The Quarks has been played on NTS shows including Crossed Wires w/ Amanda Siegel, with Mechanical (Extended Dance Version) first played on 31 March 2023.

The Quarks were Martin Ansell, who was responsible for vocals and lyrics, and Rod Bowkett, who handled instruments and programming.

Rod Bowkett initially wrote songs for Diana Ross and Quincy Jones. He was especially proficient in piano and guitar. In 1981, he met Martin Ansell, who was working as a session singer for publishers such as Rockstar and Intersong. They wrote some new songs together and ended up with a deal on Magnet records.

The first single they released was Mechanical, as The Quarks. The song did not have any significant chart activity in the eighties, in part because the label was unsure how to promote it, but since being distributed on the internet later on, it's become a cult hit.

After Mechanical, the duo changed their name to President President, with the reason being that the name "The Quarks" was silly, and also a brand of cheese. It took weeks and many lists to choose the new name.