Massive Attack

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About Massive Attack

Born out of the unique mix of cultures and styles in the English city of Bristol, Massive Attack emerged in the early ‘90s as the architects of the brooding, atmospheric sound known as trip-hop. Both the genre and the band were rooted in Wild Bunch, a sound system famed for live and DJ sets of hip-hop, post-punk, dub reggae, and lovers rock. By the end of the '80s, four members—rappers Robert "3D" Del Naja and Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, plus musician/DJs Grant "Daddy G" Marshall and Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles—coalesced into Massive Attack. The group had an immediate impact with its 1991 debut, Blue Lines, which made stunning use of Tricky (who would soon go solo) and guest vocalists such as reggae great Horace Andy. Over the several next decades with Del Naja as the one constant in a shifting lineup, Massive Attack continued to situate star turns by guest vocalists—including Cocteau Twins singer Elizabeth Fraser on 1998's bruising yet beautiful Mezzanine—within soundscapes that were suffused with bass, dread, and a sharp intelligence.

ORIGIN
Bristol, England
GENRE
Electronic
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