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Artist
De Portables
12+ albums
post-rockindiepost rockbelgianelectronic
about
De portables were a Belgian rock band formed in Ghent in 1996, who are steadily becoming one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Since their international stardom, the group consists of Jürgen De Blonde (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Bertrand Lafontaine (guitar, bass guitar, vocals), Ingwio "Wio" D’Hespeel (guitar, drums, vocals) and Hans Gruyaert (drums, guitar, vocals). Rooted in postrock and 1990s indierock, the group later started working in many genres ranging from folk rock to psychedelic pop, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. The nature of their enormous popularity, which first emerged as the “portablemania” fad, transformed as their songwriting grew in sophistication. The group came to be perceived as the embodiment of progressive ideals, seeing their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 2000s. With an early line-up of De Blonde, D’Hespeel, Gruyaert and Kenneth Mertens (bass), de portables built their reputation in Brugian and Ghent clubs over a three-year period from 1996. Mertens left the group in 1999 and was replaced by Lafontaine the following year. Moulded into a professional outfit by music label owner Dave Driesmans after he offered to act as the group’s manager, and with their musical potential enhanced by the hands-on creativity of vj and music video director Hendrik Dacquin, de portables achieved Belgian mainstream success in late 19
