Jozef K

Jozef K

Jozef K is a Scottish post-punk band from Edinburgh, active from 1979 to 1981. The group is made up of Paul Haig, Malcolm Ross, Ron Torrance and David Weddell, and is associated with indie pop as well as post-punk.

History

The band begins in 1979 under the name TV Art, with Paul Haig on vocals and guitar and his childhood friend Ronnie Torrance on drums. Malcolm Ross later joins on guitar and keyboards, and Gary McCormack is added on bass before leaving and being replaced by David Weddell. The group changes its name to Jozef K after a last-minute support slot with Adam and the Ants at Clouds Ballroom. The name comes from the protagonist of Franz Kafka’s novel The Trial.

The band first records a ten-track demo, then releases its debut single, “Romance” / “Chance Meeting”, on Absolute, the label run by Orange Juice drummer Steven Daly. After that, it signs to Postcard Records, where it issues a run of singles in 1980 and 1981.

Recordings and release history

Jozef K records its debut album, Sorry for Laughing, at Castle Sound Studios in Pencaitland in 1981. The band is unhappy with the polished production, and the album is shelved, with only a small number of copies circulating. It later appears on a 1990 CD reissue of The Only Fun in Town, and then as its own vinyl LP in 2012, paired with a CD of the early TV Art demos.

The band records The Only Fun in Town in Belgium, choosing a more live approach and finishing the album in two days. It is the only album the group releases while it is active. The record places well on the UK Independent Chart, but receives a poor critical response. Its final release is the 1982 single “The Farewell Single” on Les Disques du Crépuscule, which includes the Peel session track “The Missionary”.

Style and influence

Jozef K’s sound combines post-punk guitar work with funk and disco rhythms. The band is influenced by American acts including Pere Ubu, Television, Talking Heads and The Voidoids, as well as the British group Subway Sect. Its lyrics and image are more austere and downbeat than those of label mates Orange Juice, and it is also described as sounding like Joy Division, though less bleak.

Paul Haig’s lyrics draw on Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Hermann Hesse, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Knut Hamsun. Haig is also a fan of Joy Division, and “It’s Kinda Funny” is inspired by the death of Ian Curtis. The band adopts an anti-rock stance, avoiding drink and most drugs, never doing encores, and generally avoiding stage banter and autograph-signing.

Later influence and related projects

Jozef K becomes an influence on later bands including The June Brides and The Wedding Present, and is also named as an influence on Franz Ferdinand, The Futureheads and The Rapture. “Sorry for Laughing” is later covered by Propaganda on A Secret Wish and Wishful Thinking, and by Nouvelle Vague in 2004. King Krule also speaks positively about the band’s music.

After the split, Ronnie Torrance joins Boots for Dancing and later forms The Happy Family with Nick Currie, also known as Momus. Paul Haig begins a solo career and releases albums on his Rhythm of Life label between 1984 and 2008. Malcolm Ross joins Orange Juice, then plays with Aztec Camera and Blancmange before starting a solo career. Ross and Weddell later reunite in Magic Clan.

Reissues and later attention

Jozef K’s recordings are reissued by labels including Creation, Domino and LTM Recordings. In 2014, Les Disques du Crépuscule issues remastered vinyl and CD editions of The Only Fun in Town. The band’s history is also covered in the 2015 documentary Big Gold Dream, with Malcolm Ross appearing as an interviewee.