My favorite band of all time is Joy Division, whose lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide just before they were supposed to go on the big American tour that would have made them world-famous. They're often seen as a proto-goth band, but Joy Division's lyrics were far more intelligent and serious than those of true goth bands like Bauhaus.

What sets them apart? Despite Ian Curtis' obvious personal demons, their songs are not primarily about personal topics like romantic problems. (Although, as these things are a big part of human life, some of their songs are about these topics.) Joy Division explored other dimensions and realities, creating a kind of futuristic shamanism with Ian Curtis as the shaman. “Shadowplay” is a perfect example of this expansive, alternative-reality aspect of what they were doing. If you listen closely to the lyrics they take you on a journey to a cold and distant place, far beyond normal human experience.

The dominant emotion of many “goth” bands is sadness or anger, but the primary emotion of Joy Division is a mix of awe and horror, a sensation similar to numinous dread. Not easy emotions to deal with- and fatal for some, including singer Ian Curtis. But for those who naturally inhabit that territory, Joy Division will always speak to them in a way that no other band could. For many years, I felt as if every word and every note of this music had been pulled out of my own head.