Issue 95 / Dec18/Jan19

REVIEWS
“The use of both tender
and volatile sounds
transforms Portico’s
set from musical
odyssey to a living
piece of artwork. Here,
the music breathes
between the notes, not
just the musicians”
Portico Quartet (Michael Kirkham / michaelkirkhamphotography.co.uk)
Portico Quartet
+ Ranga & Harambe
Bam!Bam!Bam! @ 24 Kitchen Street – 11/10
For an industrial warehouse, 24 Kitchen Street is warm and
glittering. It’s currently home to a sea of musical instruments and
energy. The anticipation for cinematic and electronic sound mixed
with powerful percussion is abundant as the crowd squeezes
up towards the stage. Those dedicated enough to the overall
experience, or those who have never been to this particular
venue before, are sitting down in the middle of the room itching
to watch the performances unfold. Artists, writers, and musicians
alike are all brought together by the intuitive sounds PORTICO
QUARTET have produced over four outstanding albums.
To ease us into the experience, the duo RANGA &
HARAMBE. Admittedly, Ranga seems to be further into the
crowd than anticipated due to the tightly packed venue and small
stage drowning in instruments. No worry, this adds charm and
unity to an evening that has already attracted a niche audience.
Multiple decks and drums surround Ranga as he sits almost
tucked away to the side of the stage. Harambe, almost by default,
takes centre stage, shining as he gently places himself in the
spotlight, saxophone in hand. This experimental performance
highlights the best parts of jazz nights; long drones followed
by fleeting melodies within a spectrum of drums. Bringing the
audience ever closer to the rawness of what really makes this
music, Ranga sits encompassed in his own world, where sounds
and technology are his forte. Displaying immense focus, they
entice us into the process of improvisation and the concept
of drawing order from perceived chaos. Trills and dissonance
are used in copious amounts, along with continuous change in
dynamics, creating a story through sounds and emotion.
After being tantalised by the whimsical sounds of Ranga &
Harambe, the audience are more than ready to hear the collective
talent of Portico Quartet. Eager to hear more enticing percussion
over dreamy melodies, they’re now up off the ground and ready
for echoes of jazz, minimalism and electronic textures. Having
established themselves as an experimental electro-pop trio for
their previous album Living Fields, they returned collectively
as a four-piece with the contemporary ambient jazz album Art
In The Age Of Automation and this year’s companion piece,
Untitled (AITAOA #2). Gentle strings and synths are contrasted
with the iconic and spellbinding steel pans, courtesy of Keir
Vine (keyboards), which provide a gorgeous weightlessness
to the songs. This permeates through the instruments and into
the crowd, lifting us up and transforming the room into a sea of
bodies akin to driftwood; we’re all momentarily lost, without a
care in the world.
Long swaying notes from electronic strings provide a
cinematic element to the performance, enticing the audience into
the songs with their inconsistency, their unpredictability. Songs
such as Double Space show the complexity and deliberate use of
clattering notes and developing textures. As the song develops,
the use of natural sounds interweaving with delicate woodwind
captures us in a moment of unexpected tranquillity. The audience
appears captivated by the wondrousness of this particular brand
of music, and how it can paint such a vivid mental picture. The
use of both tender and volatile sounds transforms Portico’s set
from a musical odyssey to a living artwork. The music breathes
between the notes, not just the musicians.
A room full of people connected, sharing an experience led
by fierce sonic percussion and soothing hang drums. And yet
all in attendance are individually being taken away to a place
of personal introspection. Momentary solace in the close, noisy
confines. The lighting is minimal yet effective; bold white lights
highlight drummer Duncan Bellamy’s instruments and precise
beats played almost hypnotically. As his sticks rapidly bounce
along the top of the cymbals the senses are drenched in an
array of double time and swift movement. A sense of adventure
takes over, gently developed by animated drum pieces that rise
Portico Quartet (Michael Kirkham / michaelkirkhamphotography.co.uk)
to a crescendo. Endless provides a contemporary and radiant
expansion of jazz using electronic riffs with orchestral themes to
create a hypnotic display of sounds.
It’s liberating to be engaged with a musical craft where
assortments of instrument can join the mix at any moment.
Subtly, they all play their parts, taking over as lead and gracefully
allowing for new directions to be explored within a song. The
arrival and fade of instrumental layers is executed perfectly; the
bassline that’s commonly presented in Portico Quartet’s songs
holds everything together like glue. Among the full compilation
of sounds and layers, we can sense how each member of the
band reacts to the other’s presence; the small cues they take, the
understanding that allows a fill to drift before re-engaging with
the rhythm with ease. Each member introduces a new element
of electronic and experimental jazz to be taken and personalised
by the next member. All in attendance are happy to feel this
series of ambient, yet intense, developments wash over their
consciousness. Every piece, it seems, creates an unravelling
message, changing from dreamy and monophonic patterns to
deep brassy progressions.
Here, tonight, Kitchen Street is blessed with an effortless and
hypnotic performance. It’s one they display regularly. Only this
time, it’s delivered with the intimacy and closeness of community
Liverpool brings to events across the city.
Ailsa Beetham
42