Name: Forget the Lessons of the Past
Brand: Land of YRX

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

PY136

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2022-05-13

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Polytechnic Youth & Deep Distance

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

Total Cap

1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

Artist

Land of YRX

Genre GB

New Wave / Post Punk

Label GB

Polytechnic Youth

A part-time label run from home in Crouch End, North London. Polytechnic Youth is inspired by a love of key era 1978-82 DIY minimal synth, early Mute, The Sheffield electronic scene, John Bender, Krautrock/Berlin School etc - especially private press/DIY and handmade packaging.

Self-distributed and fiercely pro vinyl only, the label was arguably the first to truly embrace what could be done with pre-agreed social media announced lathe cut releases. Small "art editions" always wonderfully packaged on often shaped disks were gobbled up within minutes of release. These were accompanied by wider scale releases available in all usual outlets across UK & EU.

Operational between 2014 and 2022 and run by Dom Martin (who also ran Earworm and The Great Pop Supplement as well as Deep Distance and more recently Feral Child), the label enjoyed a hugely loyal fanbase. Gideon Coe on BBC6 music and "Electronic Sound" magazine were hugely supportive. However, post-Brexit, the label faced challenges due to losing its strong EU customer base alongside rising costs of vinyl production.

A wonderful -and long overdue- vinyl compilation of key UK electronic pioneers Land of YRX’s work between 1982 and 1984. 

Released almost exclusively across a series of DIY produced cassette only releases, the bands’ output is now revered in that golden period of groundbreaking, home recorded 4 track experimental / minimal electronics releases, all of which are highly sought after and hugely influential on the swell of electronic musicians that followed at that point in the UK. 

The duo consists of Shrewsbury based Rob Andrews and Dave Gate (extended for live shows) and with their core discography being so utterly wonderful, honing in on a fair representation of their work with 20 minute-a-side time caps here, was no mean feat. So much of their greatest work featured across epic 15 minute plus jams- ideal for the cassette format, but trickier for wax. But we’ve got there; 7 beauties which highlight the bands’ love for experimental electronica, kosmische / krautrock and prog perfectly- all underpinned with Rob’s superb often Gottsching-esque guitar work. 

A superb band, totally worthy of further investigation- massively recommended to anyone into any of the above, or that core of early UK electronic underground / cassette scene of Colin Potter, Paul Nagle, Neural Circus as well as overseas heavyweights like Conrad Schnitzler etc… 

Forget the Lessons of the Past

Music GB