Random artist - Missing Persons
Artist Missing Persons
Missing Persons
View Biography


Our Statistics:
Albums: 2
Songs: 25
Search:

Massive Attack

Home > Browse Artists > Massive Attack

Massive Attack Biography

The pioneering force behind the rise of trip-hop, Massive Attack were among the most innovative and influential groups of their generation; their hypnotic sound - a darkly sensual and cinematic fusion of hip-hop rhythms, soulful melodies, dub grooves, and choice samples - set the pace for much of the dance music to emerge throughout the 1990s, paving the way for such acclaimed artists as Portishead, Sneaker Pimps, Beth Orton, and Tricky, himself a Massive Attack alumnus. Their history dates back to 1983 and the formation of the Wild Bunch, one of the earliest and most successful sound-system/DJ collectives to arrive on the U.K. music scene; renowned for their seamless integration of a wide range of musical styles, from punk to reggae to R&B, the group's parties quickly became can't-miss events for the Bristol club crowd, and at the peak of their popularity they drew crowds so enormous that the local live music scene essentially ground to a halt.

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 Sinéad O'Connor. Danny the Dog from 2004 marked the group's entry into the world of soundtracks.

Biography by allmusic.com

All abums by Massive Attack
Cover Album title Year Tracks User rating Preview
Album: Collected | Artist: Massive Attack Collected 2006 24
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Collected by Massive Attack
Album: Bullet Boy | Artist: Massive Attack Bullet Boy 2005 2
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Bullet Boy by Massive Attack
Album: Mad Storage | Artist: Massive Attack Mad Storage 2005 15
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Mad Storage by Massive Attack
Album: Danny The Dog | Artist: Massive Attack Danny The Dog 2004 21
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Danny The Dog by Massive Attack
Album: 100th Window | Artist: Massive Attack 100th Window 2003 9
0,0 / 0 votes
View album 100th Window by Massive Attack
Album: Angel | Artist: Massive Attack Angel 1998 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Angel by Massive Attack
Album: Angel (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Angel (Single) 1998 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Angel (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: Inertia Creeps | Artist: Massive Attack Inertia Creeps 1998 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Inertia Creeps by Massive Attack
Album: Inertia Creeps (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Inertia Creeps (Single) 1998 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Inertia Creeps (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: Live At Albert Hall | Artist: Massive Attack Live At Albert Hall 1998 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Live At Albert Hall by Massive Attack
Album: Mezzanine | Artist: Massive Attack Mezzanine 1998 11
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Mezzanine by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD01) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD01) 1998 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD01) by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD03) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD03) 1998 6
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD03) by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD05) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD05) 1998 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD05) by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD06) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD06) 1998 6
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD06) by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD07) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD07) 1998 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD07) by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD08) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD08) 1998 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD08) by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD09) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD09) 1998 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD09) by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD10) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD10) 1998 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD10) by Massive Attack
Album: Singles 90 98 (CD11) | Artist: Massive Attack Singles 90 98 (CD11) 1998 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Singles 90 98 (CD11) by Massive Attack
Album: Teardrop (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Teardrop (Single) 1998 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Teardrop (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: Remix Album | Artist: Massive Attack Remix Album 1997 13
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Remix Album by Massive Attack
Album: Risington (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Risington (Single) 1997 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Risington (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: Karmacoma | Artist: Massive Attack Karmacoma 1995 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Karmacoma by Massive Attack
Album: Karmacoma (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Karmacoma (Single) 1995 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Karmacoma (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: No Protection | Artist: Massive Attack No Protection 1995 8
0,0 / 0 votes
View album No Protection by Massive Attack
Album: Protection | Artist: Massive Attack Protection 1995 10
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Protection by Massive Attack
Album: Protection (Karmacoma) | Artist: Massive Attack Protection (Karmacoma) 1995 16
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Protection (Karmacoma) by Massive Attack
Album: Protection (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Protection (Single) 1995 6
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Protection (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: Hymn Of The Big Wheel | Artist: Massive Attack Hymn Of The Big Wheel 1994 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Hymn Of The Big Wheel by Massive Attack
Album: Karmakoma | Artist: Massive Attack Karmakoma 1994 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Karmakoma by Massive Attack
Album: Sly | Artist: Massive Attack Sly 1994 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Sly by Massive Attack
Album: Sly (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Sly (Single) 1994 7
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Sly (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: Hymn Of The Big Wheel (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Hymn Of The Big Wheel (Single) 1992 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Hymn Of The Big Wheel (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: Blue Lines | Artist: Massive Attack Blue Lines 1991 9
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Blue Lines by Massive Attack
Album: Safe From Harm | Artist: Massive Attack Safe From Harm 1991 6
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Safe From Harm by Massive Attack
Album: Unfinished Sympathy | Artist: Massive Attack Unfinished Sympathy 1991 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack
Album: Daydreaming | Artist: Massive Attack Daydreaming 1990 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Daydreaming by Massive Attack
Album: Daydreaming (Single) | Artist: Massive Attack Daydreaming (Single) 1990 5
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Daydreaming (Single) by Massive Attack
Album: Indian Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - (Lounge) | Artist: Massive Attack Indian Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - (Lounge)   1
0,0 / 0 votes
View album Indian Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - (Lounge) by Massive Attack

User comments to this artist

Write a comment

KR4ofg <a href="http://zhpkdzazmsdh.com/">zhpkdzazmsdh</a>,
[url=http://iuojfiagyfzx.com/]iuojfiagyfzx[/url],
[link=http://vqfsbtjlwsqa.com/]vqfsbtjlwsqa[/link], http://whurjiruqevz.com/

Posted on 01 October 2008 at 16:16 | Permanent link
Discuss artist: Massive Attack
Your Name (required)
If you see this input, please, don't fill it
Your Email (required - will not be published) Your Homepage (optional) Your Comment (required)