"It’s called ‘Unknown Pleasures’ by Joy Division.

I first heard it when I was probably 15 or 16 and at the time they were New Order.

Joy Division, as they were, had gone and I discovered them because I was getting into the music that was the precurser of the stuff I was listening to at the time. Looking back on it now I can say that when you’re a teenager you’re full of angst and that kind of thing and it’s a perfect sound track to that feeling I suppose.

Joy division came out of the punk scene which seemed quite angry to me, and quite rightly I supopose – although I never really felt angry, even though it was Thatcher’s Britain.

I felt depressed more than anything I think and a lot of the current music at the time talked about love whereas this was something different. It felt like it was coming from within. When you listened to music- obviously - you could hear it emanate from the speakers but this one felt like it was coming from inside of me.

It’s hard to describe. I was listening to it on the way over here and it was a different sound. A little later I lived in Manchester so I can totally understand where that darkness came from – the weather and the industrial noises that are on the record.

There’s a song called ‘She’s Lost Control’ and I used to know a little girl – it’s perfect for certain people. There are certain lines in it that album are just brilliant. In one song he sings “we’ll take a drink and step outside, an angry voice and one who cried” for instance.

I think I can say that It was the first piece of music that I thought was art.

I mean Classical music is the music that people refer to as art and then we have pop music and rock music but I hadn’t really thought of that kind of contemporary modern music as art but this is to me. Talk about ahead of it’s time!

It still feels contemporary listening to it right now.

When I was a kid I played football, I wanted to be a football player but I did art too – I drew as well. This allowed me to feel that art was very valid. It was a valid occupation, a valid practise. It made me think its ok to do art – it’s a good thing to do art – it’s got value. Before that I didn’t really feel that, other than make drawings and that’s it, but this moved me so much."

David French: Culver City, March 2015

Joy Division: Closer released 1980

David French

"It’s called ‘Unknown Pleasures’ by Joy Division.

I first heard it when I was probably 15 or 16 and at the time they were New Order.

Joy Division, as they were, had gone and I discovered them because I was getting into the music that was the precurser of the stuff I was listening to at the time. Looking back on it now I can say that when you’re a teenager you’re full of angst and that kind of thing and it’s a perfect sound track to that feeling I suppose.

Joy division came out of the punk scene which seemed quite angry to me, and quite rightly I suppose – although I never really felt angry, even though it was Thatcher’s Britain. I felt depressed more than anything I think and a lot of the current music at the time talked about love whereas this was something different. It felt like it was coming from within. When you listened to music- obvioulsy -you could hear it emanate from the speakers but this one felt like it was coming from inside of me.

It’s hard to describe. I was listening to it on the way over here and it was a different sound. A little later I lived in Manchester so I can totally understand where that darkness came from – the weather and the industrial noises that are on the record.

There’s a song called ‘She’s Lost Control’ and I used to know a little girl – it’s perfect for certain people. There are certain lines in it that album are just brilliant. In one song he sings “we’ll take a drink and step outside, an angry voice and one who cried” for instance.

I think I can say that It was the first piece of music that I thought was art. I mean Classical music is the music that people refer to as art and then we have pop music and rock music but I hadn’t really thought of that kind of contemporary modern music as art but this is to me. Talk about ahead of it’s time!

It still feels contemporary listening to it right now. When I was a kid I played football, I wanted to be a football player but I did art too – I drew as well. This allowed me to feel that art was very valid. It was a valid occupation, a valid practise. It made me think its ok to do art – it’s a good thing to do art – it’s got value. Before that I didn’t really feel that , other than make drawings and that’s it, but this moved me so much."

David French: Culver City, March 2015

Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures released 1979

David French

ONE LP PORTRAITS: ARTISTS: DAVID FRENCH