Portico

If the name PORTICO seems familiar, that’s probably understandable, as is the fact that the faces behind it may seem recognisable too. As Portico Quartet, Jack Wyllie, Duncan Bellamy, Milo Fitzpatrick and then member Nick Mulvey released their first album together – the Mercury Music Prize nominated Knee-Deep In The North Sea– back in 2007, but things around a group change, and by the time Mulvey’s successor, Keir Vine, had also moved on, the three London based musicians realised that they were no longer satisfied by the music they were making. They had, as they put it, “gone as far as they could”. It was early 2013 - they’d all grown up, and were no longer a quartet either. This time, they decided, it was their turn to make the changes.

Portico predominantly makes modern instrumental music. They are known for the use of the hang, a modern percussion instrument. Their main influences are jazz, ambient and electronic music.

The band's first two albums are largely acoustic recordings, reflecting their origins as a live busking band. These are based around the hang, double bass and drums, with the saxophone playing the melody line.

Mulvey's departure from the band heralded a notable change in style. The group had already been exploring use of electronics, live samples and looping when touring their second album Isla in 2010. Without their main hang player, for their self-titled third studio album Portico Quartet the group turned to sampling the hang, as well as using a hybrid mix of electronic and acoustic drums, and electronically treated and looped bowed bass and saxophone lines

The Living Fields album featured another change in style, focused on experimental electronic pop music rather than instrumental compositions. Reflecting this, the group chose to release it under the name Portico rather than Portico Quartet, considering it to be a separate band.