World United Music: Portico Quartet

Monday, January 9, 2012

Portico Quartet

About: Portico Quartet

Portico Quartet are a band from London. Their sound is made partially distinctive by the use of the Hang, a 21st-century percussion instrument. The group is composed of Jack Wyllie (soprano and tenor saxophone), Duncan Bellamy (drums), Milo Fitzpatrick (double bass), and Keir Vine (Hang and percussion). Nick Mulvey, former Hang player and percussionist, left in early 2011 to pursue his career as singer-songwriter. He is replaced by Keir Vine.

After nearly two years of playing mainly small gigs and busking regularly outside the National Theatre in London, they signed to Babel Label in 2007. Their first album, Knee-deep in the North Sea was released on 5 November 2007.

They are now signed to Real World Records. The name portico comes from when one of their gigs was rained off in Italy, and they ended up playing under a portico.

Their third, most recent, eponymously titled album was released on January 30, 2012.

Real World Records

Portico Quartet still sound like nothing you ever heard before. The Mercury nominated East London based outfit's unique brand of hypnotic minimalism 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. But all underpinned by a shared joy in collective music making as the band push their inimitable music into the future.

Contact: kerstan@riotsquadpublicity.com