ATMOSPHERE ESSAY
Atmosphere Lucy Hale
19/5/2011
Russian novelist and aesthetics philosopher Leo Tolstoy said art is a ‘transmission of feeling’. This is known as “transmission theory” and states that art is something which connects artist and audience through the expression of emotions.Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’ enables the listener to connect with Curtis’ feelings of isolation and loneliness, whether or not they have knowledge of his life or a technical understanding of his music.
Originally released only in France in 1980 as a single. And subsequently re-released in the UK and the US following lead singer Ian Curtis’ suicide, the track remains popular for use in the modern international media. It has been used recently in various TV shows such as Misfits (E4) and the Italian TV series Romanzo Criminale. It also provided music for the closing credits of Grant Gee’s documentary Joy Division. Peter Hook, former Joy Division bassist, regards ‘Atmosphere’ as the band’s greatest song and it was voted the best song of the millennium by John Peel’s Radio 1 listeners, as well as featuring in XFM’s top 1000 songs of all time.
‘Atmosphere’s’ opening is beautifully simple. It consist of a 5 note bass guitar phrase followed by four quick strikes of the bass drum; this is then repeated with the difference of 5 strikes of the drum. The two phrases are then repeated with the addition of a high pitched note on synthesised strings. All this takes place over a deep, sustained note on a synthesiser, setting the song’s sombre tone before opening out into a continuous interplay between percussion and bass guitar below a graceful melody provided by Ian Curtis’ vocals.
Curtis’ lyrics tackle themes of isolation and alienation, feelings thought to have been intensified, if not caused by his epilepsy. Musically the song has an arching structure. It increases in grandeur and urgency in the middle with added synthesiser sounds in instrumental interludes between sections of the the songs vocal melody which increases in dynamic, giving it a sense of desperation and, at times, almost bitterness.Towards the end, the synthesisers, bass guitar and percussion are joined by chords in the electrical guitar, adding to the song’s sadness, while the absence of the melodic line creates a sense of lost hope. This is emphasised by the gradual diminuendo which ends the song and the way each instrumental line ends one after the other until the listener is left with a single, sustained note on a synthesiser, seeming to give an almost circular feel to the track.
On a personal note, the English language does not have words sufficient to describe how beautiful I think this song is. Nor can any art philosopher provide a theory able to explain to me why it is I place such value with this song. Listening to ‘Atmosphere’ sends shivers down my spine. It has the power to make me feel sad, excited and awe-struck all at the same time. It is, put simply, a gorgeous track which inspires wonder and amazement every time.
