of us, or all four including Michael, which was basically the setup of Current 93 in the early to mid-nineties. It’s the alternate version to “My Black Diaries” which was what we played earlier from the “Im Blutwier” compilation, but this one actually came out on Nature and Organisation’s one and only album, the title I at present forget.
AB: Okay.
DP: I was going to say the night at Frankfurt Sound Depot in 1992 when I taught Michael Cashmore about half a dozen Current 93 songs was the night I possibly may regret, because shortly after I got given the boot and David Tibet took him on instead! I’m sure it didn’t work quite like that, but I’ll always look back on that as teaching him something that I probably should never have done! It was always a pleasure working with Michael, realistically.
AB: There’s a lesson out there for young guitarists…! Alright, what are we going to hear next?
DP: It’s going to be another track from the “Alarm Agents” album, once again, no vocals yet from Boyd, and this would have been a Death In June track that would have appeared on the album that never came out, The Concrete Fountain, and you will be hearing that title track very very shortly.
Song: Death In June & Boyd Rice – Unknown Song: Death In June – The Concrete Fountain Song: Death In June – In Sacrelige Song: Death In June – Punishment Initiation
AB: You’re listening to The Vanishing Point on 3D Radio 93.7FM. Here with Douglas P. playing various track from various Death In June and related stuff. That last one was “Punishment Initiation”, I remember that one from Brown Book…
DP: That’s right…l actually it’s The World That Summer, I’m pretty sure it’s The World That Summer…
AB: Ok okay…
DP: I could be wrong though… Yeah, that was a different version again, and Tibet initially sung lead vocals on that but my vocals are on there as well, and this time I’m doing the lead vocals. The track before that was another version of “In Sacrelige” which originally featured on the Wall Of Sacrifice album, which was recently reissued, and once again that’s another version which has never seen the light of day. Before that was the actual title track for the album that’s never been -“The Concrete Fountain”, which has supplied quite a few instrumental tracks to the “Alarm Agents” album, which hopefully Boyd has done vocals to by now!
AB: So The Concrete Fountain album, has that been shelved for good…?
DP: No no…
AB: … Or will it come out one day?
DP: That will come out one day, it was the album that I’d jsut started in Zagreb in 1997, and then Albin came to Auastralia and we started recording Take Care and Control, so we veered off into that direction, but that will be the next brand new Death In June album, whenever that brand new Death In June album happens, and what I’m heading towards is sometime in a year, so this time next year it could be finished and out by Christmas 2004, but it’s difficult to tell. I’ve written a lot of words, but as I’ve said I’ve contriibuted most of the music I’ve set aside for it to the new Boyd Rice and Death In June album… nad I felt easy about that, it seemed to be the stuff I was doing during soundchecks on the last tour we did in Europe and America, and it seemed to be calling for that to be, so I thought “time to move on, see what next year brings for new stuff”.
AB: Next is more from “Alarm Agent”.
DP: That’s right, yes. Still vocal-less, because I forgot the CDR with all the vocals on, but still, you’ll get the idea.
Song: Death In June & Boyd Rice – Unknown Song: Death In June – Burn Again Song: Death In June – The Only Good Neighbour
AB: You’re listening to The Vanishing Point on 3D Radio 93.7FM. We’ve been here with Douglas P. from Death In June, programming the show and playing new and rare Death In June material and other stuff, wehat did we just here there?
DP: That track was “The Only Good Neighbour” which was featured on an American compilation released nearly ten years ago now, called “The Pact: Flying In The Face…” and in fact heartfelt feelings go out to the ratbag neighbour who used to live next door to me, with cats called Schubert and Beethoven, and thankfully she’s not there anymore! What a great inspiration hatred can be!
AB: Before that, we had a track called “Burn Again”.
DP: Yes, it’s another track like the one I’ve just mentioned which will be featured on the Abandoned Tracks album. That was originally featured on Brown Book, and once again it’s a different version. The original had David Tibet doing lead vocals and now it’s my lead vocals. I have no idea why he had lead vocal duties on things he didn’t write, but it was just one of those things! It seemed right at the time!
AB: Alright, we’re going to sign off now, so thanks very much for coming in and playing us this selection of stuff…
DP: Thank you, thanks for being so tolerant, and once asgain sorry for not bringing the material we wrote and recorded in Wellington in New Zealand, that is finished and it is pretty good stuff even though I may say so myself! But i got stuck in another CD player…
AB: But that stuff is also coming out on “Alarm Agents”…
DP: That will be on Alarm Agent, yes.
AB: I guess we’ll just have ot wait for that!
DP: I’m sure you’ve had plenty to record tonight, and bootleg throughout the world… feel free, I don’t care!
AB: Okay.
DP: This is another version of a track you’ve heard earlier tonight from “Alarm Agents”, this is the only one that does have a title, it’s called “Are You Out There”. It’s a different version of a song we also recorded up at Big Sound.
AB: Well, goodnight from us, The Vanishing Point will be back next week with the regular show, and until then, goodnight!
Song: Death In June & Boyd Rice – Are You Out There
End of interview.
