Douglas P.

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Douglas P.
Death In June (15322996113).jpg
Douglas Pearce (masked) performing for Death in June at the Elbo Room in San Francisco, California
Background information
Birth nameDouglas Pearce
Also known asDouglas P.
Born (1956-04-27) 27 April 1956 (age 69)
Sheerwater, Woking, Surrey, England
Origin Guildford, Surrey, England
Genres Post-punk, neofolk, experimental, dark ambient, martial industrial, punk rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, producer
Instrument Acoustic guitar
Years active1981–present
LabelsNew European Recordings
Website http://www.deathinjune.net/

Douglas Pearce (born 27 April 1956), known professionally as Douglas P., is a British musician, best known for his neofolk project Death in June. He was born in Sheerwater in Woking, Surrey and lives in Australia, which has been his home since the mid-1990s.

Contents

Early life

Pearce was born on 27 April 1956 and grew up in Sheerwater, a suburb of Woking in Surrey which he said was a "white, working-class ghetto"; his father worked as a courier for the military and had served in World War II. Both of his parents were English, though his mother claimed Scots-Irish ancestry. His father died of a heart attack at age 56, when Pearce was 14. He grew up in what he describes as "a very militaristic environment, surrounded by war"; he says that he "had a natural attraction to war". At the age of 18 Pearce left home, went hitchhiking around Europe and "came home a changed man". [1] [2] [3]

As a child, Pearce was exorcised by his parents for alleged demonic possession, and after his father died, his mother and he would "muck around with a Ouija board". Pearce believes in the paranormal and occult, and claims to have had contact with various entities saying "I believe in gods, demons, angels whether they're from the inner psyche, another dimension or whatever. I've heard them and I've seen them. I've even felt them touch me". [4]

Career

Crisis

In 1977 Pearce began his musical career in a British punk band called Crisis. [5] After Crisis disbanded in 1980, Pearce formed Death in June with Crisis bandmate Tony Wakeford (currently of the English folk noir band, Sol Invictus) and Patrick O'Kill né Leagas (now a member of the English band Mother Destruction).

Death in June

In 1985 Douglas P. became the sole constant member of Death in June, with rotating guest musicians serving as collaborators and live band members. Pearce continues to work under the Death in June moniker.

New European Recordings

Pearce has released numerous recordings of musical work of his own and others under his New European Recordings label since 1981.

Neofolk

Pearce was highly influential in the creation of a musical movement often referred to as neofolk, often collaborating and playing live with various artists within the genre. He was a guitarist, drummer and occasional vocalist for experimental music group Current 93. [6]

Personal life

Douglas P. is openly gay, [7] and says that "being gay is fundamental to Death in June"; he expresses discontent with that side of Death in June not being explored in interviews. His literary influences include Yukio Mishima and Jean Genet, whose work he admires not only for its brilliance but also for their shared identity as gay men. [8]

Political views

In 2017, Oregon record label Soleilmoon Recordings was listed on the Southern Poverty Law Center's hate group registry for distributing albums by Death in June, and Boyd Rice's project NON. [9] Charles Powne, the label's owner, denied that Soleilmoon was racist, and said that Pearce and Rice are not racist either. [9] The SPLC pointed out a 1996 quote from Pearce where he proudly aligned with Eurocentric racialism: "I am totally Eurocentric. I'm not overly concerned with the past but I do care about the present and the future. European culture, morals, ethics, whatever are under attack from all sides these days." [10]

Discography

YearTitleFormat, Special NotesArtist
1978No Town Hall7" Crisis
1979UK 79/White Youth7"Crisis
1980Hymns of FaithLPCrisis
1981Alienation7"Crisis
1981Heaven Street 12" Death in June
1982State Laughter/Holy Water7"Death in June
1983The Guilty Have No Pride LP Death in June
1984 Burial LPDeath in June
1984She Said Destroy12"/7"Death in June
1985 Nada! LPDeath in June
1985Born Again12"Death in June
1985Come Before Christ And Murder Love12"/7"Death in June
1986 The World That Summer 2xLPDeath in June
1986 Lesson 1: Misanthropy LPDeath in June
1987To Drown A Rose10"Death in June
1987 Brown Book LPDeath in June
1987 Oh How We Laughed Live LP/CD, semi-official.Death in June
1987Happy Birthday12" Current 93
1987 Dawn LPCurrent 93
1988The Red Face of God 12"Current 93
1988 Christ and the Pale Queens Mighty in Sorrow LPCurrent 93
1988Earth Covers EarthLPCurrent 93
1988 Swastikas For Noddy LPCurrent 93
198993 Dead SunwheelsEP/CDDeath in June
1989 The Corn Years CDDeath in June
1989She Is Dead and All Fall Down7"Current 93
1989 Swastikas For Noddy LPCurrent 93
1989 Crooked Crosses for the Nodding God LPCurrent 93
1989 Music, Martinis, & Misanthropy LP Boyd Rice and Friends
1990 The Wall of Sacrifice LP/CDDeath in June
19901888 EP Death in June
1990Looney RunesLPCurrent 93
1991 The Cathedral of Tears CDDeath in June
1992Ostenbraun2x cassette/CDDeath in June & Les Joyaux De La Princesse
1992 But, What Ends When The Symbols Shatter? LP/CDDeath in June
1992Paradise Rising12"/CDSDeath in June
1992In the Shadow of the Sword (live)LP NON
1992Death in June/Current 93/Sol InvictusCD, previously a bootleg before official release.Death in June
1992Gilded by the SunCD Fire + Ice
1992GesturesCDSomewhere in Europe
1992 Thunder Perfect Mind CD/LPCurrent 93
1993Cathedral of Tears12"/CDSDeath in June
1993Something Is Coming2xLP/2xCDDeath in June
1993Hitler as Kalki (live)LPCurrent 93
1994Sun Dogs7"/CDSDeath in June
1994Beauty Reaps The Blood of SolitudeCD Nature & Organisation
1994Dark Rose7"Strength Through Joy
1995 Rose Clouds of Holocaust LP/CDDeath in June
1995Black Whole of LoveCDS 7", 10", 12" box setDeath in June
1995 Death in June Presents: Occidental Martyr CD/10"Occidental Martyr
1995The Force of Truth And LiesCDStrength Through Joy
1996 Death in June Presents: KAPO! LP/CD Death in June
1996 Heaven Sent LPScorpion Wind
1996Salute To Light2CDStrength Through Joy
1997Die Schuldigen und der Nebel2xCD box set, previously a bootleg before official release.Death in June
1997DISCriminate ('81-'97)2xCD, "a compilation of personal choice," previously released material.Death in June
1997 God and Beast LPNON
1997Sulphur – Low Seed ReplicationCD Splinter Test
1997Despiritualisation of NatureCD Tehom
1998 Take Care & Control LP/CDDeath in June
1998 Kameradschaft CDSDeath in June
1998Passion! Power!! Purge!!!CDSDeath in June
1999Der Tod Im JuniCDDeath in June
1999Heilige!CDDeath in June
2000 Operation Hummingbird LP/CDDeath in June
2000We Said Destroy7"Death in June & Fire + Ice
2000BirdkingCDFire + Ice
2000The Way I FeelCDBoyd Rice
2000Theriomorphic SpiritCDTehom
2001 All Pigs Must Die LP/CDDeath in June
2001 Wolf Pact LPBoyd Rice and Fiends (sic)
2003WindzeitCD Forseti
2004Alarm AgentsLP/Coloured Vinyl/CDDeath in June & Boyd Rice
2004Live in OsakaCDNON
2004Trephanus UhrCDLuftwaffe
2004Blacksun RisingCDProjekt Thule
2005Abandon Tracks2xLP/CD. Rare and previously unreleased material.Death in June
2005 The Doctor 2xLP/CD. Contains spoken material by Pearce.Thomas Nola et son Orchestre
2008 Agony & Irony CD. Contains spoken material by Pearce on song I Found Away Alkaline Trio
2008 The Rule of Thirds 2x10"/CDDeath in June
2010 Peaceful Snow 2x10"/CDDeath in June
2013The Snow Bunker TapesLP/CD Death in June
2018Essence!LP/CD Death in June
2022Nada-Ized!LP/CD Death in June

References

  1. ↑ Video on YouTube
  2. ↑ "Article:Death in June Demystified – Death In June Archive" . Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  3. ↑ November 13, Chad Radford Thursday; Est, 2014 04:00 Am. "Death in June: Allure, speculation, and unease". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 16 July 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "Death in June.Org – MediaWiki – Interview:2000-Dagoberts Revenge". Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  5. ↑ DeRogatis, Jim (17 December 2003). "Nazis or not? Censorship keeps fans from deciding" . Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "DEATH IN JUNE – Interview with Douglas P. And Miro Snejdr | THE END OF BEING". Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Burkholder, Helene (17 April 2008). "Balladeer of Doom – An interview with Douglas P., Part 2". Judas Kiss. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
  8. ↑ "OCCIDENTAL CONGRESS :: An interview with Douglas Pearce". Occidentalcongress.com. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  9. 1 2 Schmid, Thacher (21 February 2017). "A Northeast Portland Record Label Lands on a National Hate-Group Registry". Willamette Week. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Statement regarding Soleilmoon Recordings and Death In June". Southern Poverty Law Center. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
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