20 albums celebrating 20 years in 2017
A toast to 1997
Plaid 'Not For Threes'
1997 really was a fine year for industrial beats, wasn’t it? Along with Autechre and Björk albums, London duo Plaid dropped their second album on Warp Records. Mostly foregoing the sampled breaks of their debut album ‘Mbuki, Mvuki’, ‘Not For Threes’ is full of dubby beats and even the vocals of the aforementioned Icelandic singer. The delicate techno cut ‘Ol’ is a particular highlight. LAR
Portishead 'Portishead'
Shut your curtains, turn off the lights and get this on. That might sound strange, but the creeping trip hop beats, harrowing vocals and subtle crackles make this prime for listening to in a dark room on your own. Vocalist Beth Gibbons delicately narrates the 11 tracks, incorporating sleazy guitar riffs ('Mourning Air'), triumphant brass ('All Mine') and synths suitable for an on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller ('Humming'). It didn't reach the success levels of Brit-nominated debut 'Dummy', released three years before, but it's an LP well worth hibernating to.
