Massive Attack produce intelligent and considered dance music. Although often bleak in tone it somehow achieves a euphoric warmth that resonates and satisfies. They accompany the intriguing music with innovative visuals and challenging videos marking them as truly experimental and have influenced just about everyone, from Damon Albarn to graffiti artist Banksy.

Originally comprised of Andrew Mushroom Vowles, Robert 3D Del Naja and Grant Daddy G Marshall, the trio signed to Circa Records in 1990.

Their first debut album, Blue Lines, was released in 1991. Fusing hip hop and dub, electronica and reggae, the album flourished in no small part from the perfect vocals of Shara Nelson and contributions from Neneh Cherry. The album featured the amazing single Unfinished Sympathy which had enjoying great European success, previous to the album’s release, in the UK, Germany and reaching the top of the Dutch charts.

The trio continued to work together despite stories often leaking of their volatile relationship. In 1994 the released the album Protection which continued to impress their peers and the general public.

But it was the release of their stand out album Mezzanine in 1998 that saw a massive leap in the success of the band. The media now had invented the title of Trip Hop, and set Massive Attack as the leaders of the movement that also included Portishead and, to some extent, the work of Bjork.

However, to say that the album merely succeeded due to media hype would severely underplay the sheer talent exhibited on the record. The album tapped into pre-millennium tension and was often foreboding in nature which perhaps reflected the inner tensions at play whilst it was made. Mezzanine also contained singles that featured a real understanding of what could be done with an excellent video.

In 1999, Andrew Vowles left when the previous tensions became irreconcilable. Although now only two predominant members left, Massive Attack continued to work and released the albums 100th Window in 2003 and Heligoland in 2010.

2016 sees the release of The Ritual Spirit EP, their first new material in six years. Ever the pioneers, they released the new material first appear through the sensory app Fantom. A piece of software that actively remixes the music according to real world physical stimuluses such as the users movement, location, the time of day and their very heartbeat.

The new release sees them working once again with long term partner in crime Tricky, after his departure after the 1994 album Protection.
To date they have sold over 11 million records. Their career has seen them collaborate with an eclectic list of greats such as David Bowie, Burial, Snoop Dogg and Sinéad O’Connor.

Massive Attack success has seen them win many victories including having won Brit Awards for Best British Dance Act. They have also won a Q Award twice for Best Album in 1998 and the Innovation In Sound Award in 2008. Impressively, they appear in Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time twice for Blue Lines and Mezzanine.

Furthermore, their talent for understanding and promoting though provoking imagery has also been recognised by the MTV Europe Music Awards when they took the award for Best Video in 1995 and 1998.

On sale right now is Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time which sees Massive Attack taking over Hyde Park for just one day this summer. The concert looks set to be one of the defining days of 2016 which sees the trip-hop troopers supported by an amazing array of acts such as Young Fathers, Patti Smith & Her Band, TV On The Radio, Warpaint, Ghostpoet plus more still yet to be announced.

Massive Attack tickets are always in demand. Buy them online through Gigantic right now!


Just Announced! Massive Attack will be playing an awesome outside concert with the indie legends Primal Scream and grime great Skepta on Saturday 3rd of September.

The spectacular event will take place at The Clifton Downs in Bristol - the first time The Downs have been used for a major music concert in over fifteen years.

“We are curating what we hope will become an annual event something made in Bristol with an international reach. We will also use the project to engage with the important social and political issues of the day" - 3D

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