March 2022
Released by the wonderful Polytechnic Youth, this is a selection of tracks made in the 80s for the two 'Recent History' ICR cassettes, which escaped in 1989. First time on vinyl (except for 'The State') with a wonderful cover by Jonathan Coleclough. Remastered by Colin Potter. An edition of 300. All copies from ICR will be signed.
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A1 The State
They're still watching. Now, even more so.
A2 The Lion, the Witch and the Trouser Press
Strange business.
A3 Chop
Recorded live, in the studio.
A4 The Burrowing Engine
It's down below.
A5 Statement
Altered state.
B1 Sunderland
Watching the sun rise over Hendon beach.
B2 Skim
A flat stone across the water.
B3 Marsh Fog
Grey and beautiful.
It was a long time ago
Recorded at IC Studio, Tollerton, York between 1982 and 1989
Compiled from the ICR cassettes ''Recent History Volumes 1 and 2''
(Re)Mastered by Colin Potter, IC Studio, London 2020
Artwork by Jonathan Coleclough
World of Echo review : Bedroom synth godhead Colin Potter returns to the archives once again for this first time vinyl pressing of eight songs first featured on the Recent History volumes from 1989. Potter's contribution to DIY electronic music - forget it, let's just say electronic music full stop - is deep and wide, and i find it a mystery that still so much of his work remains difficult to access, confined to YouTube rips or those lucky enough to possess the original tapes. Maybe there's just too much to fully document? Either way, these eight tracks do the trick of filling part of the void. Post-kraut/Berlin School headmelters, minimal wave mutations, industrial/EBM digressions - the full gamut of 80s cassette culture experimentalism is here, crisp as the winter's breeze it first flew in on. Proper foundational business.
Rough Trade Review : This release is a collection of first-time-on-vinyl tracks from the 1989 cassette only releases Recent History Vols. I and II on ICR. 8 fantastic experimental, synth pieces recorded at his then home of Tollerton nr. York at various points between 1982 and 1989 and remastered by Colin in 2020. He says of this collection: “Over 30 years does seem like a long time, but in terms of how I worked then and how I work now, it seems even longer. The way these tracks were made feels like another world. Yet I’m still very connected to them and when I remastered them I was taken back to when I was exploring new equipment and ways of working. Primitive sampling and looping had arrived, to use alongside older analogue machines, guitars and early digital synths and effects processors. Happy daze……”
