Portico Quartet

Portico Quartet are a London instrumental group formed from two pairs of childhood friends who first made their name busking outside the National Theatre, taking their name from the portico where they were sent to play when it rained at an early gig. Their sound blends jazz, ambient and electronic textures, built early on around the hang drum alongside double bass and drums. Their 2007 debut, Knee-Deep in the North Sea, earned 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 group released the companion albums Terrain and Monument in 2021.

From the notes for Episode 05 · fact-checked Sep 23, 2026.