Notes

The Joy Division Shirt
The Joy Division shirt is a artifact from the music industry that has nearly as common as the band itself. The shirt is a fantastic reproduction of the iconic designs on the album cover for "Unknown Pleasures" in 1979. The mysterious waveforms are symbolic of many things. Was it an emitted heartbeat? Maybe the cosmic scream from a dying star. Or the sound waves from the frightful synth drums that dominate the track Insight? The striking black-on-white line drawing whatever its meaning was able to create a sense of uncertainty and a feeling the album was much more than it appeared.


This sense of mystery was likely a primary design goal of the album's creator, Peter Saville. Saville wanted to create an image that was both mysterious and mysterious, yet represented the concept of "emotional Repression."



In the latter part of the 1970s, punk was already evolving into something new. Manchester groups began to form the sound of a new generation, one that differed from the fast-paced, screamy punk rock, but also from other genres. Ian Curtis' lyrics, as the leader of Joy Division, and New Order before him, began to move away from political statements towards personal introspection. Cult Pop Art for the Adults evolved from being loud and boisterous and raucous to more mellow. Curtis' vocals were distinct because they conveyed emotion and the fear of death.


It didn't take long before a whole generation of young people began to adopt the aesthetic and image of Joy Division. They wore trench coats and black suits from the Mod revival as well as the long macs of 2 Tone, and the skinny jeans and boots of post-punk (which might have been a result of punk). They took Joy Division very seriously, and began to look at human experience with a force that went beyond aesthetic.


Nearly forty years after their demise, Joy Division is still one of the most influential and mysterious bands of all time. Their music was not only effective because of its speed or technically skilled as well, but also because it expressed the extremes of life such as loss of terror, grief, and suicide. The band truly lived the tortured artist's life and died for their work. Their legacy is all that 90's music strived to be and Nine Inch Nails came close to being.


MOJO was a bit uneasy when we learned that Disney has created a Mickey Mouse "Music Declares Emergency" shirt, which was inspired by Unknown Pleasures iconic artwork. The shirt doesn't feature the band name or logo so Joy Division can't do much about it. However, we are sure that they'd be less than happy to see Mickey Mouse wear their shirts. The shirt's goal is to serve as a reminder for the person wearing it to know that the music of Joy Division doesn't revolve around nostalgia or fashion, but rather real and authentic exploration of emotions.

Homepage: https://www.joydivisionshirt.com/