portal iii, featuring a trio of veteran Minnesota musicians, introduces its debut release with a self-titled double LP of four deep listening instrumental pieces. Bassist Liz Draper (who's played with everyone from the Grammy Award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers to the Balkan folk group Orkestar Bez Ime), had been touring with folk traveler, songwriter, and guitarist Charlie Parr of Duluth, MN. The two discovered a shared mutual interest in drone and ambient music. portal iii emerged as a trio when Draper recruited former bandmate Chris Gray from doom project Up the Mountain Down the Mountain to join them on drums. With the three of them sharing a broad range of tastes and playing styles, anything was possible, but it was a need to seek out new sonic territory that led them to create portal iii.
portal iii's self-titled debut was recorded over two days at Real Phonic Studio with Erik Koskinen in Cleveland, MN. Having been recorded through hail and a tornado on the rolling prairie landscape seems hauntingly appropriate for their sonic template and connection to place.
