PORTICO QUARTET
Koko, Camden | April 17th
Few know that the Mercury-nominated Portico Quartet chose their name after an inclement gig in Italy during which they improvised and played under a portico. Some are aware that for a couple of years the foursome busked around London’s South Bank, near that guy whose caramelised nuts smell so tempting. Most realise that the key to their breakthrough was the distinctive sound of the hang.
The rare percussion instrument, made in Swiss capital Bern by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer (the name of their company is PANArt Hangbau AG, from where the name derives), is the first noise heard on both their 2007 debut album Knee-Deep In The North Sea and also Isla, released two years later.
It dominates those melodic, acoustic LPs, but the band didn’t want to either rely too heavily on the hang or be restricted by it, which led to an interesting metamorphosis around 2010, partly expedited by the departure of original hang player, Nick Mulvey. Keir Vine stepped in and joined drummer Duncan Bellamy, bassist Milo Fitzpatrick and saxophonist Jack Wyllie, and the new quad began exploring the possibilities of sampling loops of the hang and using electronic pads to freshen up the flavour, stepping into somewhat more inviting ground more associated with the likes of Mount Kimbie. Their eponymous third offering, which came out early last year, veered away from their original sound and for many it was one of best albums of 2012, scored impressive marks for reinvention.
Working out where the East London-based group go from here is very intriguing – they remain at a crossroads. At Mornington Crescent’s Koko on Wednesday they played a set almost identical to the one they did in the nearby Roundhouse last October, from which they took most of their Live / Remix album released in April, leaning heavily on their third release.
The old theatre is a superb venue for Portico Quartet, and it must have been a near-sell out – indicative of the band’s allure after their partial-maturation. Some hung to banisters straining for a glimpse of the beaming lightsabre-like hues of the band’s stage show through the darkness.
Like other recent live showings they displayed a superb studio-esque clarity, which was, of course, added to by the audience and their reactions to more popular tracks such as Ruins and Laker Boo. No space here, though, for emotive former favourites Clipper or Dawn Patrol. Those days are gone, the songs seemingly expunged from their minds.
Their newer sound is more slow-building, deeper, layered and repetitive, and it has served them well in the 16 months since Portico Quartet dropped. The crowd head nodded and looked on as loyal fans do. But they were also on a watching brief to see if the band would hint at their next move. No clues at Koko, alas. But we wait patiently, respectfully and intrigued by this foursome, as the hang sits lonely and largely unused on the stage.
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Live/Remix is available now via Real World.
Words: Oliver Pickup
Photo: Fabrice Bourgelle
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