Massive Attack – Paradise Circus

Tomorrow marks the official release date (U.S. and Canada) for Heligoland, the 5th proper studio album by Massive Attack.

Whereas the 2003 release 100th Window glistened with mechanical accuracy and disciplined minimal techno, Heligoland finds the Bristol duo returning to the dirtier, dubbed out sound of 1998′s Mezzanine.  Analog synths bubble around ethnic drums, abstract textures, traditional instruments and vocals in a seamless tapestry only Massive Attack could weave.

Heligoland is not a simple collection of ‘singles’…the album is assembled like the soundtrack to a journey through crowded streets, perpetual darkness and rain, seedy hotels and desperate love.  Texture and mood are given precedence over easy to digest pop song structures.  One gets the idea that Massive Attack could care less about their music being played on radio.  Heligoland is an album, meant to be consumed in its entirety, meant to transport the listener and hold them captive in a distant yet familiar world.

We also note that Massive Attack’s penchant for collaboration has gone unchanged.  Guest vocalists Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Martina Topley-Bird, Tunde Adebimpe, Hope Sandoval and long time collaborator Horace Andy work wonderfully within the framework of Massive’s moody production, Andy delivering one of his most melodic performances atop the menacing bass line of “Girl I Love You”.  Guy Garvey of Elbow lends his subdued tenor to “Flat of the Blade”, a song that could easily find its home in a Luc Besson film. “I’m not good in a crowd / I’ve got skills I can’t speak of / Things I’ve seen / will chase me to the grave” Garvey croons in his believable, thick, monotone.

Heligoland is not all doom and gloom, however.  The album is sprinkled with bright moments of uplifting sonic emancipation.  The near-pop turn around in Pray for Rain.  The beautiful string arrangements of “Splitting the Atom” and “Paradise Circus”.  These moments break through the tech-noir soundscape like rays of angelic sunshine, adding wonderful humanity and balance.

Heligoland reaffirms Massive Attack’s legendary status.  Some will complain that the album is too similar to Mezzanine and doesn’t offer anything new.  But as countless electronica bands fall back on robotic 80′s, overly arpeggiated and soul-less sounds, Massive Attack has returned to do what no one else can.  Blending influences from across the globe, they have created a wonderful work of art, full of light and shadow, free of cliché, imitation and predictability.  Their sound is so unique that an entire genre was created in an attempt to pigeon-hole and market them.  Notwithstanding, Heligoland displays the duos ability to transcend genre and classification to create a wonderfully engaging, aural experience.

Pray for Rain feat. Tunde Adebimpe: Tundes voice exists perfectly in the abstract world of samples, ethnic drums and heavy piano work.  The song builds to an unexpected, near pop-like climax of beautiful harmony only to resolve back into the menace of the main groove.

Babel feat. Martina Topley-Bird: Martina’s voice falls into the track like a lovely instrument amidst the patchwork of rhythm guitars and analog synths.

Splitting the Atom feat. Damon Albarn: Very Gorillaz-esque staccato organ accompanies Grant Marshall’s signature baritone which contrasts wonderfully with Horace Andy’s high tenor on the hook.  Albarn’s background harmonies add mystery and depth and texture as the song is lifted by glorious string textures during its final moments.

Girl I Love You feat. Horace Andy: Horace Andy lends his signature vocals over a menacing bass line and Mezzanine-ish guitar work.  The track is transported to another dimension with intricate horn work.

Psyche feat. Martina Topley-Bird: Chopped, jangly guitars wrap Martina’s vocal in an intricate texture of urgency.  By all means check out the Flash Treatment remix by Christoffer Berg featured on the Splitting the Atom EP.

Flat of the Blade feat. Guy Garvey.

Paradise Circus feat. Hope Sandoval: One of the most hopeful uplifting tracks on the album, production-wise.  Hope delivers her intimate performance in the midst of gentle piano work, hand claps and dub bass.  Lovely.

Rush Minute: Del Naja makes up for any lack of vocal ability with the introspective opening line “I wanna be clean but I gotta get high”.

Saturday Comes Slow feat. Damon Albarn: A very nice delivery from Damon Albarn could almost be accused of being out of place…that is until the guitar textures creep in at the 2:20 mark.

Atlas Air: A building near 8 minute groove that takes us close to 100th Window territory is the albums closer.

Download: Audio Relaxation Therapy – “Live With Me” (Zip File)

Today we’ll share Mr. Terry Calliers pain as we take an objective look at 2010.

WARNING: This video is verified super NOT SAFE FOR WORK. The following video is PORN, Ladies and Gentlemen, and just like the FCC goes crazy over Janet’s boob, your boss might go crazy over a video with boobies and puh-nah-nah. You have been warned.

Anyway, Massive Attack is back on the scene with their newest album, Heligoland, which drops February 9th on Virgin Records. We already dropped the MA/Tunde collabo track, and have gotten good feedback so I’m confident that this album will be a banger. Heligoland features other collaborations with Martina Topley-Bird (one of my favorite singers) and Blur’s Damon Albern. This new track and video, however, takes the cake.

The video is simple, consisting only of star, Georgina Spelvin, and snippets of her 1973 film The Devil in Miss Jones. As a huge fan of vintage pr0n, I’ve always been fascinated to hear former stars talk about their adventures in the genre.

Massive Attack x Tunde from TV On The Radio – Pray for Rain

TV On The Radio might be taking a hiatus, but it’s individual members are busy making moves outside of the group. Even though I’m not the biggest TVOTR Superfan, I’ve been impressed with their last effort Dear Science, and I’ve like what I’ve heard from their previous works as well. However, this collaboration with the UK group Massive Attack and lead singer Tunde Adebimpe might take the cake. It strips off a lot of the kitchyness that sometimes bury’s TVOTR’s music and just let’s Tunde’s vocals ride on a simple beat for an epic 7 minutes.

Pray for Rain is off of Massive Attack’s Splitting the Atom EP, which drops on October 6th in the US.