First Published in
Legendary post-punk 1980s agitators, Koos’s iconic so-called “black tape” has been re-mastered, repackaged and re-released. Active from 1986 to 1990, this groundbreaking South African band has been recognised internationally for their original limited-edition black tape, sold in a brown bag, released in 1989. Now re-mastered by Paul Riekert with design by Righard Kapp, it’s frankly remarkable how authentic and yet contemporary it both sounds and looks. On the front cover, the band lean against a corrugated iron door in clothes that hipsters are wearing today and, on the album, tape loops and vocals make one marvel at the absence of a computer. In turn, the resistance-fuelled lyrics strike a sensitive spot in South Africa’s motley current democracy. And, of course, like the original, it comes in a brown bag, just like all good illicit material should.
