Portishead

Flashback to 1994, trip-hop was already big with acts like Massive Attack and Tricky slowly making their way through MTV and on more daring radio stations. All the underground "kids" loved it. Along comes Portishead with their dark jazzy sound with hints of film soundtrack and quickly grew to the top of the charts and critics praised them as well. Soon enough, all the new artists were trying to be the next Portishead, lounge, jazz, trip-hop DJ's were sprouting here and there, everyone bought turntables and everyone owned a copy of Dummy, including me, the kid who loved Slayer!

Yes, I admit it! I went along with the hype and bought a second hand tape version (the clerk didn't really want to let go of it because she was often listening to it in the store). I had heard Sour Times on Quebec's own version of MTV, MusiquePlus; and I was fascinated. The lyrics were extremely dark and pessimistic, the music slow and moody; this was definitely something for me. I can't say the album hit home right away, but for the next few months it was the only thing that played on my walkman on the way to work and the only thing me and my friends talked about. They truly opened me up to a whole new world of music. Techno and hip-hop was not something I had to frown upon anymore. I was not limited to metal, The Cure and Pixies anymore. Here was something new and fresh and a new path to follow. I am a bit sad that it was the hype that won me over, but I was young and impressionable and in this case, there's no guilt on my part.

Since then, I've moved along to other things, I even sold my CDs before going to Sweden back in 2002, and bought them back two years later when I found them on special in a small local store in Eskilstuna. I doubt I'll be letting them go anytime soon. They mean too much to me even though I don't listen to them every weekend.

Dummy Label: Go! Beat Release: 1994 Format: CD Cat. no: 828 553-2
Song list:
Mysterons (5:06) Sour Times (4:14) Strangers (3:58) It Could Be Sweet (4:19) Wandering Star (4:56) It's A Fire (3:47) Numb (3:57) Roads (5:09) Pedestal (3:40) Biscuit (5:04) Glory Box (5:08)

Portishead Label: Go! Beat Release: 1997 Format: CD Cat. no: 539 189-2
Song list:
Cowboys (4:38) All Mine (3:59) Undenied (4:18) Half Day Closing (3:49) Over (4:00) Humming (6:02) Mourning Air (4:11) Seven Months (4:15) Only You (4:59) Elysium (5:54) Western Eyes (3:57)

Third Label: Mercury Records Release: 2008 Format: CD Cat. no: 0251766400
Song list:
Silence (5:08) Hunter (4:06) Nylon Smile (3:27) The Rip (4:39) Plastic (3:35) We Carry On (6:35) Deep Water (1:41) Machine Gun (4:54) Small (6:55) Magic Doors (3:40) Threads (5:47)