10 Forgotten 1970s Punk Albums You Need To Hear
8. KOTX – 1978-1979
This compilation was posthumously released in 2016 and features all but one of KOTX’s recorded output between 1978 and 1979. Besides one song entitled Before You Go, which appeared on the unsubtly-named Rotterdam Spunk compilation album of 1983, it is the only surviving document of this rather mysterious and idiosyncratic punk band from Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Their live shows (some of which can be found on YouTube) were raucous affairs as the band peddled a style of aggressive, staccato punk rock sung with English lyrics. Their sound is very distinct for its era, as it was unusual to find such aggressive punk music which also incorporated keyboards, albeit ones which are hammered just as violently as the guitars and drums.
They officially remained together until 1986 but with only the one song released while active, were almost forgotten. The intense mining of obscure older punk bands which began during the mid 1990s saw them unearthed again, and their influence can now be heard in several modern bands, most notably the output of German punks Komplikations.
Featuring 17 songs in just 25 minutes, the album comes with no additional information besides track listings and the names of band members; even the dates of the recordings (let alone an explanation of the band’s unusual name) are absent besides noting ‘1978-1979’. Only 250 copies were originally pressed on vinyl in 2016, making it an instant collector’s item.