Massive Attack

We're always fascinated by the music that gets our blood going, our feet moving, our hips swinging, those well-crafted pop nuggets that shimmer with catchy melodic hooks and brilliant, deftly-delivered choruses. But what adventure is there in the known? Not everyone enjoys the music that gets the cogs in your head turning, lets you settle somewhere warm and cozy, and just listen and think. But is the draw of that unknown; music whose elements you are only partially acquainted with. That being said, let us now venture into that unknown, into trip-hop, as it is called, a veritable amalgamation of a variety of genres into something fuller, deeper, and darker. There it is we find the subject of this post, Massive Attack.



Massive Attack, the Bristol trio of Robert Del Naja, Andrew Vowles, and Grant Evan Marshall, started in 1988 as the Wild Bunch before rounding out to the aforementioned trio that would release the most popular albums by the group.

Sound-wise, Massive Attack were the first to be labeled with the "trip-hop" moniker, which they fervently opposed, not wanting to be pigeon-holed. While now a definitive genre label, trip-hop can be explained through its influences and 'ingredient' sounds. Mixing Jamaican dub, downtempo, hip-hop, and acid jazz, Massive Attack's sound pulses with a deep, swollen feel; a viscous low-end, plenty of vocals (occasionally, heavily, filtered), effects-heavy guitar, and a variety of dubby synths gave their style of music a deep, laid-back feel. Massive Attack tracks flowed along, slowly, but fluidly, lush with atmosphere and sound, tracks as easily relaxed to as studied with.

Some case studies:







Enjoy, friends. Here's to the head.
-NL