Portico Quartet, Village Underground

On November 1, the electrifying Portico Quartet and their their unique brand of psychedelic jazz return to the London stage.  Shoreditch den-of-cool Village Underground will host the East London four-piece, whose album of live recordings and remixes, inventively named Live/Remix, came out this year to a landslide of praise.

The gig will wind up a European tour and brilliant year for these electro-jazz whizz-kids, who have spent the last few months packing out festival stages and venues like Koko and XOYO. Not that their music has always been housed under such prestigious rafters: these boys cut their teeth as buskers, and memories of sheltering from the rain are preserved in their name.

Maybe you even tossed them a pound or two on your way to see a play -their territory was just outside the National Theatre– but their extraordinary charisma and echoey jazz ensured they were signed and Mercury-nominated by 2008.

Since then, their star has risen continuously.  In the two latest albums their raw, ethereal sound may have expanded to embrace electronics, but don’t worry if words like loop-pedal, hang-sample or MIDI-controller make you shudder. Portico Quartet still has an acoustic heart, even with all the digital manipulation. Minimalistic, yes: but they won’t leave you out in the cold – these boys can really fill up a venue (or street corner).

The gig won't be purely instrumental; joining them is vocalist Cornelia, who sounds a bit like Bjork and a lot like an elf. And you won’t get lost, as the Village Underground has four graffiti-covered, neon artists studios on its roof. Made from recycled Jubilee Line carriages. Of course.

Tickets are now sold out.