Portishead

Named after the west coast seaside town close to where its members grew up, Portishead was formed after Barrow met Massive Attack and Tricky whilst working as a studio tape operator. He went on to produce for the rapper and other big 90s bands whilst also writing songs for Neneh Cherry, before meeting Gibbons. The two soon began writing music together, often getting jazz guitarist Adrian Utley onboard - an arrangement that continues. A short acting stint in To Kill a Dead Man got the pair noticed, as did the soundtrack they provided for the film. Go! Records soon signed them and their debut album, Dummy, was released to much acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. Work continued in earnest and despite the media-shy duo-cum-trio trying hard to stay out of the spotlight, the media lapped them up. Their self-titled album hit the shelves in 1997 before a collaboration with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and a break from the scene in 1999. Six years on, they were back and touring, releasing Third in 2008.

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