All songs were recorded at Pennine Sound Studios in
Oldham on 14 December 1977. The recording sessions were self-financed by the group, on a budget of £400 (). The release reflects the band's early
punk influences, as opposed to the
post-punk style they later developed. In an interview with
Uncut magazine in 2001, drummer
Stephen Morris stated that when making the EP, the band requested the engineer make the drums sound like "
Speed of Life", the opening track on
David Bowie's 1977 album
Low. "Strangely enough he couldn't".
Low featured a
unique drum sound that became widely imitated following its release, although producer
Tony Visconti refused to explain how he made it for many years.
Record cover The cover has a black-and-white picture of a blond
Hitler Youth member beating a drum, which was drawn by guitarist
Bernard Sumner (called "Bernard Albrecht" on the poster sleeve) and the words "Joy! Division" printed in a
blackletter font. The cover design, coupled with
the nature of the band's name, fueled controversy over whether the band had
Nazi sympathies. The foldout of the EP contains pasted cutouts of both the band and the
Warsaw Ghetto boy, with a lyrical excerpt from 'Leaders of Men'. In 1978, the EP was re-released on
12-inch vinyl; the original cover was replaced by artwork featuring
scaffolding designed by cartoonist and illustrator Steve McGarry. == Release and critical reception ==