Portishead
If you ask most faithful trip hop or downtempo fans who their favorite artists are, there is a high chance Portishead will be near the top of their list. In approximately 1991, a trio of talented artists hailing from Bristol, UK, came together to form what would go on to be one of the most innovative and influential groups of the 1990’s. Singer Beth Gibbons and respected producers, Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley were all involved with musical projects prior to Portishead but all three really came into their own and produced amazing results as a whole.
While Portishead is widely hailed as the one of the pioneers of niche electronic music genre, trip hop, the artists themselves have stated that they’ve never pigeonholed their own sound to this title. Like it or not, they, along with fellow artists such as DJ Shadow, Massive Attack, Tricky, Coldcut and others helped to really craft the genre as a whole. Despite Portishead’s influence and success over the years, which is enormous on paper, the trio has always managed to avoid the spotlight pretty well and stay fairly under the mainstream radar, even during the peak of their popularity.
The album that really catapulted the group to the top was their debut effort, “Dummy”, released in 1994. Though Dummy only spawned 3 official singles, the album as a whole is a cohesive journey through what was up until that point in time, beautiful and uncharted territory. It was the type of LP that tugs at your heart strings immediately and reels you in for an emotional journey; the musical aspects as well as the lyrics and tones were so raw in an honest way. To this day, many top producers and other musicians, ranging from legends such as Depeche Mode to hip hop mogul Dr. Dre, have all hailed the album as a major personal influence of theirs.
Three years later, their follow up, self-titled LP was unleashed onto the eager ears of their fans and critics. It was comprised of a fairly different type of sound than “Dummy”, meanwhile keeping Portishead’s trademarks and style. This time around, they relied on more organic sounds and melodies from pieces composed and recorded by the band. These elements, mixed with what was said to be a heavy retro spy film influence, came together to form another album which was well received by Portishead fans.
The next output from them was a CD, released in 1998. It was comprised of tracks recorded from a live concert in NYC, with the mighty New York Philharmonic Orchestra providing the strings for the band. It was filled with lush and epic renditions of some of the group’s classic songs. After this, however, the music world would see a shocking and nearly decade long disappearance from Portishead. Their influence lived on a great deal in countless other artists’ musical efforts, however. Finally, circa 2005, the group started to resurface a bit and Barrow confirmed that they were indeed working on a new LP.
Roll around to 2008 and their highly anticipated and long-awaited album, aptly titled “Third”, has finally just been released as of April. The reactions to this one are mixed, as it is not what people were fully expecting. But what it really is, is Portishead doing what they have always done best; pushing their limits, furthering their sound and taking risks like the ones they did a decade plus ago which made them so coveted to begin with.
The album is a journey through classic Portishead soundscapes, quirky, unexpected beat patterns and an almost swanky vintage vibes. This time around, Gibbons utilized her angelic voice as more of an instrument, playing with everything from Goldfrapp-esque, breathy tones, to intense vibrato and pitch shifts, meanwhile pouring out her soul as only she does best, though somber lyrics. The production works like a dream with and enhances the vocals but at the same time isn’t overpowered by them. There are many unexpected beats and pads that sort of come out of nowhere, yet the album as a whole is just as lush and as cohesive of a journey as “Dummy”.
It’s too soon yet to speculate on what this talented group will be up to in the future but as of now, “Third” has provided more than enough goodness to keep us on the edge of our seats. Not to mention their previous albums are absolute classics, so it’s never too late to get acquainted with those in the meantime.
The new album “Third” is available on Island Records UK and also as a limited edition box set
Visit portishead.co.uk
By Regina Libian