Pitchfork

Well, after a nearly decade-long absence, it would appear that Bristol-based trip-hop legends Portishead are back on the spot. The trio resurfaced briefly in February of 2005 at Bristol's Tsunami Benefit Concert, where they performed live for the first time in seven years. But, after alluding to a forthcoming album, the band vanished once again.

Now, having broken their studio silence earlier this year with a cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "Requiem for Anna" on an album tribute to the late lascivious Frenchman, Portishead seem fully prepared to re-embrace the limelight: Their newly created MySpace page offers two previously unheard instrumental tracks, providing fans with the first original Portishead compositions since the band's 1998 self-titled sophomore album.

Portishead's Geoff Barrow is quick to state that the material is not exactly "new," calling the tracks "doodles from about 3 years ago." Nonetheless, at this point their fans seem hungry for any material not yet heard from the band, and these new tracks-- one of which, "Key Bored 299 03", is being offered for free download-- should tide them over for at least a minute.

As for the status of the forthcoming as-yet-untitled third studio album, Barrow states, "We are in the studio with tunes done but it's unlikley that we will post any new stuff just yet. We are working everyday to finish it."