PORIJ

With the stamina of a barefoot marathon runner, Porij have carved out a reputation as between-the-spheres reformers in the first half of the new Twenties: lovingly handmade indietronica arrangements on one side, the unbounded sound of contemporary synthpop and liquid drum and bass on the other. It hasn’t all been easy. The Manchester quartet has gone through line-up changes, dropped their debut EP “Breakfast” on their own label Oat Gang Records and soon afterwards opened gigantic stadium concerts for Coldplay. But who’s surprised? Porij craft pop that packs a punch, sprinkling ingredients from house to UK garage into their mix and serving it all up entirely free of pretension with a great love of detail. But the analogies to the most important meal of the day don’t stop there: last year, their debut album “Teething” (2024) was released on PIAS and became one of the major releases of the summer thanks to its ecstatic melodies and shimmering vocals. With their distinctive signature sound in place, Porij are one of the most chilled and exciting bands coming out of the UK at this moment.