Info → Ritual Spirit                   

Still image of Kate Moss taken from the promo video for Ritual Spirit directed by Dusan Reljin and Hilde Pettersen Reljin.

Still image of Kate Moss taken from the promo video for Ritual Spirit directed by Dusan Reljin and Hilde Pettersen Reljin.

Development

UK Release: 28th January (Ritual Spirit EP)

UK Highest Chart (Ritual Spirit EP): #2

Track Duration: 03:55

Formats: CD, Vinyl, Digital. View Discography Entry.

Written By: Robert Del Naja, Euan Dickinson and  Azekel  Adesuyi

Produced By: Robert Del Naja and Euan Dickinson

Mastered By: Tim Young

Mixed By: Bruno Ellingham

Promo Video Directed By: Dusan Reljin and Hilde Pettersen Reljin

Video Producer: Unit 3 Films

Edited By: Anthony Tombling Jr

Date Of Filming: Late 2015

Video Duration: 03:55

Massive Attack contacted relative newcomer, London based soul singer, Azekel Adesuyi, in 2015 to collaborate together on Ritual Spirit which would go on to be the title track of the EP released in Januray 2016. On the subsequent tour that followed, Azekel joined Massive Attack on stage to perform Ritual Spirit each night of the tour. It was Azekel first time as part of a major live tour.

Additional Info

The Ritual Spirit EP marks the first major release to bear the Massive Attack name to feature Euan Dickinson, who had previously worked as a studio engineer/programmer before being promoted to co-producer/writer alongside 3D when Neil Davidge left the band.  Daddy G by contrast, much like he did with 100th Window, did not take part in the Ritual Spirit EP sessions.

Live Appearances

Ritual Spirit being performed live on the 2016 tour.

Ritual Spirit received its live debut on the 19th January 2016 at Dublin's Olympia Theatre, which was the kickoff date of Massive Attack's 2016 tour to promote the release of the Ritual Spirit EP. The track would go on to be featured on all subsequent dates of the 2016 tour typically being performed as the sixth or seventh track of the setlist. As on the record, Azekel performed the live vocals on all of these dates.

Lyrics

London based soul singer Azekel performed the vocals for the Ritual Spirit track. Visit his official Facebook page.

Who'll mend this broke beat star
Who’s strength do I speak of
Climbing deep burning
Climbing deeper
Kinda deep burning

Who's words that I spoke now storm
I keep it turning
It's Climbing deep burning
Climbing deeper
Kinda deeper

Climbing deep burning
Climbing deeper
Kinda deep burning

Who'll mend this broke beat star
Who’s strength do I sleep on
Climbing deep burning
Climbing deeper
Kinda deep burning
Who'll mend this broke beat star
Who’s strength do I speak of
Climbing deep burning
Climbing deeper
Kinda deep burning

Kinda deeper
Climbing deeper
Kinda deeper
Climbing deeper
Kinda deeper
Climbing deeper
Kinda deeper
Climbing deeper
Climbing deep burning

Promo Video

The director of the Ritual Spirit video, Dusan Reljin, pictured with 3D and Kate Moss in 2015.

The video for Ritual Spirit was filmed at a studio in West London in late 2015, and directed by husband and wife duo Dusan Reljin and Hilde Pettersen Reljin, who had previously directed the video for the Robert Del Naja side-project Battle Box 001 back in 2012.

It was Dusan Reljin's suggestion to 3D that they use famed British supermodel Kate Moss in the video which she readily agreed to. 3D has been a long time friend of Kate Moss's going back to the 1990's and had before this video DJ'ed privately at her 40th birthday party celebrations in 2014.

3D helped edit the video and applied some of the same filtering effects that were developed for the Ritual Spirit EP Phantom App in the post-production of the video.

Quotes About The Video

Kate Moss on working with her friend 3D on the Ritual Spirit video – “I have always been a huge fan of Massive Attack and 3D has been a friend for many years,” says Kate Moss, “When he asked me to collaborate with him, I didn’t have to think twice. I always thought their visuals were amazing and I was proud to be in this video” [DazedDigital.com – February 2016]

3D on working with his friend Kate Moss on the Ritual Spirit video – “Dusan and I had been planning to collaborate on something visual for a while. When he suggested working with Kate I was a little nervous, as we’ve been friends for a long time and I didn't want to complicate things, you know. Kate has worked with a lot of artists over the years, and has been exploited by a few” [DazedDigital.com – March 2016]

External Links