Portal have been described as innovative spacepoppers by the Guardian newspaper whilst the late John Peel called them strange but rather wonderful. Others have praised the wide range of styles & sounds that the band has embraced & the directions in which they have taken their music. Influenced by minimalist classical composers electronica & post-punk of the late 1970s & early 1980s Portal have followed their own distinct path since their debut single release Hydro-electric in.