pôt-pot – Warsaw 480km: Album Review

By JohnMartinson on 22nd September 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Warsaw 480km is the debut LP from Irish quintet pôt-pot, who infuse the propulsive grooves of krautrock with a phosphorescent psych-rock radiance, all underscored by harmonium drones, hypnotic male-female vocal harmonies, and deep layers of rough-hewn texture.

Released: 19th September 2025

Label: felte

Format: Vinyl / Digital

Éire VIA PORTUGAL & POLAND

pôt-pot are an Irish band based in Lisbon. Warsaw 480km draws influence from drone rock supported by modern production. Lead singer, Mark Waldron-Hyden, lilts between the lighter shades of Ian Curtis and Lou Reed; strong without being overpowering. Plenty of reverb drenched chords, string bends and smart pedal work make for a great listen. The krautrock sound is comparable to early output of Bardo Pond and, more obviously, CAN.

Opening with 22º Halo, the guitar riff lifts from Joy Division’s She’s Lost Control. Tracks like Can’t Handle It layer tremolo harmonies while I AM! pounds forward with heavy drums. Production stays clean throughout, letting the Krautrock influences breathe. Sextape, with its excellent guitar and bass interplay, and WRSW demonstrate the band’s ability to structure layers on a bed of drums and guitars with vocals and percussion adding texture. The Lights Are On has the drone that the band like to explore, with a piercing guitar lead in which Mykle Oliver Smith cuts through the drone with some excellent guitar work.

On WRSW, Mark Waldron-Hyden states: “WRSW is a chronicle of being driven in a very nice car to collect and deliver my father’s ashes, and how that odd comfort in such an awful situation jarred me; at one point the driver told me about a journey he’d taken from Ireland to Poland, where after days of driving, in the dead of night, a single road sign appeared, reading ‘WARSAW 480 KM’. I identified with that image of blackness punctuated suddenly by some faraway but tangible relief.”

NEW DAWN FADES

The album closes with two of the more prog and kraut influenced tracks: Hot Scene and Change Your Life. Heavy with vocal drone, an occasional tambourine and more of that jangly, piercing lead work. Again, it is hard to escape the Joy Division similarity. For a precise reference, think New Dawn Fades, of Unknown Pleasures.

One massive influence for me is James Brown and a lot of early soul and funk; those deep grooves and chantlike vocals, repeated for minutes on end, are crafted so skilfully in the way that they’re simple enough to get down to, but evolve enough to stay incredibly interesting… That kind of music makes people move and lose themselves, but also stands alone as totally original and timeless.
Waldron-Hyden on pôt-pot’s incorporation of cyclical structures

Contrasts and comparisons aside, pôt-pot have a rich sound bolstered by smart instrumentation and production. They are an exciting prospect and this debut album highlights the band’s potential to define the contemporary prog genre. I’d anticipate compelling live performances; hopefully there will be tour dates added soon, to experience the pôt-pot sound.