Mercury prize nominated PORTICO QUARTET release debut album ISLA in the United States TODAY!
The young, UK-based, Mercury-prize-nominated band has been compared to everyone from Radiohead to Steve Reich to Moondog. They've been called "genuinely innovative" (The Observer), "powerfully atmospheric" (The Independent), and "an authentic musical force" (Times of London). But it's Mojo that best summarizes their unique appeal: "If any group demonstrates the glorious eclecticism of the modern music fan, it's Portico Quartet."
Today, 31st August 2010 Real World Records announce the release of the Portico Quartet's critically acclaimed sophomore LP 'Isla,' in the US. Produced by the John Leckie (Radiohead, Stone Roses, Spiritualized) and recorded in the legendary Studio Two at Abbey Road.
"THERE ISN'T ANOTHER BAND THAT SOUNDS REMOTELY LIKE THEM" - THE OBSERVER
Portico Quartet is Jack Wyllie (saxophones, electronics), Duncan Bellamy (drums), Milo Fitzpatrick (double bass), and is often distinguished by Nick Mulvey's performance on the Hang, a distinctive percussion instrument that sounds not unlike a gamelan or Tibetan prayer bells. Working with Leckie, Portico Quartet recorded 'Isla' almost entirely live and enhanced their sound with loops, real-time electronics and overdubs. It's an album that reveals fresh nuances with every listen.
Portico Quartet first got their start busking to crowds in London's South Bank and broke through with their debut 'Knee Deep In The North Sea' - an album nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize for Best U.K. or Irish album - originally out on Vortex, soon to be re-released on Real World Records. Since then, the group signed with Real World Records to release 'Isla' in the UK. It earned them wide critical acclaim, leading to their biggest shows to date - including the Barbican in London.
More tour dates and information to be release soon!
Foxlight
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In Trance
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Capture
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Bought For A Dollar, Sold For A Dime
The musical melting pot of 'Bought For A Dollar, Sold for a Dime' is large, and bubbling. Here are addictive rhythms. Soulful vocals. Pinches of dub and funk, reggae and gospel. Oh-so-subtle samples and innovative electronics. And underpinning it all, McDonald's shimmering blues guitar licks, conjuring a space where the dirt roads of the Deep South meet the shiny lanes of the Information Superhighway.
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