King Crimson

Discipline

First released1981

Discipline, King Crimson's ninth studio album, was recorded at three different studios in New York between October 1980 and February 1981, including work at The Power Station and Record Plant. Producer Adrian Belew served as guitarist and conceptual contributor alongside bassist and producer Tony Thompson, while engineer George Marino was instrumental in the mixing and mastering process. The album marked King Crimson's return after a five-year hiatus and featured a dramatically streamlined sound compared to their earlier work, incorporating new wave and funk influences with heavily processed and synthesized textures. The band employed innovative studio techniques including extensive overdubbing and electronic processing to create the album's distinctive, rhythmically complex arrangements. Discipline represented a deliberate reinvention of King Crimson's sound for the 1980s, establishing the template for the band's subsequent ProjeX tours and recordings.