2017 · Album
Art in the Age of Automation
Recorded 2017 · Ninja Tune · Produced by Portico Quartet, Peter Houses
Strings and Circuits, Human and Machine
Portico Quartet ventures into orchestral territory without losing what made them essential.
Art in the Age of Automation marks a turning point for Portico Quartet — the first time the group brought strings into the studio, and the decision shapes everything you hear. Anisa Arslanagic and Francesca Ter‐Berg weave through these pieces not as window dressing but as conversation partners, their sustained tones pushing against the group's minimalist electronics and drums. Where earlier Portico records felt spare and architectural, this one has warmth, almost chamber music sensibilities settling into grooves that still move with precision.
The addition of Tom Herbert on bass thickens the low end considerably. He grounds what could have felt weightless, giving the arrangements actual mass. Tracks shift between moments of genuine prettiness — strings holding notes while synths pulse underneath — and passages where the band locks into something closer to forward motion. It works because Portico doesn't abandon what they built before. The sense of restraint, of knowing when not to play, remains their strongest instinct.
Critics responded enthusiastically. Blues & Soul and London Evening Standard both gave it five stars, and most major publications ranked it among their strongest work. For listeners, this is a good entry point if you want Portico to feel orchestral rather than purely electronic. For fans of the earlier records, it's worth hearing as expansion rather than abandonment — they're still the same group, just willing to sit with strings for a while.
Who's playing
Tom Herbertadditional, bass
Anisa Arslanagicstrings
Francesca Ter‐Bergstrings
Where next?
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