Portico Quartet still sound like nothing you ever heard before. Well, maybe some stuff, you can pick out the inspirations here and there, but I struggle to think of any direct comparisons like Editors and Interpol for example. The Mercury nominated East London based outfit’s unique music has expanded to embrace new sonic territories. Drawing on the inspiration of electronica, ambient, classical and dance music as they take their strange, beautiful, cinematic, future music to exciting new vistas where the inspiration of Burial, Mount Kimbie and Flying Lotus rubs shoulders with the textures of Arve Henriksen and Bon Iver and echoes of Steve Reich and Max Richter. You could argue that the older stuff was edgier, but the ambient leanings of the latest album is like a mental massage. It’s all underpinned by a shared joy in collective music making as the band push their inimitable music into the future, much like Sam Beckett of Quantum Leap did.
Portico Quartet release their new double album Live / Remix in March 2013 on Real World Records and let’s be fair, they’re prime candidates for interesting remix material. It is the sound of a band that refuses to stand still as they add new electronic inspiration to their trademark sound. There are no shortcuts mind, the music is played live, not pre-recorded, and the hard won collective empathy that is at the heart of their sound remains their niche. Full of mystery and drama Portico Quartet still take the listener on an unparalleled journey and live they pack a heavy punch.
This is a rare London appearance from an award-winning band whose live experience is never the same twice: you should go because you never know, they might break up next week and then you’ll never be able to go and you’ll always wonder “I wonder if they were any good live?” forevermore.
They aren’t playing any other UK dates unfortunately, but a bunch of shows around Europe instead. Too bad, the rest of the country. First Thatcher, now this.
Buy tickets here.
