Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Josef K

Entomology

Label: Domino Records Release Date: 20/11/2006

19696
charlesubaghs by Charles Ubaghs December 22nd, 2006

The verdict’s still out on the long-term relevance of many of the bands associated with the recent post-punk revival, though one thing has to be said in its favour: it’s given younger listeners exposure - thanks to re-issues, reunions and media attention - to the essential works of original post-punk acts.

Domino’s_ Entomology_, a compilation of the works of Josef K, one of the standouts of the so called early ‘80s ‘Scottish Sound,’ is another lesson in post-punk history. Forming in Edinburgh in the late ‘70s, Josef K spent their short years together crafting a distinctive left-of-centre take on the hip melodies making waves in the wake of the punk explosion.

Entomology _begins with ‘Radio Drill Time’_ and ‘It’s Kind of Funny’, Josef K’s early singles. Pledging allegiance to the darker atmospherics perfected by Joy Division, the two songs feature the skittering drums, tinny guitars and downtrodden vocals favoured by art school students on rainy days. Yet, it’s the inclusion of tracks from the band’s aborted debut album,_ Sorry for Laughing, and their official debut, The Only Fun in Town_, that form the meaty backbone to this collection.

Sorry for Laughing, originally intended to be their debut LP, was canned by Postcard, their label, after deciding the cleaner production values and focus on the rhythm section failed to capture the group’s promise. Is_ Sorry For Laughing_ rhythmic? Yes. Too slick? No. Which, in retrospect, makes Postcard’s actions seem a little strange. The songs included here have none of the glossy sheen displayed in the likes of, say, Maximo Park. ‘Drone’, for example, showcases the kind of stripped-down raw intensity and jagged guitars yet to be bettered by the new art punks.

But it’s_ The Only Fun in Town, featuring re-workings of tracks from Sorry for Laughing _and recorded in less than a week, that solidifies the ingenuity and long term relevance of Josef K. Combining explosive guitars, pounding drumming and a skewered spin on arty pop, the tacks selected here are, while not perhaps commercially viable, certainly inspirational to the receptive listener.

Shortly after releasing a fairly well-received LP and having played a number of successful gigs, Josef K decided enough was enough and disbanded. Was that, in the long run, a wise move? Who knows and who cares. The only thing that matters is that over twenty years later their music continues to connect; and honestly, what else do you need?

  • 9
    Charles Ubaghs's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Robert Gomez

Brand New Towns

Mobback
19679
19697

Of Montreal

Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND