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Massive Attack made their
mark as one of the pioneering forces of theBritish dance genre called "trip-hop."
The band skillfully combined hip-hopthemes with heavy, atmospheric guitar
sounds, and made extensive use ofreverb, samples and heavy bass. They also
tossed in elements of soul hooksand iridescent, ethereal melodies.
In 1991, the band released their first, trend-setting album, BlueLines. The
album blended hypnotic, trance-like melodies withseamlessly blended tracks
and dark, muted instrumentation. At the time ofits release, Blue Lines set
the pace for many groups producingnon-techno British dance music. Their
influence can beheard in the music of several groups today, including
Portishead and formerMassive Attack member, Tricky.
While both of these groups were more commercially successful than
MassiveAttack, including several alternative hits in the United States, much
oftheir work drew on concepts cemented by Massive Attack.
In 1994, the group released their second album, Protection. Thiseffort was
largely considered a disappointment compared to their debut, anddelivered
more of the same takes on conventional hip-hop, dub reggae andsoul rules.
The album was an underground hit in England in 1994, but madefew waves when
it hit the United States in early 1995.
Later in 1995, Massive Attack followed Protection with anexperimental new
remix called No Protection. In this incantation,master mixer Mad Professor
returned the group to their experimental,cut-and-paste hip-hop roots,
gutting the songs and reassembling the vocaltracks to add more depth to the
music.
In May 1998 the band released Mezzanine on Virgin Records.
When the Wild Bunch folded during the mid-'80s, two of its members Andrew
"Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall teamed with local graffiti
artist 3D (born Robert del Naja) to form Massive Attack in 1987; another
Wild Bunch alum, Nellee Hooper, split his time between the new group and his
other project, Soul II Soul. The group's first single, "Daydreaming,"
appeared in 1990; it featured the sultry vocals of singer Shara Nelson and
raps by Tricky, another onetime Wild Bunch collaborator. The classic "Unfinished
Sympathy" followed, as did another compelling effort, "Safe From Harm."
Finally, in 1991 Massive Attack issued their debut LP, Blue Lines; while by
no means a huge commercial success, the record was met with major critical
praise, and was dubbed an instant classic in many quarters. Nelson, featured
on many of the album's most memorable tracks, exited for a solo career soon
after, and the group then confusingly changed their name to simply "Massive"
to avoid any implication of approval for the U.N.'s policy towards Iraq; in
the wake of the disastrous U.S. tour that followed, many were quick to write
the band off right then and there.
After a three-year layoff, Massive Attack their full name now properly
reinstated resurfaced with Protection; again working with Hooper and
Tricky, they also brought into the fold vocalist Nicolette, as well as
Everything but the Girl's Tracey Thorn. Three singles "Karmacoma," "Sly,"
and the title track were released from the LP, which was also remixed in
its entirety by Mad Professor and issued as No Protection. A lengthy tour
followed, and over the next several years, Massive Attack's solo work was
primarily confined to remixes for artists including Garbage; they also
worked with Madonna on a track for a Marvin Gaye tribute album. Finally, to
promote their appearance at the annual Glastonbury music festival, the group
issued a new EP, Risingson, during the summer of 1997. The third full-length
Massive Attack effort, Mezzanine, appeared in mid-1998; in addition to
reggae singer Horace Andy, making his third consecutive LP appearance with
the group, vocal chores were handled by the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser
and newcomer Sara Jay. Mezzanine became a cult hit among critics, clubs, and
the college crowds, spinning successful singles such as "Teardrop" and "Inertia
Creeps." A tour of America and Europe followed, but Vowles left the band
after disagreeing with the artistic direction of Mezzanine. Del Naja and
Marshall continued as a duo, later working with the likes of David Bowie and
the Dandy Warhols, but Marshall later took a leave of absence to raise his
family; producer Neil Davidge took up the slack. In February 2003, after a
five-year wait, Massive Attack released their fourth album, 100th Window,
including collaborations with mainstay Horace Andy as well as Sin้ad
O'Connor. (rolling stone)
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