Biography
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Years Active
2005 – present (19 years)
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Founded In
London, England, United Kingdom
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Members
- Duncan Bellamy
- Jack Wyllie
- Keir Vine (2011 – present)
- Milo Fitzpatrick
- Nick Mulvey (2005 – 2011)
Portico Quartet is a British instrumental band based in London. Formed in 2005, they are known for their use of the Hang, a modern percussion instrument. Their debut album, Knee-Deep in the North Sea, was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize and was Time Out’s Jazz, Folk and World album of the year 2007. Of the original members, Nick Mulvey left in August 2014 for a solo career and the other three released an album in 2015 as Portico. The band subsequently signed with Gondwana Records in 2017 and released their fourth studio album as Portico Quartet - Art in the Age of Automation - which reached No.1 in the UK jazz chart. Their fifth studio album - Memory Streams - was released in 2019.
Formed from two sets of schoolfriends, they share a house in East London, make recordings, and play festivals and clubs. They are primarily acoustic: percussion, bass, and wind instruments, together with the hang, a tuned percussion instrument bought on impulse at a music festival.
The line-up of the band is Duncan Bellamy (drums), Milo Fitzpatrick (double bass), Jack Wyllie (soprano, tenor saxophones and electronics) and Keir Vine (hang and percussion), replacing Nick Mulvey, whom left the band in August 2014 for a solo career.
They started their career busking on the South Bank in London’s, began to get paid bookings plus the odd festival, and made a five-track CD to sell at gigs. In 2007 they signed a record deal to make a full length CD, Knee Deep in the North Sea. This was a turning point; the album attracted attention from DJs, bloggers, and critics, and was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Music Prize.
The band's second album was Isla (2009), recorded by producer John Leckie. It preceeded albums Portico Quartet (2012) and Living Fields, released early 2015. They also released a Live/Remix album in 2013.
Mulvey left in August 2014 for a solo career and the other three released an album in 2015 as Portico. The band subsequently signed with Gondwana Records in 2017 and released their fourth studio album as Portico Quartet - Art in the Age of Automation - which reached No.1 in the UK jazz chart. Their fifth studio album - Memory Streams - was released in 2019.
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