M IS FOR MASSIVE ATTACK

With their roots in the Bristol, England, club scene of the early ’80s, the members of Massive Attack originated trip-hop, one of the most influential sounds of the ’90s, combining the rhythmic urgency of hip-hop, the freewheeling samples of the DJ’s craft, soul-rich melodies, and dub-reggae’s hefty, intoxicating bottom end. The group began in 1983 as a loose collective of singers, rappers, DJs, and producers that staged parties under the name the Wild Bunch. Included in its ranks were Mushroom (Andrew Vowles) and Daddy G (Grant Marshall), as well as Nellee Hooper (later of Soul II Soul, and a producer for Madonna, Björk, and others), and Tricky [see entry]. The Wild Bunch released a 1986 cover of Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love,” which became a European dance-club sensation, just as legal authorities began to clamp down on the Bristol party circuit. In 1987 graffiti artist 3-D (Robert Del Naja) joined Daddy G and Mushroom to form Massive Attack. A series of singles led to the 1991 release of Blue Lines, which featured an array of vocalists – including Shara Nelson, Tricky, and reggae singer Horace Andy – and promoted a somnambulatory beat that ran counter to the hyped-up dance rhythms of techno.
Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
Massive Attack – Hymn of the Big Wheel (Nellee Hooper Mix)
Bonus track: