of course, josef k isn’t one person.
as i was digging for more good post-punk to listen to, i came across this band almost by accident. i read the trial and some of franz kafka’s other works last year, so of course, i was pretty happy to see a band called ‘josef k’ with a compilation album called entomology that just so happens to have a big brown bug on the cover.
josef k was a post-punk band from edinburgh, scotland formed by paul haig (vocals/guitar) and ronnie torrance (drums), named after the protagonist of the trial. their lyrics drew from the works of kafka, fyodor dostoevsky, albert camus, and others, while their music drew from television, the voidoids, and the velvet underground. they were only active from 1979 to 1982, and released just one studio album, the only fun in town in 1981. while it had some commercial success, it was panned by critics. haig even retrospectively regretted the album. for the most part, they faded into obscurity, but were a big influence on later, more successful bands like franz ferdinand and the rapture due to their punk rock attitude and their combination of punk, funk, and disco.
interestingly enough, “Sorry For Laughing”, their most famous track, strikes me as neither punk, funk, nor disco, though the slightly syncopated instruments may bring those genres to mind. it’s more of a simple, bittersweet ballad that reminds me more of the smiths and less of gang of four or franz ferdinand. the energetic rhythm and happy, frivolous guitars have all the makings of an upbeat pop song, but the song itself feels like wistful nostalgia thanks to haig’s crooning vocals and the cryptic, melancholic lyrics. the closest musical equivalent i have for this song is “Kick the Tragedy” by drop nineteens- different genre, different era, but the same dreamy, sentimental energy.
it’s not the most inventive song, not the most memorable, either, but it’s weirdly beautiful. sometimes, the impression a song leaves on you leaves more of an impact than musical experimentation or carefully controlled dynamics or subversion. and “Sorry For Laughing” finds a way to master that intangible element.
