- Mezzanine · 1998
- Mezzanine · 1998
- Heligoland · 2010
- Mezzanine · 1998
- Mezzanine · 1998
- Blue Lines (2012 Mix / Master) · 1991
- Mezzanine · 1998
- Collected · 2003
- Mezzanine · 1998
- Mezzanine · 1997
- Protection · 1994
- Blue Lines (2012 Mix / Master) · 1991
- Blue Lines (2012 Mix / Master) · 1991
Essential Albums
- 1998
- From the first whispers of whistling wind, driving basslines, and sludgy, slowed breakbeats, the sound of Massive Attack’s 1991 debut is unmistakably theirs. Rooted in the musical culture of Bristol, England, at the turn of the 20th century’s final decade, Blue Lines absorbs the port city’s soundsystem vibrations, industrial grit, and post-punk harshness to produce nine tracks of unsettling nocturnal introspection. Starting out as DJ and MC collective The Wild Bunch, Robert Del Naja, Andrew Vowles, Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, and Adrian “Tricky” Thaws began turning their hand to production in the late ’80s, thanks to a collaboration with local singer Neneh Cherry on her 1989 single “Manchild.” Encouraged by Cherry and her partner, producer Cameron McVey, the quartet soon adopted the moniker Massive Attack and holed up in one of Cherry’s spare rooms to begin work on what would become Blue Lines. Inspired by the reggae music of the Caribbean diaspora in Bristol as much as by nascent UK rap pioneered by artists like Rodney P and the dub-punk of local heroes The Pop Group, Massive Attack forged a record of remarkable clarity, clothed in the paranoid fug of weed smoke. Opener “Safe From Harm” sets the tone, pairing Shara Nelson’s soulful vocals with record-scratches and a thundering rhythm section, while De Naja delivers a typically anxious hook: “I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you.” This tension between unease and harmony continues throughout, simmering in the jazz shuffle of the title track as Tricky drawls menacingly, or weaving through the dub bass and counterpoint of singer Horace Andy’s soaring falsetto on “Five Man Army.” Ultimately, it is on the group’s most well-known track, “Unfinished Sympathy,” that they reach their apotheosis. Pairing luscious string orchestrations with eerie vocal samples and Nelson’s yearning vocal lamenting an unrequited love, Massive Attack creates five minutes of soul music that stirs as much as it soothes. The group would go on to be labeled innovators of a new laid-back genre called “trip-hop,” spawning dozens of imitators and hundreds of chill-out playlists. Yet, there is nothing relaxed about Blue Lines: Amid its euphoric melodies is an ominous vocal, and between its groove there is a bassline breaking almost to distortion. On this pioneering debut there is always a reason to look back over your shoulder.
Music Videos
- 2010
- 2010
- 2009
- 2009
- 2009
Artist Playlists
- The iconic group that started the trip-hop movement.
- Deep-seated psychedelia and eerie atmospheres.
- Provocative fusions of bleakness and sensuality.
- Lean back and relax with some of their mellowest cuts.
- From genres far and wide.
Singles & EPs
- 2016
- 2010
Compilations
Appears On
More To Hear
- King Princess picks the 5 Best Songs on Apple Music.
- King Princess picks the 5 Best Songs in Apple Music.
- "On the Luna" is Added.
- A interview with Robert Del Naja.
About Massive Attack
With their moody, bass-heavy mix of hip-hop, reggae, and soul, the UK band Massive Attack pioneered the sound of trip-hop in the late ’80s and early ’90s. • Massive Attack grew out of The Wild Bunch, a popular ’80s-era DJ collective and soundsystem in Bristol, England. • The group’s hugely influential 1991 debut album, Blue Lines, features sample-rich production and guest vocals from reggae great Horace Andy and British singer Shara Nelson. • Blue Lines includes the Top 20 UK hit “Unfinished Sympathy,” which The Guardian called “the greatest British soul record ever made.” • Massive Attack enlisted producer Nellee Hooper, formerly of The Wild Bunch, for 1994’s Protection, featuring vocals from Tracey Thorn of Everything But the Girl. • Massive Attack achieved their greatest commercial success with 1998’s Mezzanine. The dark and claustrophobic album reached No. 1 on the UK charts and spawned the Top 10 single “Teardrop,” featuring Cocteau Twins frontwoman Elizabeth Fraser. • With Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles gone from the group and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall on a permanent break, lone remaining member Robert del Naja collaborated with producer Neil Davidge on 2003’s 100th Window, Massive Attack’s second consecutive No. 1 UK album. • Massive Attack returned in 2010 with Heliogland, whose impressive list of guest vocalists includes Damon Albarn of Blur, Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio, and Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. • In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Massive Attack released Eutopia, a three-song audio-visual EP highlighting the need for global systemic changes.
- ORIGIN
- Bristol, England
- GENRE
- Electronic