Every now and then, we at Detour get to release a record which will stand out as a modern day Mod classic.
The wild cards of the '90's Mod Scene - they played regularly with The CLique, The Movement etc - The Studio 68! recorded their incredible debut album 'Portobellohello' in a two week blitz in August 1992.
However, the tapes from those extraordinary sessions were subsequently lost for twenty years. Until now!
The perfect sonic synthesis of The Small Faces, The Prisoners, The Action and The Who delivered through psychadelic pop prism - 'Portobellohello' is quite simply, a Mod masterpiece to rival The Prisonsers 'The Last Fourfarthers' or even Ogden's 'Nut Gone Flake'!
Channeling the youthful aggression of their live shows - which saw NME place them in a proto-Britpop scene with Five Thirty and Dodgy - it is a Hammond organ heavy orgy of wild acid freakbeat, groovy garage rock and soulful, Kinks-esque '60's pop which captures the band at the peak of their powers.
Way ahead of its time, 'Portobellohello' also surfs a far off wave of the zeitgeist which within two years would engulf the mainstream as Britpop.
In short, it is a timeless reminder that The Studio 68! were one of the truly great Mod bands.
01. Windfall
02. Goodbye Baby & Amen
03. Afternoon Sun
04. The Other Me
05. Death Of A Poet
06. In A Broken Dream
07. Rollin' Machine
08. Mrs Choudhrey
09. Just Say The Word
10. Portobellohello
11. Get Out Of My Hair
12. Doubledeckerbus
13. Lighthouse
14. Pop Star's Country Mansion
15. He's My Sister
16. How To Succeed In The Music Business