Record Rebound: Codeine and Bedhead reissue their Joy Division covers
In the early 1990s, several bands spearheaded the slowcore movement in the US. The subgenre blended previous noise rock and gothic innovations in a refined package that was at once deafeningly loud and intricately quiet. Among slowcore’s celebrated proponents were Codeine and Bedhead.
Like the potential effects of a heavy codeine dose, liable to leave one beheaded, these two bands focused on ethereal, brooding and often melancholic soundscapes. Codeine, hailing from New York City, gained recognition in the early 1990s for their introspective music characterised by droning instrumentation and heavier climaxes. Meanwhile, Bedhead, based in Dallas, Texas, emerged as pioneers of the southern slowcore movement with their tranquilised compositions of softly pulsating guitars and subdued vocals.
Bringing slowcore back to the fore, both bands reissue their respective covers of two iconic Joy Division songs on a special 7″ record on Friday, February 16th. Codeine’s rendition of ‘Atmosphere’ captures the band’s sombre aesthetic, serving as their final recording before disbanding in 1994. The band has reunited twice for brief touring campaigns since 1994.
Codeine’s interpretation of Ian Curtis’ haunting offering from March 1980 is wholly faithful to the sombre and lonely aura of the original. Stephen Immerwahr’s vocals sedate Curtis’ vision as gentle guitars cascade cascading dutifully. Joy Division originally named this abject single, quite fittingly, ‘Licht und Blindheit’ (German for ‘Light and Blindness’).
On the flip-side, Bedhead reissues its equally absorbing cover of ‘Disorder’ the opening track from Joy Division’s seminal 1979 debut album, Unknown Pleasures. Renowned for a melodic, indie rock slant on slowcore, Bedhead reimagines the song with their signature style, applying the brakes a tad and infusing a degree of nostalgic introspection. Bedhead also released a popular cover of The Stranglers’ 1981 single ‘Golden Brown’.
The collaborative 7″ record comes housed in an elegant black and silver sleeve featuring embossed braille lettering for the visually impaired, as the original ‘Atmosphere’ title might demand. This exciting release not only pays homage to Joy Division as one of the UK’s finest post-punk exports but also celebrates the immovable contributions of Codeine and Bedhead to the 1990s slowcore movement.
Fans will be pleased to know the genre didn’t die in the 1990s with these two heavyweight luminaries. Several bands, including early progenitors Low, hold the flame to the sky to this day. In the UK, the young, up-and-coming slowcore act Deathcrash also promises a bright future for the subgenre.
You can pre-order/purchase the ‘Atmosphere/Disorder’ 7″ record here for just £8.99.
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