Potsch Potschka

Composer, producer, and musician Bernhard "Potsch" Potschka has played many instruments during his long career, including the electric guitar, piano, mandolin, keyboards, and cello. He was born in Germany in 1952, where he grew up in a home filled with the daily strum of exquisite classical music. When he entered high school, he took up the study of classical piano and cello. Things would have probably followed an expected path from there, but something happened: Potschka found pirate radio stations that played different music styles, such as pop and beat, and, later on, rock.

When he was about 16, Potschka began to play guitar. He soon joined a little local rock band called Pozzokko. In 1973, Potschka moved from his hometown of W?rzburg to Berlin, where he began to perform with his first professional band, Lok Kreuzberg. The German group lasted a number of years, but was heavily censored because of their political rock music, making it very hard for Lok Kreuzberg to earn airtime for their songs on television or radio.

When the band fell apart in 1977, three of the members held on. They added a singer, Nina Hagen, to the fusion/rock/pop group. The foursome recorded only two albums together before Hagen left, Nina Hagen Band and Unbehagen. The two excellent recordings were enough to bring them lots of recognition.

Down to three members once again, the band renamed themselves Spliff. With a number of first-class releases, Spliff moved high up on the list of top European rock bands. When the group came to an end, Potschka formed a new band, Froon, then went on to work with Perxon.

In 1986, Potschka moved again, this time to Spain. There he began to record with a flamenco group, SOS. He also built a studio on his own and moved further into producing, working on albums for bands like Critos De Guerra.

Potschka decided to go solo in 1994 and spent two years recording his fist album, The Journey. The debut solo album, released in 1996 by the Earthtone Records label, touches on the best from each of the many music styles Potschka has worked in over the years. "Follow the Dream of Life" and "The Day Is Done" are some of the album's tracks.

Near the end of 1998, Potschka continued the journey through his musical life with a second album, Vamos, which carries 14 tracks. A year later there was a third installment, Sahara. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide