Porter’s ‘Behind the Banlieue’ is a Mounting Prog-Rock Track
Porter achieves prog rock brilliance with their latest single, ‘Behind the Banlieue’. A tsunamic sonic course that is mounted with deep and delving riffs, dimensional basslines and a hypnotic soul. The soundscape seems to have an innate drive, a natural energy and the band absorbs its pulses, takes its cues, and builds it up with their own emotion and gusto. This concert is so seamless and congruent that it is impossible to tell which came first, the vision or the song.
It forms passionately, with aggressive frames softening with contemplative vocals and affluent solos. Excitations of melancholy that takes on visceral roles and intense trajectories. If The Who and The Doors were infused with the anthemic power of Linkin Park and Nirvana and textured with Karnivool’s nu metal style, the resulting sound is what Porter is about. Through refined technique, bold conceptual design, and a fantastic will to play, that recontextualises what it is to be a rock artist. Listen Now!
The track is the second single release from the band’s upcoming third studio album, ‘Genosha’. It is a much awaited collection that unleashes new perspectives on alt rock. Read all about how the band conceives and execute their artistic vision down below!
Congratulations on the release of ‘Behind the Banlieu’! It has a powerful drive. Tell us a little about the significance behind the track.
"Genosha" and the basic concept that underlies the lyrical work here connects all the songs. We are currently seeing very clearly how totalitarian and fascist structures seem to be consolidating worldwide, even here in Germany. As a band, we can't just bang out some fantasy lyrics, we want to set an example for tolerance and democracy. Taking a clear stance is very important to us. That has always been the basic note in our lyrics, but on "Genosha" it now becomes more concrete. Our core conceptual questions are "what kind of world do we want to live in", "how much freedom is enough to feel truly free" and "how much coercion leads to a life determined by others".
In this song in particular, we address the obvious unwillingness of an inert mass of society to recognise that they are part of the world's problems and that they need to get off their arses if they want to continue to enjoy what they know as freedom and democracy. Fortunately, this is currently happening in the microcosm of Germany, which is manifested in massive and unprecedented protests against the fascist AfD party. However, it is important for social peace to take marginalised groups with us on the journey. The title "Behind The Banlieue" alludes to the Parisian suburbs where there were major social unrest a few years ago.
You set off the riff and beat momentums with sincere and soulful vocal verses. How does this contrast of emotion and energy help your listeners appreciate the theme?
So we don't really see this mixture as such a contrast. More like points of tension that complement each other. I think - to expand a little - all of us in the band are well aware that our society has to change in many respects and is already doing so. Be it to finally include previously marginalised groups, but also to rethink our general interaction with each other. Getting certain messages across requires a certain volume and intensity. So it is only logical for us that our music covers precisely this spectrum in order to be heard. Raimund's vocals are very soulful and offer a lot of great melodic arcs, which contrast favourably with the sometimes harsh, loud guise in which our music comes across. The energetic sound provides the vehicle, so to speak, to transport Raimund's voice, which in turn - ideally - brings our messages to the listener. We love this "contrast".
Prog rock and even alt rock present a fantastic arena and range for experimental and explorative artists. Can you speak to how its complex spheres shape and distill your artistic vision?
We never set out to write songs that fit into the genre of prog rock or alternative rock. Rather, we have a love for catchy guitar riffs that may sound like we have something serious to say and are not a good-mood party band. We also like the spherical element in the sound of post-rock and post-hardcore, including an apocalyptic mood. This automatically brings these typical Porter songs to light, which are almost always pretty straightforward, but not quite party or radio-friendly. You can call it whatever you like but we actually quite like the label "progressive-alternative rock". If only because then hopefully nobody will think of booking us for a birthday or wedding party.
There’s a distinct 90s ethos in your music : the angst, the emo, and the strive for novelty. Who are some of the artists/ bands that inspired your sound?
Well, musically, the 90s are also an important decade for us. Even though we were influenced much earlier by wave and post-punk bands like Joy Division or The Chamaeleons, various bands play a certain role in our work. The straightforward riffs of early Danzig are probably just as important as the double guitars of Iron Maiden or Thin Lizzy. Our guitarist Lars still dreams of performing the complete "Danzig II" album live at least once. From metal to classical, folk to hardcore, indie to grunge, we basically put everything on the turntable. We are six very different individuals and the range of music we listen to is just as colourful. Perhaps what we all have in common is that guitar-based rock music forms the core of our preferences. When it comes to lyrics, emocore and political post-hardcore bands play a certain role - and you're absolutely right about that.
The track is the second single from your long-awaited third album ‘Genosha’. What sparked the creation of this collection and what are some of the new spaces and ideas that you explored in it? And what do you want your listeners to take away from it?
Musically, with this album we are probably pretty close to ourselves, the core of the band and what we want to get across with our music. When we started Porter, some of us came from bands that sometimes played sprawling and quite complex songs. The idea of Porter was then to boil the whole thing down into shorter, more direct songs that get to the point quickly. Our last album, "Wolkenstein", forms a kind of transition between our early days and what we now present on "Genosha". Today we are much more riff orientated and have a stronger drive towards metal.
In terms of content, I've already said that the album is based on a certain concept. We are all politically minded people, how could you not be these days? We are very concerned that on the one hand people are forgetting to appreciate their free life in a democracy and on the other hand they don't want to understand that climate change is one of the biggest threats at the moment - for all of us. We have transferred all these topics to a fictitious world called "Genosha" and in each song we explore a small part of what makes up our society. Always with an eye on necessary and correct change in so many areas.
If there is one thing we would like from our listeners, it is that they perhaps start to think about the effects of their own actions, as we do ourselves. On the world, but also on their fellow human beings. However, we are of course very aware that fewer people consciously pay attention to the lyrics of rock music, which is fine. You should enjoy the music first. But we are happy to offer people this additional level. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you listen to our music, as long as it means something to you, we've done everything right.
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The track is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!
You can listen to ‘Behind the Banlieue’ by Porter here -
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