It's well known that Portico Quartet is a hybrid musical UFO that, drawing inspiration from everything, has found a unique sound. When downtempo music meets jazz, repetitive music in the vein of Steve Reich, and ethereal English pop, an ultra-smooth and unclassifiable blend is born. This double album offers two unique perspectives on the band. The first CD is a live recording from 2012, featuring tracks from their latest album as well as new arrangements of their early classics "Clipper" and "Dawn Patrol." The live versions often have a more energetic dimension than their studio counterparts, and listening reveals the band's telepathic understanding after hundreds of concerts. "Steepless" features the childlike vocal thread of singer Cornelia for an epic version. The second CD is a beautiful dive into Portico's sound world with a series of remixes by the band's favorite DJs and producers. Between techno influences ("Window Seat" by Will Ward), UK Garage beats ("Line" by the renowned SBTRKT), and dancefloor rhythms ("Laker Boo" by Berlin producer Luca Lozano), the album concludes with the band's own remix of "Steepless," whose limited-quality synths recall the best hours of nascent and inventive 80s electro. This new installment, combining live recordings and choice remixes, confirms for Portico the absolute necessity of taking the scenic route.
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