Death in June & Les Joyaux de la Princesse
Östenbräun

In the layered and confusing discography of Death In June, Östenbräun holds a special place. It has always had the air of a mysterious object. It's almost a phantom album with a cursed aura. It's a semi-official release credited to Death In June and the French ensemble Les Joyaux de la Princesse, originally released on cassette in 1989 in a limited box that quickly became a fetish for collectors. The second cassette contained an interview with Douglas P. Later, Östenbräun was also made available on CD in 1995, again in a limited box of 300 copies (there was also a "friends edition" of 30 copies) and in standard version, and even today, there are bootlegs of it. I believe that many Death In June fans didn't even know the name Les Joyaux de la Princesse, a mysterious project behind which Erik Konofal operates. His music focuses on ambient electronic backdrops and neoclassical sounds, ahead of what Der Blutharsch and Blood Axis would later produce. Let me say right away that this is more of a Les Joyaux de la Princesse album than a Death In June album. Douglas P. limited himself to a few contributions (we can hear the nursery rhyme "Heilige Tod" present in Brown Book), even though there are some points of contact with certain Death In June experiments (above all, "Death Of A Man" from The World That Summer and the long experimental track of The Wall Of Sacrifice). However, aesthetically, the album fits well with Douglas P.'s imagery. Indeed, the music is sicker and more decadent than that of Death In June itself. The electronic loops, the churchlike organ, and the martial drums create an aura of infinite sadness and give this work a particular touch and a timeless charm. In my opinion, Les Joyaux de la Princesse has released albums superior to this, such as the splendid Aux petits enfants de France dedicated to the propaganda of the Vichy regime. In any case, Östenbräun has always had a special place in my heart, and I consider it a cult album.