Biography

Featuring members of Portishead and Moon Gangs, Beak> is a trio crafting dense and atmospheric music inspired by dub, Krautrock, and the Beach Boys. The moody sound of albums such as the group's self-titled 2009 debut made Beak>'s music a perfect fit for soundtrack work, which included the score to 2016's Couple in a Hole and the musical accompaniment to the 2022 graphic novel Kosmik Musik. On efforts like 2018's >>>, the band's sound expanded to more structured songs as well as farther-flung experiments while retaining their unmistakable vibe. The group began in late 2008, when Portishead producer/multi-instrumentalist Geoff Barrow, bassist Billy Fuller, and keyboardist Matt Williams jammed at Invada Records' Christmas party. They recorded their debut album in 12 days with a strict set of rules: the trio members recorded all of their parts in the same room, and no overdubbing was allowed. BEAK> arrived in fall 2009 via Barrow’s Invada label, just before the group made their official live debut at the Ten Years of ATP Festival. 2015 saw the group return with the ’Split EP’ and in 2016 Beak>'s score to Belgian director Tom Geens' psychological drama Couple in a Hole arrived. That year, Williams departed the group and was replaced by Will Young, also of Moon Gangs. In September 2018 the band released their third album >>> via Invada , largely written and recorded live >>> found the group setting motorik beats aside in favor of experiments with prog rock, pop, and folk.