Killing Joke | |
|---|---|
 Killing Joke performing at the 2009Ilosaarirock Festival. From left to right: Ferguson (background), Walker, Coleman, Youth | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Notting Hill, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Works | Killing Joke discography |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Members | |
| Past members |
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| Website | www |
Killing Joke are an Englishpost-punk band formed inNotting Hill, London, in 1979 byJaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards),Paul Ferguson (drums),Geordie Walker (guitar) andYouth (bass).
Their first album,Killing Joke, was released in 1980. After the release ofRevelations in 1982, bassist Youth was replaced byPaul Raven. The band achieved mainstream success in 1985 with the albumNight Time and particularly the single "Love Like Blood" which reached the top ten in Belgium, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
The band's musical style emerged from thepost-punk scene, but stood out due to their heavier approach, and has been cited as a key influence onindustrial rock.[1] Their style evolved over many years, at times incorporating elements ofgothic rock,[2]synth-pop andelectronic music, but always featuring Walker's prominent guitar and Coleman's "savagely strident vocals".[1] Killing Joke have influenced many later bands and artists, such asMetallica,Nirvana,Nine Inch Nails andSoundgarden.
Following Raven's sudden death in 2007, all four founding members returned to the band's lineup the following year. Coleman and Walker were the only constant members of the band until Walker's death in 2023.
Paul Ferguson was the drummer in the band Matt Stagger when he metJaz Coleman (fromCheltenham, Gloucestershire) inNotting Hill, London in late 1978. Coleman was briefly the keyboard player in that band. He and Ferguson then left to gradually piece together Killing Joke.[3] In the following months, they placed advertisements inMelody Maker and other music papers. GuitaristGeordie Walker joined them in March 1979,[4] followed by bassistYouth.[5] The band was formed in June 1979.[6] Coleman said theirmanifesto at the time was to "define the exquisite beauty of theatomic age in terms of style, sound and form".[7] Coleman gave an explanation concerning their name: "The killing joke is like when people watch something likeMonty Python on the television and laugh, when really they're laughing at themselves. It's like a soldier in the first world war. He's in the trench, he knows his life is gone and that within the next ten minutes he's gonna be dead ... and then suddenly he realises that some cunt back in Westminster's got him sussed—'What am I doing this for? I don't want to kill anyone, I'm just being controlled'."[8] The band played their debut gig on 4 August 1979 at Whitcombe Lodge in Brockworth, near Gloucester, supportingthe Ruts andThe Selecter.[9]
By September 1979, shortly before the release of their debut EP,Turn to Red, they started the Malicious Damagerecord label with graphic artist Mike Coles as a way to press and sell their music.[10]Island Records distributed the records (and released their debut single "Nervous System"), before they switched toE.G. Records with distribution throughPolydor from 1980.[5] Killing Joke's early material "fused together elements ofpunk,funk anddub reggae".[11]Turn to Red came to the attention ofBBC Radio 1 DJJohn Peel, who was keen to champion the band's urgent new sound and gave them extensive airplay. In October 1979, the band recorded their first session for Peel's radio show. AnNME concert review said that "their sound is a bit like early[Siouxsie and the] Banshees without the thrilling, amoral imagination".[12] Concerning their live performances, it was said that "the only animation on stage is provided by Jaz who crouches behind his synthesizer, making forays like a Neanderthal man gripped by a gesturing, gibbering fury".[12] The songs on the 1980 "Wardance/Pssyche" single were described as "heavy dance music" by the press.[5] The band had changed their sound into something denser, more aggressive and more akin toheavy metal. Their debut album,Killing Joke, was released in October 1980; the band had considered calling itTomorrow's World.[5] The press started to criticise them for the lack of new material appearing on theB-sides of singles, which often featured different mixes.[13] The group preferred to carry on working in the studio and releasedWhat's THIS For...! just eight months afterKilling Joke, in June 1981. For this second album, they hired sound engineerNick Launay, who had previously recorded withPublic Image Ltd.[14] They toured extensively throughout the UK during this time, with fans ofpost-punk and heavy metal taking interest in Killing Joke via singles such as "Follow the Leaders".[7]
Killing Joke also became notorious largely due to the controversies that arose from their imagery. The images that appeared on their records and stage set were often bizarre and potentially shocking and inflammatory. Critics noted the band's black humour and the use of musical and visual shock tactics to create a reaction.[13] The "Wardance" sleeve had already depictedFred Astaire dancing in a war field.[15] One promotional poster featured an original photo, erroneously believed to be ofPope Pius XI. The picture was of German abbot Alban Schachleiter walking among rows of Nazi brownshirts offeringHitler salutes and appearing to return the salute; it was later used for the cover of the band's compilation albumLaugh? I Nearly Bought One!
Revelations was recorded in 1982 in Germany near Cologne with producerConny Plank, who had previously worked forDeutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,Neu!, andKraftwerk.[16] The album was supported by a pair of performances onBBC Radio's "The John Peel Show" and a slot on UK TV showTop of the Pops for "Empire Song". It was the first time that one of their albums had entered the top 20 of theUK Albums Chart:Revelations peaked at No. 12 at its release.[17] Members of the band, especially Coleman, had become immersed in theoccult, particularly the works of occultistAleister Crowley. In February of that year, Coleman, with Walker following shortly after, moved toIceland to survive theApocalypse, which Coleman predicted was coming soon. While in Iceland, Coleman and Walker worked with musicians from the bandÞeyr in the projectNiceland. Youth, who had stayed in England, left the band after a few months.[18] He then began the bandBrilliant with Ferguson, but the latter defected and travelled to Iceland to rejoin Killing Joke with new bassistPaul Raven.
The new Killing Joke line-up recorded again with Plank, yielding the single "Birds of a Feather" and a six-track 10"EPHa!, recorded live atLarry's Hideaway inToronto, Ontario, Canada in August. In 1983 the band releasedFire Dances and its single, "Let's All Go (to the Fire Dances)", the first Killing Joke single to be promoted with a music video.[19] Another non-album single, "Me or You?", was released in October.
The following year brought the arrival of producerChris Kimsey, who had previously worked withthe Rolling Stones andLed Zeppelin. The first releases with Kimsey were "Eighties" (April 1984) and "A New Day" (July 1984).[7] The band achieved mainstream success in January 1985 with the single "Love Like Blood", which blendedgoth andnew wave to pop and rock;[20] it peaked at No. 16 in the UK charts.[21] In Europe and overseas, it reached the No. 5 position in the Netherlands, No. 6 in New Zealand and No. 8 in Belgium.[22] This song and the earlier single "Eighties" were both included on their fifth album,Night Time, released later that year. The album took the band's songwriting in a more melodic, "anthemic" direction[20][23] and reached No. 11 in the UK albums chart, their highest position to date.[17]Night Time also became an international success, staying in the Dutch charts for nine weeks, reaching the top 10, and peaking at No. 8 in New Zealand during a 14-week stay.[24] The band, still on the E.G. label, then quit their distribution deal with Polydor and signed a new one withVirgin Records.
The following album,Brighter than a Thousand Suns (1986) was also produced by Kimsey and saw the band's style develop further. The label rejected Kimsey's original mixes and had the album re-mixed against the wishes of the band, in an attempt to achieve more commercial success. The results have been retrospectively described as over-produced.[20] Despite the intentions of the label, the album was a commercial failure compared toNight Time, failing to reach the top 50 in the UK chart.[21] Its two singles fared little better: "Adorations" narrowly missed the UK Top 40 and "Sanity" peaked at number 70.[25] However, the band continued touring successfully until the end of the year.[7] Kimsey's original mixes ofBrighter Than A Thousand Suns were eventually restored on the 2008 re-release, to a more favourable response.[20]
In 1987, Coleman and Walker began working on a new project, which was presented by Coleman and Walker as a studio project to the rest of the band. Raven took part in the sessions but ultimately asked for his name to be removed from the album credits.[26] Ferguson recorded drums in Berlin but, according to Coleman, was dismissed because he was not able to manage the precise timings. Raven denied this version of events, stating, "I know Paul and when he does something he does it properly. If it wasn't right he would have stayed there 'til it was".[26] Session playerJimmy Copley was brought in to provide the drumming on the album, along with percussion player Jeff Scantlebury. Raven and Ferguson quit Killing Joke shortly afterwards, with Raven purportedly calling Coleman and Walker "a pair of ego-strokers".[26] Coleman then delivered a lecture at London'sCourtauld Institute about his method behind the songs, expounding on its origins ingematria and the occult, while Walker and Scantlebury provided a minimal acoustic musical backing. A recording of this event was released asThe Courtauld Talks.[27]
The resulting album,Outside the Gate, released the following June, is Killing Joke's most controversial work to date due to its complex synth instrumentation and stylistic departure.[28] It entered the UK Albums Chart at number 92 and stayed for just one week.[29] No gigs were played in support of the album and it was not released in the US. Virgin dropped the band two months later, by which time Coleman and Walker had become embroiled in a lengthy legal battle to extricate themselves from their contract withE.G.
Towards the end of 1988, Coleman and Walker revived the band and began looking for full-time bass players and drummers. First on board was drummerMartin Atkins, who had gained notability in Public Image Ltd. A suitable bass player proved more difficult. FormerSmiths memberAndy Rourke was hired, then dismissed after only three days. Eventually the band settled on Welsh bass player Dave "Taif" Ball, and played their first gigs in almost two years in December 1988.[30] Touring continued across the UK, Europe and the US until August 1989, when the band took a break to record new material in Germany and allow Coleman time to recordSongs from the Victorious City withAnne Dudley ofArt of Noise.
For reasons that remain unclear, the German sessions were shelved and bass player Taif left the band. He was replaced by former member Paul Raven and the revised line-up began recording again, this time in London. The result was Killing Joke's eighth album,Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions, released on the GermanNoise International label in 1990. It marked a return to a heavier sound.[31][32] "Money Is Not Our God" was the lead single. The band toured Europe and North America until unexpectedly disbanding again in mid-1991. Coleman emigrated to New Zealand to live on a remote Pacific island, and Killing Joke entered a hiatus.
Atkins continued with Walker, Raven and the band's live keyboard player, John Bechdel, as the short-livedMurder, Inc., recruiting Scottish vocalistChris Connelly and reuniting with Ferguson as second drummer.
A Killing Joke anthology,Laugh? I Nearly Bought One!, was released in 1992; during its production, Walker became reacquainted with Youth, who suggested that they reform the band with himself back on bass. That same year, two singles (on cassette and CD) appeared featuring the early songs "Change" and "Wardance" remixed by Youth, who was by then a successful producer.[33] In late 1993, Walker, Youth, and Coleman (alongside new drummerGeoff Dugmore) started work on Killing Joke's ninth studio album. Portions of the album were recorded inside the King's Chamber ofThe Great Pyramid of Giza.[34]
Pandemonium was released in 1994 on Youth'sButterfly Recordings label, featuring a heavy and diverse new style.Tom Larkin, of New Zealand bandShihad, performed additional drums on the album. Coleman had earlier produced Shihad's 1993 debut album, but relations later soured due to a dispute over Coleman's producer's fee.Pandemonium also featured several Egyptian musicians that Coleman had previously worked with onSongs from the Victorious City, including percussionistHossam Ramzy and violinist Aboud Abdel Al.,[35][36] and earned Killing Joke a memorableTop of the Pops appearance for the single "Millennium", which was a UK Top 40 hit (the album itself made the Top 20). The title track was also released as a single and made the UK Top 30. The album itself became Killing Joke's best-selling work.[37]
In 1995, the band recorded the song "Hollywood Babylon" for theShowgirls soundtrack of thePaul Verhoeven film ofthe same name.
A follow-up album,Democracy, was released in 1996 and also produced by Youth.Democracy introduced acoustic guitar to several songs and featured more explicitly political lyrics. The title track was released as a single and made the UK Top 40. Much ofPandemonium and all ofDemocracy featured drummer Dugmore, who also played live with the band during this era.Nick Holywell-Walker also joined the band on keyboards and programming for 11 years from 1994 to 2005, notably onDemocracy andXXV Gathering. Youth bowed out of live performance early in theDemocracy tour and was replaced byTroy Gregory, previously ofProng.[7]
After theDemocracy tour, the band went on their longest hiatus to date. Coleman and Youth produced a string of orchestral rock albums based on the music ofclassic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin,Pink Floyd andthe Doors. Coleman becameComposer in Residence for New Zealand and Czechsymphony orchestras,[38] and made his acting debut with the main role in the filmRok ďábla (Year of the Devil) by Czech filmmakerPetr Zelenka.
In 2002, Coleman, Walker and Youth recorded theirsecond self-titled album with special guestDave Grohl on drums. Produced byAndy Gill and released to much acclaim in 2003, it was heralded as a powerful addition to their earlier classics.[39][40] In 2003, the band played at the biggest open air festival in Europe—Przystanek Woodstock[41] in Poland. Thewar on terror and theinvasion of Iraq were cited as major factors in their reforming, reflected in the lyrical content of much of the album, based on themes of war, government control andArmageddon. The album, which fell just short of the UK Top 40 and spawned two singles, "Loose Cannon" (a UK Top 25 hit) and "Seeing Red". The songs were all credited to Coleman/Walker/Youth/Gill, although Raven's name is also on the list of musicians on the liner notes, marking his return to the band after more than a decade. The album was accompanied by a tour of the United States, Europe and Australia in 2003–2004, with ex-Prong drummerTed Parsons on board.
In February 2005, now with young drummer Ben Calvert (Twin Zero, Sack Trick), Killing Joke played two consecutive shows at London'sShepherd's Bush Empire to commemorate their 25th anniversary.DVD and CD recordings from these concerts were released in the fall of the same year asXXV Gathering: The Band that Preys Together Stays Together. In June, remastered and expanded editions ofPandemonium andDemocracy, were released byCooking Vinyl. These were followed in July by remasters of their first four albums (Killing Joke toHa!) onEMI, who by then owned the E.G. Records catalogue. The second batch of EMI remasters would not appear until January 2008. That year, Reza Udhin joined the band on keyboards when they supportedMötley Crüe's British tour; they then began work on their next album inPrague. Killing Joke's contribution to the world of rock was recognised when they were awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 2005Kerrang Awards.[42] The band recorded the new album in "Hell", the basement rehearsal space of Studio Faust Records in Prague, opting for simplicity and raw energy through the use of live takes with a minimum of overdubs.[43] The result wasHosannas from the Basements of Hell, released in April 2006, which made the UK Top 75.
During a European tour in April 2006, Paul Raven abruptly departed after a few dates to tour withMinistry, and was temporarily replaced by Kneill Brown. In October, it was announced that Coleman had been chosen as Composer in Residence for theEuropean Union, to be commissioned to write music for special occasions.[38]
Early in 2007, Killing Joke released three archival collections. The first,Inside Extremities, was a double album of material taken from the band's preparations for theExtremities album, including rehearsals, rare mixes, previously unheard track "The Fanatic" and a full live show from theExtremities tour.[44] This was followed by two volumes ofBootleg Vinyl Archive, each consisting of a 3-CD box set of live bootleg recordings originally released on vinyl in the 1980s, plus the Astoria gig from thePandemonium tour (which was voted one of the greatest gigs of all time byKerrang).[45] The 1990 albumExtremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions, which had long been out of print, was reissued in remastered form.
On 20 October, Paul Raven died of heart failure prior to a recording session in Geneva, Switzerland.[46] In his honour, Coleman composed the track "The Raven King", which appeared on the next album.[47] In 2008, the second batch of albums, fromFire Dances toOutside the Gate, was reissued in remastered form with bonus tracks.
After the death of Raven, the original line-up of Coleman, Youth, Walker and Ferguson reunited. Coleman toldTerrorizer magazine how the return of Ferguson came up after 20 years of absence:
Everything came together when we all met at...Raven's funeral. It was funny the unifying effect it had on all of us. It made us realise our mortality and how important Killing Joke is to all of us.[48]
They assembled in Granada, Spain, to prepare a world tour consisting of two nights in various capital cities of the world, playing a programme of four complete albums. Recordings of the rehearsals were later released asDuende - The Spanish Sessions. The first night was dedicated to their first two albums,Killing Joke andWhat's THIS For...!, while the second night featured large parts ofPandemonium plus some early Island singles. The world tour began in September in Tokyo and concluded in Chicago in October.[49]
An album of radio session recordings,The Peel Sessions 1979–1981, was released in September 2008. This was the second time all 17 tracks were released in their live session form.
The band then appeared at several festivals, includingAll Tomorrow's Parties,Sonisphere Festival,[50] andRebellion Festival, headlining the latter.[51] They also performed in the Big Top Tent at the 2009Isle of Wight Festival after being hand-picked byTim Burgess, frontman forthe Charlatans.[52]
During October and November 2009, they recorded the albumAbsolute Dissent (2010), marking the band's 30th anniversary.[53] It was preceded by theIn Excelsis EP in June 2010. In November, the band received the "Innovator Award" at the 2010Classic Rock Roll of Honour; the award was presented to Killing Joke byJimmy Page ofLed Zeppelin, who stated, "I go back a long way with Jaz Coleman and the band. I used to go and see the band, and it was a band that really impressed me because Geordie's guitar sound was just really, really strong. And they were really tribal, the band, and it was really intense. It was just really good to hear something like that during the 80s, which sort of caved in a bit with haircuts and synthesizers".[54] The band were also honoured byMetal Hammer at theirannual awards, receiving the Album of the Year award forAbsolute Dissent.[55]
In 2012, the group releasedMMXII. It reached No. 44 upon its first week of release, the band's highest UK chart placement since their eponymous 2003 album,[21] as well as charting across Europe.
The band released their 15th studio album,Pylon, in October 2015. The deluxe edition contained five additional tracks. A nine-date British tour followed to promote the record.[56]Pylon entered the UK albums chart at No. 16, becoming the band's first UK Top 20 album since 1994.[21] In November 2016, the band played at theBrixton Academy in London, before embarking on a European tour, their longest to date. In 2018, the band did a worldwide tour to celebrate their 40th anniversary.[57]
In March 2022 the band released a new EP,Lord of Chaos, their first new material in seven years.[58]
Geordie Walker died inPrague on 25 November 2023, aged 64, after suffering a stroke.[59][60]
The band called their sound "tension music".[61] Co-founder Ferguson described it as "the sound of the earth vomiting. I'm never quite sure whether to be offended by the question of 'are we punk' or not, because, I loved punk music, but we weren't. And I think our influences were beyond punk. Obviously before punk, there was Led Zeppelin,Black Sabbath and there wasYes even andKing Crimson, and those had all influenced me as a player, and the other guys would say other things, but I'm sure they were all part of their history as well".[62]
Coleman's "menacing"[61] vocal style and "terrifying growl" have been compared toMotörhead'sLemmy.[63] In the first part of their career, Coleman also played synth while singing, adding electronic atonal sounds to create a disturbing atmosphere.[61]
Walker's guitar style is metallic and cold.[63] Walker stated that "the guitar should convey some sort of emotion". He cited Siouxsie and the Banshees's original guitaristJohn McKay who "came out with these chord structures that I found very refreshing".[64] According to criticSimon Reynolds, Walker tookKeith Levene's guitar sound from PiL to another, almost inhuman and extreme level.[61] Ferguson's tribal drum style has been compared to early Siouxsie and the Banshees.[65] Coleman had stated in early 1980 that Ferguson listened to the Banshees.[66]
The band experimented on anindustrial metal influenced sound onPandemonium, and it continued on their late albums.[67][68]
Killing Joke have inspired artists of many genres. They have been namechecked by several heavy metal and rock bands such asMetallica andSoundgarden. Metallica covered "The Wait" andJames Hetfield picked Coleman as one of his favourite singers.[69] Soundgarden cited them as one of their main influences when they started playing.[70]Jane's Addiction said that the group was one of their influences; singerPerry Farrell was inspired by the percussive and tribal aspect of their music.[71]Helmet frontmanPage Hamilton, whose band covered "Primitive" and "Requiem", has described Killing Joke as "a huge-huge influence".[72][73]Faith No More stated that all of their members liked the group, qualifying them as a "great band".[74] Walker's style inspiredKurt Cobain's work withNirvana, according toBill Janovitz ofAllMusic, with the use of a metallic sound mixed with a shimmering chorused effect.[63]Foo Fighters, Nirvana drummer Grohl's subsequent band, covered "Requiem" in 1997. Metal bandFear Factory covered "Millennium" in 2005.
The band have inspired many industrial bands, includingNine Inch Nails andMinistry. They have been cited byTrent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails's leader, who mentioned his interest in their early material,[75] and said that he studied their music.[76]Al Jourgensen of Ministry described himself as a "big fan" of the group.[77]Marilyn Manson listened to them during his formative years.[78]Godflesh frontmanJustin Broadrick appreciated Killing Joke for their early releases containing dub versions,[79] and has stated that, "I wouldn’t play guitar how I do without that band."[80]
The group has also been cited by alternative music acts such asMy Bloody Valentine andLCD Soundsystem.Shoegaze guitarist and composerKevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine mentioned the band and specifically praised Walker's touch, which he described as "this effortless playing producing a monstruous sound".[81] In 2002,James Murphy ofdance-punk band LCD Soundsystem lifted the rhythm section of "Change" on his debut single, "Losing My Edge".[82][83][84]
Killing Joke were the subject of a feature-length documentary film,The Death and Resurrection Show (2013), by filmmaker Shaun Pettigrew;[85] its genesis came from an earlier video work financed by Coleman calledLet Success Be Your Proof.[86] The film was shown in various festivals between 2013 and 2014. Co-produced by Coleman, it combined archive footage of Killing Joke over the previous decades with tour footage, recording sessions and interviews with subjects including the members of the band, Jimmy Page, Dave Grohl,Peter Hook andAlex Paterson.The Death and Resurrection Show was broadcast onSundance TV and was then released on DVD via the film's website in 2017.[87]Uncut rated it 9 out of 10, saying "Shaun Pettigrew's film mixes outlandish anecdotes, arcane philosophy and blistering music".[88]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Jaz Coleman |
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| all releases |
 | Paul Ferguson |
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 | Youth |
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|
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| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Geordie Walker |
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| all releases |
| Paul Raven |
| bass |
| |
 | Martin Atkins | 1988–1991 |
|
|
| Dave "Taif" Ball | 1988–1990 | bass | Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions (1990) | |
| Geoff Dugmore | 1993–1996 | drums |
| |
| Ben Calvert | 2005–2008 |
|
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Kovacevic | 1984–1990 | keyboards |
| |
 | Jimmy Copley | 1987–1988(died 2017) | drums | Outside the Gate (1988) |
 | John Bechdel | 1990–1991 |
| Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions (1990) |
| Nick Holywell-Walker |
|
| ||
 | Troy Gregory | 1996 | bass | none |
_(cropped).jpg) | Dave Grohl | 2002–2003 | drums | Killing Joke (2003) |
| Ted Parsons | 2003–2004 | none | ||
 | Reza Udhin | 2005–2016 |
|
|
| Kneill Brown | 2006 | bass | none | |
 | Jason Bowld |
| drums | |
| Roi Robertson | 2016–present | keyboards |
|
Studio albums
The fourth cornerstone of the Goth sound and sensibility were Killing Joke. [...] Goth's appeal to the irrational could sometimes stray into unwholesome territory. Killing Joke exemplified this
Exorcism (Live In The King's Chamber Cairo August 1993 Mix)
Coleman is a Composer in Residence to the Prague Symphony Orchestra, the nation of New Zealand and, as of October 2006, the entire European Union.
Killing Joke just released the double album "Inside Extremities" via Candlelight Records. On this double CD you find Killing Joke material taken from the band's preparation for the "Extremities" album, rare mixes, a previously unheard track "The Fanatic" and a full live show from the Extremities tour. The track list displays a journey through the making of this album and beyond. The release contains 100% previously unreleased material with the exception of one track which was previously on a flexi disc only.
70. Killing Joke ~ The Astoria, London 20 April 1994
I think the guitar should convey some sort of emotion. Incidentally, the only thing I've heard since Sabre Dance, the only thing I've ever come across that was similar, was the guy in the original Banshees onThe Scream. Apparently that guy had just learnt to play, and he came out with these chord structures that I found very refreshing. The guy's been ripped off so much, he started that flanged chord thing."
Kim: "When we started the band we were all listening to hardcore and new wave: The Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Hüsker Dü, Joy Division, Wire, Killing Joke, Bauhaus. At that time, in Seattle, The Melvins were slowing down their music. Malfunkshun, Green River and Soundgarden, all the bands that had started playing fast, started to slow down. This is, like, 1984 and everyone was sick of trying to be Minor Threat. "
The name Soundgarden ("Not intentionally meant to throw people off", laughs Kim) is supposed to represent the many roots of the group's style, a virtual plethora of cutting edge rock that spans Sabbath, Velvet Underground, Meat Puppets and Killing Joke. There's some Zep and some Metallica; Gothicism and sublime poetry. The almost ethereal flavour of the name betrays the brutality of the music but never pins Soundgarden in one corner.
Just as we were debating who would play bass on theRio Grande Blood, Raven from Killing Joke contacted Angie and asked if she knew anyone who needed a bassist. I was a big Killing Joke fan for a long time, and Raven just happen to be e-mailing Angie right when I was thinking of doing a record.
[Born Villain] sort of sounds like what I listened to before I made records - Killing Joke, Joy Division, Revolting Cocks, Bauhaus, Birthday Party.
(Tim Goldsworthy owner ofDFA Records, LCD Soundsystem's record label): "Losing My Edge" is a direct rip-off of a Killing Joke track.
Losing My Edge"... Murphy admitted to Pitchfork in 2005, the song's rhythmic underpinning was lifted wholesale from the 1980 Killing Joke B-side "Change
James: "Losing My Edge" came from a different place actually... The drums came from "Change" by Killing Joke. Like the turnarounds... The "Change" turnarounds are just one of the things I've always loved to play.
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