English singer-songwriter Beth Gibbons came in the picture as the voice/face
of trip-hop outfit Portishead when the band released their debut LP Dummy
in 1994. Two longplayers followed, the self-titled (1997) and the last, so far,
simply titled Third. Then silence, still now.
But last year Beth Gibbons came back, solo, with
her critically acclaimed debut Lives Outgrown.
She’s touring the album right now.
BETH GIBBONS was the voice/face of renowned British outfit Portishead who released 3 albums between 1994 and 2008,
was born on 4 January 1965 in Exeter, Devon, England.
Happy 60!
In recent years she collaborated with several other artists
and last May she released her highly praised solo debut LP Lives Outgrown.
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Bristol’s PORTISHEAD, one of the pioneers of trip-hop, released their innovative debut album DUMMY on 22 Augustus 1994, 30 years ago today. An experimental piece of work where blues, soul and jazz were drenched into a sort of ambient sci-fi soundscapes transferring you to an otherworldly sonic universe.
NME Magazine wrote at the time: “This is, without question, a sublime debut album. But
so very, very sad. From one angle, its languid slowbeat blues clearly occupy similar terrain to soulmates ‘Massive Attack’ and all of Bristol hip-hop’s extended family. But from another these are avant-garde ambient moonscapes of a ferociously experimental nature.”
BETH GIBBONS was the voice/face of renowned British outfit Portishead who released (only) 3 LPs between 1994
and 2008.
In recent years she collaborated with several other artists and
here she’s now with her solo debut LP named LIVES OUTGROWN.
The longplayer was recorded over the last decade and includes with production
by Gibbons, James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode), and Lee Harris (Talk Talk).
It takes inspiration from a time of deep reflection, change, and, “lots of goodbyes.”
Gibbons about the album: “I realised what life was like with no hope. And that was
a sadness I’d never felt. Before, I had the ability to change my future, but when you’re up against your body, you can’t make it do something it doesn’t want to do. People started
dying.
When you’re young, you never know the endings, you don’t know how it’s going to pan out.
You think: we’re going to get beyond this. It’s going to get better. Some endings are hard to digest.”
Pitchfork says: “The Portishead singer reintroduces herself with her debut solo album.
History weighs heavy on her songs, but she takes pains to avoid her musical past. Leftfield choices underscore the courageous and subtly unusual nature of Gibbons’ album, which
hides its eccentricity behind her deathless voice and sympathetic lyrical insight.” 8/10
TUTV: It’s already 30 years since British trip-hop-pop collective Portishead made
impressive sonic waves with their unearthly debut album Dummy where layered
synth-pop textures, trip-hop rhythms and Gibbons‘ introvertive vocals created
a singular re-echoing sound.
Gibbons still has that ghostly vocal timbre, as if she wanders and sings, in slow-mo,
in a thick fog far away from the real world and her pains of loss. Musically, the tone
is both delicate and tender, mysterious and introspective, with an overall sense of disturbing catharsis, accompanied by mourning strings, big drums and subtle, acoustic guitars. You need several spins to connect with Gibbons‘ enigmatic world.
Album: PORTISHEAD
The 2nd of their (only) 3 LPs (so far) Released: 29 Sept 1997 Score: No 2 in the UK, No 21 in the US
AllMusic said: “Throughout the album, the group crafts impeccable modern-day torch songs, from the frightening, repetitive “Cowboys” to the horn-punctuated “All Mine,” which justify the detailed, engrossing production. The end result is an album that reveals more with each listen and becomes more captivating and haunting each time it’s played.” Score: 4.5/5.
TUTV‘s fav track. The pitch-dark and eerie opener Cowboys.
THE MIRACULOUS LOVE KIDS are a musical group of Afghan girls who along with their families, escaped Kabul, Afghanistan
and fled to Islamabad, Pakistan when the Taliban took over the
country again.
The group was founded by American
musician and activist Lanny Cordola.
To mark the second anniversary of the tragic turnaround, they recorded
covers of two songs with Beth Gibson, the arresting vocalist/lyricist of British trip-hop act.
Bristol’s PORTISHEAD, one of the pioneers of trip-hop, released their innovative debut album DUMMY on 22 Augustus 1994, 25 years ago. An experimental piece of work where blues, soul and jazz were drenched into a sort of ambient sci-fi soundscapes transferring you to an otherworldly sonic universe.
NME Magazine wrote at the time “This is, without question, a sublime debut album. But
so very, very sad. From one angle, its languid slowbeat blues clearly occupy similar terrain to soulmates ‘Massive Attack’ and all of Bristol hip-hop’s extended family. But from another these are avant-garde ambient moonscapes of a ferociously experimental nature.”
British trip hop explores PORTISHEAD released their debut single NUMB today 25 years ago, on 6 June 1994. It didn’t chart significantly but was a riveting taster
for what was to come, their compelling, chilling and cinematic debut LP Dummy.
