PORTICO QUARTET

By Paul Cross

Portico Quartet* are a band from London. Their sound is made partially distinctive by the use of the Hang, a 21st Century percussion instrument. The group is composed of Jack Wyllie (soprano and tenor saxophone), Duncan Bellamy (drums), Milo Fitzpatrick (double bass), and Keir Vine (Hang and percussion). Nick Mulvey, former Hang player and percussionist, left in early 2011 to pursue his career as singer-songwriter. He is replaced by Keir Vine.

After nearly two years of playing mainly small gigs and busking regularly outside the National Theatre in London, they signed to Babel Label in 2007. Their first album, *Knee-deep in the North Sea* was released on 5 November 2007 coupled with performances at the London Jazz Festival at Purcell

Room together with pianist Michiel Borstlap and drummer Bill Bruford. 

They are now signed to Real World Records. The name portico comes from when one of their gigs was rained off in Italy, and they ended up playing under a portico. Their third, most recent, self-titled titled album was released on January 30^th 2012.

I was first introduced to PQ in 2005 by some very good friends who studied at SOAS and King's college. I heard about this house party in South London where these four amazing musicians played an impromptu gig in their own house around 5am. Soon after I was invited to a gig at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank where I witnessed and heard a form of Jazz music unlike anything I had ever heard before. Using instruments I was previously unaware of, and conjuring a truly magical and mystical sound which came across as more like a soundtrack/score than a collection of songs. I can honestly say I was truly blown away and have been a fan ever since.

Now in January 2012 I find myself extremely excited at the chance to see them in a relatively intimate show at Rough Trade Shops East, London. Portico Quartet are here to promote they're third and latest self-titled Album. As it’s an in-store gig the set is short, consisting of 6 tracks, 4 of which were taken from the new album.

The new album is a big step forward for the band yet also makes perfect sense too with the sounds that have recently been coming out of London, on the more electronic / dance side of things. But do not be perturbed by this new angle, PQ still maintain their unique and captivating sound yet successfully incorporate an electronic edge/flavour, taking influence from such artists as Four Tet, Burial and Mount Kimbie. All tracks on the album are recorded from single live takes.

Kicking off with 'Window Seat’ the band's sound manages to fill the room swiftly in a subtle yet encompassing manner, gently warming the crowd. The ambience of the strings gradually loses to the sweeping electronic pads serving up a wonderful introduction, which leads straight into the next track 'Lacker Boo'. Beautifully dark, the second track from PQ really shows their deep and soulful side and the repetitiveness of the backbeat becomes almost hypnotic.

'Ruins' is the track which first instantly stood out to me from the album and still has that solid PQ signature sound which rides over a low-slung 2-step beat. The combination of the double bass bassline and cutting hi-hats rhythm builds a sense of anticipation and slight unease before the Alto sax comes in with strong heart-wrenching melodies and lead lines whisking you away into a heavenly soundscape.

'Coy Carp' is introduced by the band as a song that didn't make it to the final album but should have been included in their eyes....that’s the record industry for you.... (However, if you buy the album from Rough Trade you do receive an exclusive bonus cd which includes 'Coy Carp' and 4 other tracks.)The track has a more industrial side to it with high pitched whines from the sax player and glitchy electronic beats, yet morphs through the PQ orchestra-like sound ending with a 90 sec piano reprise.

The penultimate song from the band (‘Spinner’) kicks off with a bassline I’m sure Roni Size would be envious of and a really nice rim-shot break but gradually builds into a very busy sonic climax. Finishing with 'City Of Glass' I am happily satisfied that Portico Quartet are still the band I knew before but have even more scope for the future with the incorporation of electronics. The four highly accomplished musicians have a great connection with each other and 'City If Glass' is the perfect end to a short but amazing gig.

        

            I  thoroughly recommend anyone to go and see them, even if the word 'Jazz' generally puts you off. They are a unique and wonderful band and I look forward to see where they will take us next. I really wouldn't be surprised if they were approached to do a film score or two soon...

Check out a live studio recording of 'Ruins' here including a link for a free download.

Special thanks goes out to Paul Cross from taking the time to write this review for Lionstigersrahhh. 

For more on Paul Cross's music, check this out... Mixcloud

GOTTA MIX IT UP!

Best way to start your weekend Trap Waves Vol. 1. Courtesy of the talent that is  Vissukamma Ratsaphong who is a Sydney based art director and designer, working predominately with M U S I C.

PINK

Raarr

When I first received the invite for Raarr, I was taken back by the opening sentence  ‘Never work with children or animals they say’. I have worked with children ranging from 6 months to 6 years old for over 10 years and have been humbled by every encounter. My days of educating were filled with honesty, curiosity and an infinite wealth of potential from each child to say the least. But the exhibition name is quite fitting for lionstigersrahhh and I get extremely excited by the idea of artists collaborating with children and giving them an opportunity to express their own realities. Children or young people possess a vivid creative imagination and they see the world through a very colourful kaleidoscope. It is quite refreshing to say the least to see children’s work being respected and exhibited at The Book Club.

 

 Raarr (pronounced RAAARRGHHH!) - pretty much how (lionstigersRAAARRGHH is pronounced) is an exhibition consisting of collaborative zoological drawings. However, ordinary collaborations they are not. The involved artists are in fact a whole generation apart. In my personal opinion there is no difference in how many generations apart the artist are. What matters here is the dialogue that was created, how they each challenged the others thoughts and ideas about art, imagination and perceiving the world around them.

The best drawing I have ever received from a child was at a Primary School in Hackney. The child handed me a drawing that was filled with love hearts or should I say, everything was made with love hearts. Flowers were in the shape of love hearts, the sun was too and even the hot air balloon. That child explained that it was love heart land and that she would like to take me there because everything was made out of love hearts and everything was fun there.

Contributing illustrators and their chosen creatures:

Mike Bertino: Babbon 

Jon Boam: Bat

  James Clapham: Ostrich  

kristina collantes: Ring Tailed Lemur

Jay Cover (Nous Vous): Crocodile  

Kristian Hammerstad: Pig  

Jason Kerley: Shark

  James Ari King: Bear

  Micah Lidberg: Horse  

Antonio Ladrillo: Worm

  Miss Lotion: Wild Boar Robert Maple: Mouse 

Andy Miller: Fox

  Marcus Oakley: Orangutan 

  Mike Perry: Caterpillar Kyle Platts: Lizard

  Kate Prior: Cat   

Daniel Sparkes: Wolf   

Katja Spitzer:   Okapi 

 Ian Stevenson: Rabbit

Magic Sweater: Walrus

Zeloot: Bird

Pure innocence with a world of potential and a voice that wants to be heard is exactly the essence of what Raahh represents. 

Twenty two illustrators have been specially commissioned to draw a reptile, bird, mammal, amphibian, fish or insect of their choosing... sans-head or face.  Upon completion these headless wonders will be passed onto the real talent: twenty-two eager school children who will receive the baton from the illustrators and complete the drawings; adding features, colour, limbs, even names, whilst not forgetting the all important heads. 

Most of the younger collaborators will be friends and relatives of their “bigger-kid” counterparts. However some of the participating illustrators are from distant corners of the world, so the help of local primary schools has been enlisted to contribute to the project. As half of the work is by children it was thought only fair that all of the profits made from the show will be donated to the NSPCC, a UK children’s charity based a stones throw from The Book Club. 

So shake your legs, stretch them out and take yourself for a little stroll to The Book Club for Raahh the exhibition. The exhibition runs from Thursday 19^th  ends 26^th February and it's free entry!

Screen and risograph printing courtesy of James Ari King, It Drew Itself and Ditto Press. Concept and Curation Jason Kerley, Assisted by Aine Sheehan, James Ari King & Iris Gundacker.
Directed by Liat Chen
Risograph Printing by Ditto Press

The Pyramids

The first time I stepped foot at Cafe Oto was to see Owiny Sigoma and supporting them was Michael Kiwanuka. I was blown away by how talented both bands were and how the intimate space at Cafe Oto made it all an even more memorable experience. The only thing I regretted about that night,  was not taking my camera along.  This time with two tickets bought to see The Pyramids, I knew straight away that I had to pack my little camera to take a few snaps. I was in complete awe for pretty much the whole time. Astonished by the incredible amount of instruments laid on the stage and for a second I thought, no way they are going to play them all! To begin the show, they came out of the back room of the cafe each with an instrument and together with an unbelievable voice and winning smile interactive Bradie Speller who is also a percussionist and Rhythm Programmer, began to encourage the crowd to join in. 

Nearly 40 years since the founding of the group in 1972, The Pyramids have reunited and toured Europe during November and December 2010, and most recently the summer of 2011.  In the early 70's as students with passion for music and experimentation, they travelled around through the heart of Africa to places such as rock churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia and the pyramids in Egypt. They immersed themselves in the African and Egyptian culture absorbing wonderful sounds and techniques. Now after all these years they have reunited to produce high energy, extremely interactive, psychedelic Afro music.

Idris Ackamoor is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, tap dancer, actor, director, and producer. He is the Founder and Executive/Co-Artistic Director of the San Francisco performance company Cultural Odyssey. His main instrument he plays is alto saxophone and with his passion and flair for experimental music, he takes the listener on a fantastic trip with him changing instruments and connecting deeply with his band members. During the gig just when we thought there could be no more instruments to play, Idris pulled out his tap shoes and pretty much tapped around creating wonderful music whilst Kash Killion played the Cello to the sounds of his feet. 

The thing that I most admired about the band is the feeling of  'one uppering'. Each band member played to the strength of the other and at times pushed each others buttons to push boundaries with the music they played. 

Kenneth Nash is an accomplished musician, composer, producer,  and author is building bridges of sound with compositions that unite numerous forms and idioms. His music is influenced by Cuban, African, jazz, funk and hip-hop. 

Thomas Williams (Kimathi Asante)  the founding member of The Pyramids has studied the trombone, string bass and tuba. 

During intermission, The Pyramids took the time to mingle with the crowd and talking to them about their journey and how they reunited. I felt connected when Bradie Speller came towards us and greeted us. He took the time to listen to what we had to say about the night and seemed genuinely interested in our point of view. Idris had a few costumes changes through out the night! From a leopard printed robe and a head piece to a golden suit then finally a sequences zebra printed suit with matching hats it was definitely a wonderful performance. 

Kash Killion is a San Francisco based sarangi player, cellist, bassist, vocalist, and composer. He plays sarangi and other string instruments in unusual situations and plays any style of music and make is sound authentic. 

Their fourth album Otherworldly - is inspired by the way they perceive music. Even though they are using authentic instruments, they find inspiration to play them in diverse ways.  To find out more about The Pyramids, head to

 The Pyramids

Many thanks goes out to Paul Cross for introducing me to this incredible band. A very  inspirational night! 

Balance - European Hardcore

Collaborating on a shared idea can sometimes be tough but when you have a great concept and people who are willing to jump onboard, the project becomes quite inspirational to say the least. Balance a fantastic book about the European Hardcore scene is a project that I have found extremely interesting as it has an organic feel to it with people from different walks of life coming together to achieve something extraordinary.

Borne out of the American punk scene of the late 1970s, hardcore music raged through the 1980s, spreading to towns and cities across the globe. The hardcore network spans all of Europe, and Balance visits every major node of it, opening the doors of the bars and dives that host Europe’s hardcore bands. Capturing the chaos of the mosh pit, the monotony of the office, and the sheer energy of the music, Balance pays homage to the bands, promoters, designers, and supporters who have made the decision to live a hardcore life.

Balance: European Hardcore features striking photography of shows and portraits of influential musicians. Alongside these images, the authors provide insights into the informal rules that give order to the international movement—for example, all lyrics are written and performed in English—allowing readers an insider’s perspective on the enduring but underdocumented music scene.

Balance focuses on the current European scene, documenting the lives of musicians who strike a balance between their day jobs and this vital musical force. From tattooists in Portugal to miners in Poland, Balance uncovers the twin lives of those working to support their passion. Hardcore has always been more than just music and although the performers and fans across the continent speak different languages and live in different places, they are tied to each other through a communal music scene that transcends borders. 

Sophia Schorr-Kon an extremely freelance photographer and a friend that I admire greatly explains 'The journey that rolled out before us was a tough one, mostly self-funded and self directed. It took us to barren industrial estates in Germany, freezing train platforms in Poland, tarantula infested corners of France all tied together with an unglamorous schedule of Budget air travel. But in amongst the testing trips we were met with wonderful people from all over the scene who were open and candid with us about their passion and who were willing to open up their lives and allow us to be a part of it for a few days. Honesty and drive were present in every musician we met and I was inspired and bowled over at the determination and positive force there is around this music. I think that’s what kept me going on all of those days when I thought I must be crazy for taking on this project'.

 Tom Barry the master behind this idea is the drummer for London hardcore band Kartel and has been a fixture of the city's hardcore music scene since the 1990s. He began covering alternative and underground music as a staff writer with Big Cheese magazine before moving into youth work and continuing to contribute to community-focused publications. His writing has covered a variety of subjects, from interviews with Slayer to the content of local school meals. 

Tom explains that 'the people who make up the scene are Balance’s focus because they are the scene. Strangers fed us, housed us, and treated us as anybody in the hardcore scene would treat one another. The European hardcore network made this possible and Balance is a tribute to the musicians, designers, promoters, DIY labels, artists, and supporters that make the scene what it is'.

Balance is published by Mark Batty Publisher (markbattypublisher.com) is an independent publisher dedicated to making distinctive books on the visual art of communicating, showcasing the visual power and innovation of contemporary culture in all of its varied poses. Today, the visual comes at us from more places than ever, and its dissemination is faster and more advanced every year. Books from Mark Batty Publisher capture this acceleration on the pages of every book. Affordable, well designed, thoughtfully created, and produced to last, MBP books are artful products that readers want to hold onto forever.

For more info head to http://www.amazon.co.uk/Balance-European-Hardcore-Tom-Barry/dp/1935613367