Their first radio airplay came from legendary DJ John Peel, to whom they sent a demo tape (recorded in a disused meat factory known as Cold Storage) in early 1977. During this time, they also recorded a session with Ghanaian musician Mario Boyer Diekuuroh, parts of which later appeared on a 1982 split cassette with Albert Marcoeur, released by the French experimental rock magazine Tago Mago.
Their self-titled debut album was recorded between February 1976 and September 1978, and surfaced in August 1979. It was characterized by heavy use of tape manipulation and looping, combined with more traditional instrumental performance, to create dense, eerie, electronic soundscapes and dub-inflected experimental rock. Also released in this period was an EP, Health & Efficiency, which foreshadowed the more rock-oriented sound of Deceit (1981), the band's second and final album. Produced with help from reggae mixer Martin Frederick, Deceit found the band incorporating more influence from punk rock, and consolidating the world music influences in their work. Although, like all of This Heat's releases, it sold poorly, Deceit is now seen as a classic of the post-punk era, on par with Joy Division's Closer or Public Image Ltd.'s Metal Box.
This Heat split up in 1982 after a final tour with new members Trefor Goronwy and Ian Hill following Williams' departure. Hayward went on to form Camberwell Now with Goronwy and former This Heat soundman, Stephen Rickard, and remains active musically with groups including Fred Frith's Massacre. In 1993 a new album of previously unreleased This Heat recording was unearthed. Repeat featured three long tracks, including the title track - a 20 minute remix of "24 Track Loop." Out of Cold Storage - a box set of all the band's official recordings - was released in June 2006 on This is!, a Recommended Records sub-label set up by Charles Hayward and Charles Bullen to re-release This Heat's back catalogue. It comprises This Heat, Deceit, Health and Efficiency, Made Available - a compilation of the band's Peel Sessions - and Repeat, plus Live 80/81, a CD of concert recordings.
Gareth Williams later formed Flaming Tunes with Mary Currie and released a cassette of new material in a much softer style than that of This Heat. He died in late 2001.
Official website: http://www.thisheat.org
Triumph
This Heat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
why is it i can't see through to you?
the mesh it is in your favour
(under my steady gaze)
how will you move
(frozen mid-step)
when the angles are reversed?
triumph of the will
triumph of the will
The lyrics of Triumph by the band This Heat reflect a sense of distance and separation in a relationship, as one person tries to understand the other but fails to connect. The opening lines, "through dirty net curtains you look at me, why is it I can't see through to you?" expresses how one seeks to see the other person clearly but cannot. The "mesh" that is in the other person's "favor" shows that there is a sense of impasse that the singer finds difficult to overcome. The repeated line, "triumph of the will," suggests that there is a sense of power struggle at play, and that each person is determined to emerge victorious over the other.
The lyrics are cryptic in their meaning, but they reflect a sense of frustration, distance, and isolation that one may experience in a strained relationship. The song's title and repetition of the phrase "triumph of the will" may also be interpreted as a commentary on fascist ideologies, as the phrase was famously used by Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl in her film of the same name. Overall, This Heat's Triumph encapsulates a sense of conflict and power dynamics in personal and political relationships alike.
Line by Line Meaning
through dirty net curtains you look at me
I notice you staring at me through these grimy curtains.
why is it i can't see through to you?
Despite your intense gaze, I still can't quite figure you out.
the mesh it is in your favour
The fabric of these curtains work to your advantage, shielding you from me.
(under my steady gaze)
As I observe you closely and steadily.
how will you move
I wonder how you will act or react.
(frozen mid-step)
You seem to be halted or stuck in your movement.
when the angles are reversed?
If our positions were swapped, how would you react then?
(you cannot move)
You are unable to budge or evade my watchful eye.
triumph of the will
The victory of one's determination and drive.
triumph of the will
The ultimate conquest of the mind and its ability to overcome obstacles.
Contributed by Cameron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.