Portishead have said that although they are free of a record deal and are considering various options for their next album release, they are unlikely to give away their music free.

Producer/instrumentalist Geoff Barrow, writing on the band's MySpace blog, wrote that the band had "lots of options" with regards to the follow-up to their 2008 album 'Third', which he revealed they had started work on last December.

"We spent the day discussing the future of the P [Portishead] as we are free," he wrote. "We're free of a deal and free of commitment... for now!"

He added: "With the world being the way it is there are lots of options open. But if you lot have any bright ideas of how we should sell our music in the future let us know, why not!"

He added: "I don't think that were into giving out music away for free to be honest. It fuckin' takes ages to write, and we have to heat our swimming pools!"