Portishead

Portishead’s 1994 debut Dummy fused hip-hop production, spy-film atmosphere and Beth Gibbons’s yearning vocals, becoming a landmark record in the emerging trip-hop genre. The Bristol group, formed in 1991, were met with both critical acclaim and commercial success, although the band disliked being associated with the term “trip-hop.”

The group comprises Gibbons on vocals, Geoff Barrow on multiple instruments and production, and guitarist Adrian Utley. Audio engineer Dave McDonald, who helped produce the first two albums, is sometimes regarded as a fourth member. Portishead took their name from the nearby town west of Bristol.

After Dummy, the band released its self-titled second studio album in 1997. Their 1998 live album, Roseland NYC Live, captured the group in concert. Following a lengthy gap between studio records, Portishead returned with Third in 2008. Like its predecessors, the album received critical acclaim, completing a three-album studio catalogue whose sound moved between electronic production, dark atmosphere and live instrumentation.