- Words Notion Staff
David Bay puts a nu-disco twist on Joy Division's famous track "Love Will Tear Us Apart" in his new single of the same name.
He’s built a name for himself as a remix master, but now David Bay is sharing his first non-remix track – an officially approved cover of Joy Division’s iconic track, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”.
Speaking on the track, David Bay said: “The original’s high string machine turned out to be the core element of my version. I’ve adapted the line’s movement to the bass, guitar and even the synths. Somehow the whole instrumental is now playing the hook-melody, even in the verse. Always wanted to use an acid-techno-synth in my disco-music and this cover was a great opportunity to do it. To me, it felt like the moment after the chorus needed to have something super dynamic and surprising. I think, if you do a cover, you really have to give the track your spin and I really hope I managed to do just that. From a new-wave 80’s classic, I’ve changed the song into an electronic disco blend that could fit into a playlist right next to artists like Franc Moody, Roosevelt or Purple Disco Machine. I slowed the track down over 20 BPM and twisted it into my thing. Always loved their music, Ian Curtis’s lyrics and perspective on life. When I watched Anton Corbijn’s “Control” I somehow ended up doing my own interpretation of their sound. I did this track back in 2017 and since then releasing it was super complicated. All that music industry stuff can be quite overwhelming sometimes. To me the cover-version somehow feels as old as the original now… haha, but we did it! I’m super excited about this and can not wait to hear how the world embraces this one compared to the original. We sent it over to their publisher and shortly after we were allowed to release it by all remaining members of the band; Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook – crazy!”
In the music video, two lovers, anonymised in PVC bondage masks, meet at a dance. Over the course of the visuals, we watch their relationship grow, see them express their fears to each other, perform karaoke, and meet an untimely demise in a shock ending.
Having started his musical career as a teenager in the band Pool, Bay had some incredible early experiences such as opening for The 1975 and other bands around Europe. Now, he runs a disco label, Zissou Records, and arranges intimate parties around Germany.