Live Review: Christopher Port shows his soulful side in new two-track release
Following his ambitious Vetement EP, Christopher Port returns with a humble two-track release that takes the listener on a euphoric sonic journey.
CHRISTOPHER PORT has an innate talent for pulling soul out of the strangest places. Seemingly cold electronic landscapes soon become rich with the artist’s delicate production and focus on organic vocals. After impressing critics and fans alike with his ambitious Vetement EP earlier this year, Port returns today with a humble two-track release that takes the listener on a euphoric sonic journey.
‘My Love’ is the centrepiece of the release, an original number inspired by early 1990’s rave music and the “ecstatic, feverish quality” that genre has. The Melbourne producer proudly wears his influences on his sleeve, with this track embodying hazy summer nights and all the emotions that come with simply being alive. A culmination of steady percussion, full-bodied synths and high pitched backing vocals create four genuinely uplifting minutes of sound.
The second track, ‘Sum 1’, is a unique edit of Whitney Houston’s ‘His Eye Is On The Sparrow.’ Christopher Port spoke of the song, explaining how he dragged the acapella vocals onto a bed of shuffling beats and left it untouched. “I thought adding anything else to the track would get in the way of the beautiful vocals, so I left it as it was. It felt like something that was meant to be, so what you hear is how the track was the day I made it." ‘Sum 1’ without a doubt highlights the vocals above anything else, although Port’s production shouldn’t be overlooked. He sets the scene with simple chords and intricate percussion, priming for a seriously goosebump-inducing moment where Houston belts out “I sing because I’m happy. Hallelujah! I sing because I’m free.”
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Many artists can create works about love, heartache and happiness but to be able to produce something that makes the listener feel free is a harder task. Somehow Christopher Port does this, moulding his talents in UK garage, house and soulful pop into songs that transport you to a different state of mind – and it’s incredible.
There’s still time to catch the rising star at a few shows across Victoria this year, before he kicks of 2017 supporting London trio HAELOS:
Fri 25 Nov - Sun 27 Nov - Paradise Music Festival - Marysville, VIC
Thurs 17 Nov – Melbourne Music Week Section 8 & Ferdydurke - Melbourne, VIC
Wed 4 Jan - HAELOS w/ Buoy & Yeo @ Howler - Melbourne, VIC
Fri 6 Jan - HAELOS w/ Buoy & Yeo @ Oxford Art Factory - Sydney, NSW
Words by Debbie Carr
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