Portraits
Modern Progressive Instrumental Metal, Microtonal Phrasing & Math-Fusion Soundscapes
Biography & Formation Overview
Portraits is an instrumental progressive metal and math-fusion collective spearheaded by virtuoso guitarists and composers Joshua De La Victoria and Joseph Anidjar. Emerging out of the modern North American progressive guitar movement, the project was forged to explore unconventional rhythmic subdivisions, extended harmonic structures, and intricate dual-guitar counterpoint without falling into formulaic djent or shred tropes.
Supported by elite modern prog players—including bassist Jacob Umansky (Intervals, JIA) and powerhouse drummers like Troy Wright and Lang Zhao—Portraits quickly gained traction across the guitar and instrumental scene. Writing, tracking, and producing with a meticulous DIY studio ethos, they released their breakthrough full-length debut Buy High in 2023. Their dense, rhythmically playful soundscapes led to direct invitations to tour alongside luminaries of the scene, including supporting Plini and Night Verses on their major North American tours.
Musical Instrumentation & Technical Signature
- Dual-Guitar Interplay & Metric Polyrhythms
- Joshua De La Victoria and Joseph Anidjar build interwoven twin-guitar arrangements where neither player strictly defaults to rhythm or lead. Their compositions feature shifting meters (odd-time cycles, metric modulation) and tight syncopated hocketing across clean, ambient, and mid-gain layers.
- Extended-Range & Hybrid Picking Mechanics
- De La Victoria is renowned for his mastery across 6-, 7-, and 8-string guitars, combining wide-interval hybrid picking, chord-melody voicings, and thumb-slap percussive mechanics rooted in contemporary progressive fusion.
- Rhythm Section Density (Jacob Umansky & Troy Wright / Lang Zhao)
- Anchored by Umansky's thunderous, distorted low-end Dingwall basslines and aggressive multi-finger galloping, locked seamlessly to complex polymetric kick patterns, ghost-note-laden snare pocket, and linear drum fills.
- Synth Sound Design & Vocal Cameos
- While primarily an instrumental force, Portraits frequently integrates modular synth sound design, subtle vocal chops, and guest vocal features (including Gabriel Levi and Michael Lessard of The Contortionist) to punctuate dynamic climaxes.
- Gear Architecture
- De La Victoria frequently utilizes Abasi Concepts guitars (Larada, Space T, Emi 8), .strandberg* headless 6-strings, and his signature Iconic Guitars S-type instruments, driven by Neural DSP Quad Cortex modelers and studio DI transformer stages (Rupert Neve Designs RNDI).
Personnel & Core Collaborators
- Joshua De La Victoria – Guitars, Composition, Production
- Principal composer, 8-string innovator, also known for his duo project Victoria (with Animals As Leaders drummer Matt Garstka) and collaborations with Sungazer and Evan Marien.
- Joseph Anidjar – Guitars, Composition, Mixing & Sound Engineering
- Co-founder, guitarist, and producer/engineer behind Portraits, as well as Bird Problems and Horrible People.
- Jacob Umansky – Bass Guitar
- Prominent progressive metal bassist (Intervals, JIA), handling the foundational low-end fretboard gymnastics.
- Troy Wright / Lang Zhao – Drums & Percussion
- World-class session and touring drummers anchoring album tracking and live tours with technical precision.
Selected Discography & Releases
Full-Length Studio Albums
- Buy High (2023)
- The landmark debut studio album written and tracked over a two-year period, featuring standout cuts like "Kiowa", "Glitch", "Buy High" (feat. Gabriel Levi), and "Sell Low" (feat. Michael Lessard). Mastered by Mike Kalajian, the album put Portraits at the forefront of modern instrumental prog.
- Vaguely Western (2026)
- The highly anticipated follow-up studio LP, composed by Portraits with drumming by Lang Zhao and mixed/engineered by Joseph Anidjar, pushing further into eclectic cinematic progressions, organic acoustic textures, and intricate polyrhythms.
Singles & Live Performances
- "Traveller" (Single) (2021)
- Early foundational collaborative track by Joshua De La Victoria and Joseph Anidjar featuring Jacob Umansky on bass; mastered by Jamie King.
- Live in Montreal (with Horrible People)
- High-energy co-bill live showcase capturing the band's dynamic dual-guitar stage presence and unquantized live chops.
Sounds normal on my end
Portraits - Glitch