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Meet... Portico Quartet
We fired some random questions in the direction of Portico Quartet's Myspace page. What follows is what the youthful jazzers fired back...You've gone from busking on the South Bank to being the darlings of the jazz/leftfield jazz scene. Do you feel any different now you have a deal, an album, busy tour schedule and Gilles Peterson's ear?
Not really as we've always been working hard but it's nice to be playing bigger venues and for more folks to know what we do.
What's a hang? How did you come to include the instrument in your line-up?
The hang is an instrument developed in Switzerland about 5 years ago by people called Panart. It is a tuned-percussion instrument, similar to the steel pan but softer in tone, with influences also from the Indonesian gamelan. A very special and unique sound. We bought them a few years ago with no particular plan, only because they were fun, but it evolved into a crucial part of our sound and compositional process quite naturally. Through it and the compositional choices it encourages we 'stumbled' upon a fresh and interesting sound.
How did you come by your name?
We were busking before we had a name, before we even considered ourselves a 'band' and a guy saw us and flew us to Italy to a festival called Mercurdo. There we had a memorable, formative weekend and played a special set under a portico in an archway of a beautiful old building. And the name occured to us and seemed to do the job.
Have you ever been knee deep in the North Sea?
I have been knee-deep in the North Sea. I (Nick) was at a rave on the beach in Brancaster, north Norfolk and had a memorable chat with a mate as we stood up to our knees in the North Sea and the sun came up.
What music inspires you? What else inspires you?
Lots of music! Inspiration comes from people playing music for all the right reasons almost regardless of genre. A lot of Jazz (Ben Alison, Coltrane, Brad Mehldau, Billie Holiday) a lot of modern classical (Glass, Reich, Ravel...), rock, Malian music, Congolese and Zimbabwean music... and on....
Quiet night in or partying all night?
Partying all night.
Favourite pie?
Pecan.
Best gig ever?
Lots but we particularly enjoyed The Purcell rooms in the last London Jazz Festival. Many great imropmtu gigs when we busked through Europe a few years ago, too.
What's your favourite track on the album?
Love it all. Different favourites eveyday but the title track is a bit special, don't you think?
(Ed - Yes I do, but the sublime 'Cittgazze' is currently the fave.)
What's the point of music?
The point of music is communication.
What makes you laugh?
Seeing someone cycle in the rain against a strong wind. Jeez that's funny...
You're being fired into space, never to return to earth. Before take-off, you're given a media player that can store one song, one film and one book. What do you download onto it?
Excellent question.
Song = 'Floe' by Philip Glass
Film = 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' by Alfred Hitchcock
Book = Delia's 'How to Cook'
I'm coming to see your set at The Big Chill - what should I wear?
Wear whatever is comfy, we don't care. Ladies, however, are another matter. Tight, TIGHT, skirts, please.
If you could collaborate with anyone - living or dead - who would you pick and why?
DJ Luck and MC Neat.
Thanks for your time!
Portico Quartet biog
Portico Quartet are on the line-up for The Big Chill 2008.
Written: 4th Feb, 08
Read: 2253 times
