Paul Haig is a Scottish indie composer, musician and singer. He was originally a member of a 1980s
post-punk band called Josef K who were assigned to the Postcard record label. Other bands with
Postcard at the same time were Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and the Go-Betweens.

Josef K (who have since become 'one of the most influential bands in Britain' -The Gaurdian) recorded
five singles and an album 'The Only Fun in Town' with Haig on lead vocals, before splitting after touring
in July and August 1981; their final Scottish date was in Glasgow.

Solo career.
Haig released two interim singles on Edinburgh independent Rational both singles appeared under the
generic name Rhythm Of Life Organisation (ROL), an imprimatur Haig has retained ever since for
everything from albums, labels and backing bands. Such anonymity also suited his avowed loathing of
publicity. Indeed Haig has never once released a record with his own face on the front cover.

Also via Rational, Haig released a limited edition cassette-only set of home-recorded electronica titled
Drama, featuring Kafka texts set to music, as well as a deconstruction of Josef K's Forever Drone. Haig
subsequently teamed up with a Belgian independent record label Les Disques du Crepuscule, and in
January 1982 made solo live debuts in Edinburgh and London. According to the NME's Dave Hill, for the
latter show at The Venue:

"Rhythm of Life remained a mystery... Initially they seem like an artful re-arrangement of the Iggy-Oakey
ice-box delivery, and the Bogart mail order catalogue, into a perfect cliché of the same. But how straight
are their faces? I don't know, but Haig projects with the efficiency of a sly android, blonde, doleful and
besuited, spooning each painstaking tune with an immaculate croon. All is calm and self-contained...
Since Josef K split Haig has pursued several lines, yet the cool execution of this show is undeniable,
elegant and curvaceous".

The following month Rhythm of Life took part in Crepuscule's first European tour, Dialogue North-South,
which also included Durutti Column, The Names, Marine, Richard Jobson, Antena and Tuxedomoon.
Eschewing a live drummer in favour of a rhythm box, RoL gained plaudits for their versatile, snappy brand
of funk minimalism, and five excerpts from these shows can be found on Crepuscule's souvenir compilation,
Some Interesting Things You'll See On A Long Distance Flight. Haig elected to relocate to Brussels in March,
and there embarked on an intensive recording schedule that yielded two self-produced singles, Running Away
and Justice. Running Away, a cover of the Sly Stone classic, appeared in May on Crepuscule subsidiary
Operation Twilight and topped the independent charts in the UK.

In July, almost a year after Josef K had split, yet with just one proper solo record to his name in Running
Away, Haig was labelled the face and sound of 1982 by Paul Morley in a lead feature for the NME. Accordingly
to Morley, Haig was the enigmatic fourth man in a New Pop quartet which also included Billy Mackenzie,
Jim Kerr and Martin Fry, all of them potential pop saviours in a parallel universe where Morley deemed Dollar
the most avant-garde group in the world. Even by Morley's standards the statement was ludicrous, although he
would validate it partially two years later by instructing ZTT signing Propaganda to cover Josef K's Sorry for
Laughing on their album A Secret Wish.

The media hype around Haig paved the way for a licensing deal with Island Records, and a substantial
injection of cash. The deal saw Haig record his first solo album 'Rhythm Of Life' in New York at the end
of 1982, with the late Alex Sadkin producing. Featuring a host of crack sessioneers (including Bernie Worrell,
Anton Fier, and Jack Waldman, his new direction - a brand of polished dance/electro - seemed a million miles
away from the abrasive edge of Josef K

In 1984 Haig joined forces with several celebrated peers, recording the seminal electro cut The Only Truth
with Bernard Sumner and Donald Johnson (of New Order and A Certain Ratio respectively), and The Executioner
with Cabaret Voltaire. November saw the completion of a new album, this time recorded in London with Alan
Rankine co-producing. Unfortunately the failure of The Only Truth as a single lead to Island severing the
Crepuscule connection, and so the untitled second album was shelved. Rather than release the cancelled set
on Crepuscule, it was decided to combine half the album with new songs recorded throughout 1985. Haig
launched his fightback later in the year with a powerful single, Heaven Help You Now, and the excellent
album The Warp Of Pure Fun.

Haig briefly returned to Crepuscule in September 1987 to record several tracks, though the only new
record to emerge was the fine Torchomatic single, complete with spy theme and a home-recorded
instrumental cycle on the flipside. The European Sun compilation album followed, including most of
the shelved Island album not included on Warp plus several rare b-sides, and the unreleased Cabaret
Voltaire collaboration.

Early in 1988 Haig financed the recording of a new album himself, once more produced with Alan Rankine
and cut in just 18 days. Virgin offshoot Circa Records purchased the tapes in August, but chose not to
release the album, titled Chain, until May the following year. It included the brilliant lead single,
"Something Good".

Haig released an instrumental set of imaginary film themes through LTM, who had previously issued the
Josef K back catalogue on CD. Cinematique appeared in September 1991 to glowing reviews. In 1993
Crepuscule released Coincidence Vs Fate.

Since 1993 Haig has released two further volumes of Cinematique on his own RoL imprint, as well as
several archive releases by the late, and much lamented, Billy Mackenzie. Memory Palace (1999)
compiled a number of tracks recorded as joint demos by the pair, as well as the tribute Listen to Me.
In 2003 LTM CD reissued The Warp Of Pure Fun and Coincidence Vs Fate, though a career-spanning
Best Of on Crepuscule failed to materialise. LTM also released Then Again in 2004, a compilation of
rare and previously unheard material.

There has been a resurgence of activity over the last couple of years from RoL. In 2007, Haig's first
single for 14 years, Reason (a BBC Radio 2 single of the week, no less), was released, available via
download and 7" vinyl. Followed soon after by Electronik Audience. This album showcased Paul's influences
from Kraftwerk and New Order to Cabaret Voltaire. 2007 also saw the first live appearance from Paul in
many years when he appeared at the Billy Mackenzie tribute concert in London. Yet another new album,
Go Out Tonight, a more organic album than Electronik Audience, was released in April 2008. Go Out Tonight
saw Paul return to his roots and tracks such as Trouble Maker are very reminiscent of early solo recordings.
Haig also embarked on his first tour since 1989 when he promoted both old and new tracks in Scotland and
selected UK dates in April 2008.

This November ROL release Haig's new album 'Relive' (ROL021).

Paul Haig Discography

Myspace

Reviews/Interviews