Contemporary jazz staples Portico Quartet release Live/Remix album
Out 25 March 2013
The Mercury Prize nominated jazz ensemble have been toying with their fans and the music industry since 2007 with their debut album Knee Deep in The North Sea – now with a live remix album, the foursome are showing exactly how eclectic and diverse they can be.
Based in East London among the skinny-jeaned, no lenses in their glasses Shoreditch twats, they’re a breath of fresh air. Powerful live performances have led the band to conquer new musical territories with blistering results.
The live part of the album is taken from their tour in 2012 and features tracks from their latest self-titled album. It’s mesmerising from the opening cord of Window Seat – which would not be out of place at an ambient electronica night playing Four Tet, Mogwai or Explosions in The Sky. The track that most fuses jazz with electro is Rubidium/Line where a beautiful clarinet trickles through the
tinkering piano beat and quivering violins.
What CD2 does, is bring together some of the band's favourite producers and DJs, from Will Ward, SBTRAKT and Scratcha DVA – giving the band an altogether different spin. I can see these remixes been added to Ibiza ambient anthems or Ministry of Sound does ambient sounds of the summer. I could also hear it appearing in art-house indie movies or bamboozling car adverts.
If you love modern jazz, you’ll love this album and this band. If you love ambient-electro, you’ll wonder why you dismissed Portico Quartet as merely a jazz band. This album shows the world exactly what the Quartet are about – they can’t be pigeon-holed and won’t disappoint live. With their upcoming gig at Camden’s Roundhouse on 17 April, they’re sure the blaze another trail and possibly head towards another Mercury nomination. And this album gives us a sneak preview of what audiences can expect.
Eight out of ten
First published 05/03/2013
The Mercury Prize nominated jazz ensemble have been toying with their fans and the music industry since 2007 with their debut album Knee Deep in The North Sea – now with a live remix album, the foursome are showing exactly how eclectic and diverse they can be.
Based in East London among the skinny-jeaned, no lenses in their glasses Shoreditch twats, they’re a breath of fresh air. Powerful live performances have led the band to conquer new musical territories with blistering results.
The live part of the album is taken from their tour in 2012 and features tracks from their latest self-titled album. It’s mesmerising from the opening cord of Window Seat – which would not be out of place at an ambient electronica night playing Four Tet, Mogwai or Explosions in The Sky. The track that most fuses jazz with electro is Rubidium/Line where a beautiful clarinet trickles through the
tinkering piano beat and quivering violins.
What CD2 does, is bring together some of the band's favourite producers and DJs, from Will Ward, SBTRAKT and Scratcha DVA – giving the band an altogether different spin. I can see these remixes been added to Ibiza ambient anthems or Ministry of Sound does ambient sounds of the summer. I could also hear it appearing in art-house indie movies or bamboozling car adverts.
If you love modern jazz, you’ll love this album and this band. If you love ambient-electro, you’ll wonder why you dismissed Portico Quartet as merely a jazz band. This album shows the world exactly what the Quartet are about – they can’t be pigeon-holed and won’t disappoint live. With their upcoming gig at Camden’s Roundhouse on 17 April, they’re sure the blaze another trail and possibly head towards another Mercury nomination. And this album gives us a sneak preview of what audiences can expect.
Eight out of ten
First published 05/03/2013
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