"Dummy" is the debut studio album by the English electronic music band Portishead, released on August 22, 1994, by Go! Beat Records.
The album received widespread critical acclaim and won the Mercury Music Prize in 1995. It is widely recognized for its role in popularizing the trip hop genre and is frequently listed among the best albums of the 1990s. Dummy was certified triple platinum in the UK as of February 2019 and had sold 920,000 copies in the United Kingdom by September 2020. By 2008, the album had sold 3.6 million copies worldwide.
Geoff Barrow and Beth Gibbons first met during an Enterprise Allowance course in February 1991. They began working on their initial song ideas in Neneh Cherry's kitchen in London, while Barrow was employed by Cherry's husband, Cameron McVey, to work on her album Homebrew (1992). Their recordings continued at Coach House Studios in Bristol, where they completed their first track, "It Could Be Sweet," in 1991.
During this period, Adrian Utley, who was also recording at Coach House Studios, heard "It Could Be Sweet" and started collaborating with Barrow. Utley introduced Barrow to various unique sounds like cimbaloms and theremins, which influenced their music. This collaboration helped them develop a distinctive sound by creating their own samples rather than using pre-existing ones. They were able to craft an innovative sound for the decade.
The album's production incorporated hip hop techniques like sampling, scratching, and loop-making, though it was not recorded digitally. They sampled music from other records and also recorded original music that was then manipulated on vinyl records. To achieve a vintage sound, they distressed the vinyl records and used a broken amplifier for additional effect. Notable samples on the album include "The Danube Incident" by Lalo Schifrin and "Ike's Rap II" by Isaac Hayes.
Released in August 1994, Dummy played a significant role in establishing Bristol as the hub of trip hop, a genre that was gaining prominence. It was noted for its DIY approach and was instrumental in popularizing the Bristol sound. The album helped trip hop gain mainstream attention and was described as popular background music in various settings, including cafes and boutiques.
The album cover features a still from the short film To Kill a Dead Man, which the band created. This film’s soundtrack, composed by the band, was pivotal in securing their record contract.
The album's singles included "Numb," "Glory Box," and "Sour Times." Both "Glory Box" and "Sour Times" reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, with "Sour Times" also achieving moderate success in the U.S. on the Billboard Alternative Songs and Hot 100 charts. In 2008, Universal Music Japan released limited SHM-CD versions of Dummy and Portishead. The tracks "Roads" and "Strangers" from the album were featured in the soundtrack of the film Nadja.
