Portico Quartet. London instrumental group, two pairs of childhood friends who first made their name busking outside the National Theatre. The name comes from the portico where they were sent to play when it rained at an early gig. Jazz, ambient and electronic textures, built early on around the hang drum with double bass and drums. Their 2007 debut, Knee-Deep in the North Sea, got a Mercury Prize nomination, and this 2012 self-titled album (home to Ruins) found them settling into a richer electro-acoustic sound with new member Keir Vine. Drummer Duncan Bellamy, who trained in fine art, designs all of the band's own album artwork. The companion albums Terrain and Monument came out in 2021.
From the notes for EKHO Sonic Chill #5 · fact-checked Oct 4, 2026.
The records
Where I played them
