Labels

Portishead

Geoff Barrow

Geoff Barrow

Producer

G Hastings

Beth Gibbons

Vocals

Kayus Bankole

Adrian Utley

Guitar, Bass, Theremin

Formed: 1991
Location: Bristol, England
Genre: Trip Hop
Years Active: 1991 - 1998; 2008
Meaning of the Name: Portishead is a town in Somerset where Geoff Barrow used to live.
Way of Working: Collaborative
Labels: Go! Discs, Island Records

Essential Releases

Dummy

Dummy (1994)

Debut album.

Album Title 2

Portishead (1997)

Darker. Jazzier. Hauntological.

Album Title 3

Third (2008)

The trip hop is replaced with industrial and krautrock.

Album Title 3

Lives Outgrown (2024)

Beth Gibbons solo effort. Mature, haunting, atmospheric.


When Geoff Barrow, who had produced tracks for Massive Attack and Neneh Cherry, met pub singer Beth Gibbons on a course for the unemployed in Bristol, they decided to collaborate. In another fateful encounter, passerby Adrian Utley was drawn to the pair's recording studio by an unconventional sound, like a sailor to a sirens call. He was so impressed that he joined the group.

He brought with him not only an imposing bulk, but a wealth of experience and knowledge of unconventional instruments, such as the theremin, which he plays a synthesised version of on the otherworldly 'Mysterons'. This willingness to embrace sounds associated with 1960s science fiction gave the group's work a strange retrofuturistic aesthetic.

This approach helped Portishead launch a new form of music in the early '90s: Trip hop, a genre that combined the cutting-edge production techniques of hip hop with traditional singing and live instruments. The age discrepancy between the group's members also nourished their creative time: Utley is seven years older than Beth; Beth is six years older than Geoff. As a group, they had a far-ranging knowledge of music absent in most bands.

Portishead also employed unorthodox production techniques, such as recording fresh audio and making it sound like it was sampled from old vinyl. To achieve this, they pressed their original compositions on to wax, threw them across the room, and kick them around. The goal was to create the crackly, worn sound associated with the medium.

The traditional sampling came primarily from old spy films, giving their sound a noirish quality; in later years, Geoff Barrow scored feature films such as Ex Machina (2014). Ultimately, Portishead's sultry, glacial, and cinematic work perplexed older audiences, while reinterpreting sounds of the past for a rapidly approaching future.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
70

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
60

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
100

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
70

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
70

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
90

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
95

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
85

Singing

i Technical attributes.
85

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
85

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
30

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
40

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
70

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
80

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
95

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
35

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards >>>

  • Mercury Prize 1995 WINNER!: Dummy - Album of the Year
  • Brit Award Nomination 1995: Dummy - Best British Newcomer
  • Ivor Novello Award Winner 2016: Outstanding Contribution to British Music

Certifications >>>

  • Platinum Album: Dummy (1994) in Belgium, Canada, New Zealand [x2] & UK [x3]
  • Gold Album: Dummy (1994) in Italy & US
  • Platinum Album: Portishead (1997) in New Zealand & the UK
  • Gold Album: Portishead (1997) in Australia, Belgium, Canada
  • Gold Album: Third (2008) in the UK

Charts >>>

  • Album Charts: Dummy (1994) - Number 3 in the UK
  • Album Charts: Portishead (1997) - Number 1 in New Zealand; Number 2 in Australia & the UK, Number 3 in France & Ireland
  • Album Charts: Third (2008) - Number2 in Denmark & UK, Number 3 in Canada & France

Critics >>>

  • Melody Maker: Dummy (1994) - The Best Albums of 1994: 1st
  • NME: Dummy (1994) - The 500 Best Albums of All Time: 168th
  • Rolling Stone: Dummy (1994) - The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020): 131st

Criticism

  • Geoff Barrow once called Amy Winehouse, "Whiney Shitehouse", in an interview with Electronic Beats. Adding that she had a fake voice and had become a comic character of herself by the end.


Similar Acts



Labels:

Popular Posts