Portishead

Third

First released2008

Portishead recorded their third studio album at various locations including their own studio in Bristol between 2005 and 2008, marking their first album of new material in eleven years following a decade-long hiatus. The band worked primarily as a self-contained unit with Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons, and Adrian Utley handling most production duties themselves, alongside engineer Nick Davis. The album featured a notably darker and more introspective sonic palette compared to their previous work, incorporating live instrumentation and unconventional recording techniques that reflected the post-9/11 and post-Iraq War cultural landscape. Production was deliberately lengthy and experimental, with the band utilizing both analog and digital recording methods to achieve their densely layered soundscapes. The album was released in 2008 to critical acclaim and represented a significant artistic statement during a period of global political and social uncertainty.