Just when I started thinking that 3D's Battle Box project had quietly been abandoned since it's inaugural 12" single last November, he's just gone a spun the new track from it on us, in what promises to be an ongoing series of new material.
If your reading this, then there's good chance you've heard the news that 3D is to release an art book (a visual companion, if you will) on the history of Massive Attack. I think it's an exciting prospect for many fans, since he's teased it quite often in interviews in the least few years, and to many fans (myself included), the band's visual identity has made almost as big an impression as their music down through the years.
After nearly six months of waiting since its announcement, the event billed succinctly as "Massive Attack V Adam Curtis", opened to an expectant crowd of roughly 2,000 at Manchester's Mayfield Depot. The shroud of secrecy over this unusual pairing was finally lifted; so what would they have in store for us.
With only 2 weeks left to go until its premiere at the Manchester International Festival, we are finally getting some idea of what the coming together of Massive Attack with filmmaker Adam Curtis may well entail, with the online release of a trailer for the shows.
Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Robert Del Naja (who should need no introduction on here) are jointly scoring the soundtrack to an upcoming film documentary entitled "The UK Gold". The documentary is getting its world premiere at London's Troxy Theatre on the 25th June.
While alot of fans (including myself) eagerly await the upcoming Massive Attack V Adam Curtis shows this summer, in the interim anyone in London this May or June may want to take note of a special one-off exhibit by Massive Attack's 3D that will be taking place at the Lazarides art gallery.
It's cliche to say Massive Attack's music has got somewhat of a cinematic edge to it. As if its the music to a film that has yet to be made. At least that's what I keep reading in countless interviews with the band. And I guess the claim that there is a filmic quality to their music is given alot more credibility when you consider just how many times its been licensed for film and TV. So for this blog post I'm going to be listing some of my favourite uses of Massive Attack's music in the movies.
First post of 2013, and I just want to take a moment to remember the fact that 100th Window has reached its 10th anniversary this month since its initial release. So please forgive me if this post gets a bit nostalgic but I just want to share my feelings towards this album and rather or not its stands up when listening to it 10 years on. Now for some needed context...
We have another year nearly over and done with and with that we begin seeing all those end of year lists and being overcome with temporary nostalgia. So in the spirit of all that, I've done my own little thing of collecting together all the happenings and goings-on with Massive Attack this year and placing it all into a timeline.
Announced a few hours ago courtesy of Massive's Facebook, we now have "Battle Box" to look forward to. What is "Battle Box"? Well, it seems to read to me as nearly a "mini-Meltdown" festival that 3D is putting together, with the ultimate aim is to "reengage with Bristol", using the avenues of music, art and politics, all within the rather unique environment of the Old Crown Court and adjoining abandoned prison cells.