Info â†’ Nature Of Threat                    

• Development
• Additional Info
• Variations/Remixes
• Notable Quotes
• Lyrics
• Promo Video
• External Links

Nature Of Threat was the only fully finished song from the Ridge Farm/Lupine Howl sessions, that was recorded earlier in 2000, that was ever made public. While it is debatable rather or not, any of this seemingly abandoned material ever crept into later Massive Attack work (such as they two soundtrack projects, Danny The Dog andBullet Boy respectively), this song certainly gives us an indication of the direction they were going in, in their immediate post-Mezzanine period.

The version of Nature Of Threat that was released, was at one point a possible contender for Massive Attack’s fourth album (either that or a possible film project that never happened), before 3D realised in early 2001, that the Ridge Farm/Lupine Howl sessions as a whole would not work as the foundation for the fourth album and had to be largely scrapped. Even if Nature Of Threat, had somehow made it’s way onto the fourth album, it would have sounded different to this version, as 3D stated that this version was still only a sketch that needed further mixing and refinement.

Nature Of Threat was released as a internet only single, downloadable direct from the official website, making it the first Massive Attack to be distributed in this manner. As of the present, it is unavailable from Massiveattack.com, but has been archived here to download in its original MP3 format.

Nature Of Threat was released roughly a week before Massive Attack’s first and still only ever live internet webchat broadcast on the VirtueTV website, probably as a means to further promote the webchat.

Marc Quinn Remix – This is an extremely rare version of Nature Of Threat (which has no official remix name) that very few have ever heard. Apparently it was played as the background soundtrack to a documentary about the artist/sculptor Marc Quinn, that was only broadcast on the UK arts programme “The South Bank Show” once ever on 17th December 2000 and never repeated.

3D on Nature Of Threat – “We wrote this for a movie last year but we’re now adapting it for the artist, Marc Quinn. It’s not intended to be an LP track at the moment, it’s more of a sketch” [NME Magazine – November 2000]

It’s coming with a smile. It’s careful preparations. It’s coming coming with a smile. But watching it years ago. I wanted to take my time. And you can hear me coming. Rub your hands together. (x8) Your chance is coming up. (x11) It’s coming with a smile. It’s careful preparations. It’s coming with a smile. But watching it years ago. I wanted to take my time you. And you can hear me coming. And you can hear me coming. Rub your hands together. (x12)

This was an online promo video only released via the official Massive Attack website in conjunction with the digital download release of the video’s accompanying song. Perhaps because of the limited bandwidth available to internet user’s at this time (2000), the promo video for Nature Of Threat was cut considerably compared to the full-length song.

The video is composed of handheld camera footage filmed mostly by 3D while on tour around the world during the exhausting 1998-1999 tour, which was then edited together by 3D’s art design collegue Tom Hingston.

• Soundcloud Stream Of Nature Of Threat
• Promo Video
• VirtueTV Interview (Part 1)