Music reminds us of life’s fragility. It magnifies the little things, giving them form and encouraging us to embrace them and never let go while we’re here. As if thinking aloud via his music, Portair examines existential questions through an enigmatic and entrancing approach steeped in rich soundscape architecture and arresting melodies. Attracting critical acclaim and accruing streams in the millions, he explores universal themes with intimate attention-to-detail and craftsman-like care. “The Place To Start” [feat. Joe Keogh of Amber Run] fuses breathy vocals with sparse instrumentation as he recounts a central epiphany.

“One of my best friends had this very rare brain condition, and he had brain surgery in his late twenties,” he recalls. “It isn’t necessarily about my buddy, but I started to think about death a lot. It was this important reminder of how precious life is.”