Info → Risingson
The Front Cover Of The Risingson Single Release. The Image Appears To Be Based On A Typical Rorshach Test.
UK Release: 7th July 1997
UK Highest Chart: #11
Track Duration: 04:58
Formats: CD, Vinyl, VHS, Digital.View Discography Entry.
Written By: Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall and Andrew Vowles
Produced By: Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall and Andrew Vowles
Engineering/Programming: Neil Davidge
Promo Video Directed By: Walter Stern
Video Cinematographer: Simon Chaudoir
Set Designer: Andrew Norris
Costume Desinger: Emma Sutton
Filming Location: Acton, London, UK
Date Of Filming: 5th - 6th June 1997
Video Duration: 05:00
Risingson ended up being the first completed song from Mezzanine and was released a good ten months before the album would come out as a limited edition single only within the UK. The single release was intended both to serve as a preview to Massive Attack’s long awaited third album (as they came to the conclusion that the album would not make it’s original 1997 deadline) and also as a promotional tool for the 1997 tour.
Risingson was the first single released from Mezzanine, preceding its sister album by over ten months.
Risingson would mark Daddy G’s first return to vocals on a Massive Attack single since Daydreaming.
Massive Attack performing Risingson live on the 2008 tour.
Risingson along with a sampling of a few otherMezzanine-bound tracks were first played during the 1997 tour partly to gauge crowd reactions to these newly demoed songs.
During the 1997 tour, the backdrop to the stage was a large canvas poster of the image from the Risingson single.
Since the 1997 tour, Risingson has become a permanent fixture on the live setlist on all subsequent tours. It is usually the second or third track played at each show.
Before his departure from the band, Mushroon would perform DJ duties (such as the use of “The Velvet Underground” sample and doing scratching) during this song. Daddy G would take up this DJ role on the 2006 and 2008 tours.
Since the 2003 tour, Arden Hart, the live band’s keyboardist has performed backing vocals on Risingson, except the now beginning in 2008 where this was done by new keyboardist John Baggott.
Underworld Remix – Following on from his remix work on Sly and Protection, Underdog would turn the regular version into a furious drum’n bass tune. This remix would mark Underdog’s last ever remix for Massive Attack. Included on all single releases.
Otherside Mix – This is in fact an alternative mix of Risingson done by Massive Attack themselves. It augments the song with even louder and abasive guitars and drum beats. The added guitar parts were done by Jon Harris, who would later become apart of Sunna, one of the bands on Massive Attack’s Melankolic label. Included on all single releases.
Underworld Mix – This remix was done by Darren Emerson from the now defunct dance band Underworld. Very much intended for clubs, it strips away all vocals in the regular song down to just the line “Toy-like, Boy-like”. Included only on the promo 12″ vinyl release, until the arrival of the Singles 90/98 Box Set where this remix was included on CD for the first time.
Setting Sun Dub 2 – This is a previously unheard mix that surfaced in June 2007 upon the opening of Massive Attack’s official MySpace page. It is streamed on the aforementioned page in a heavily compressed but listenable quality. As the title of the remix suggests it is a dub remix of the original Risingson wit the remixer remaining anonymous, possibly Massive Attack themselves.
Risingson uses a sample from the song “I Found A Reason” by The Velvet Underground. It appears primarily on their 1970 release “Loaded”. It is credited officially by Massive Attack.
Apart from this aforementioned sample, Risingson also uses a sample from the song “Practice Makes Perfect” by Wire. It appears primarily on their 1978 release “Chairs Missing”. It is not credited officially by Massive Attack.
Daddy G on Risingson – “The way we approached the vocals on that track and the fact that it was a totally different way of doing things than we usually do; with the whole thing with the chorus to chorus that we got on it. Quite an unorthodox way of approaching a rap track” [Mezzanine Interview Disc – March 1998]
Massive Attack’s guitarist, Angelo Bruschini on Risingson’s chart performance – “They were very, very nervous. There was a big sigh of relief when that sold, I think” [Q Magazine – January 1999]
3D on why Risingson was released almost a year before Mezzanine in 1997- “Risingson was a weird track because, it was more developed than some of the other ideas on Mezzanine and we were talking about going on tour that summer [1997], and we felt we needed to justify our presence on stage, so we needed to put something out there, at least! [Collected EPK – March 2006]
Darren Emerson, one half of dance act Underworld, who remixed Risingson for it’s single release.
3D:
I seen you go down to a cold mirror. It was never clearer in my era so. You lick a shine up on your forehead or. Check it by the signs in the corridor. You light my ways through the club maze. We would struggle through the dub days. I see myself in there upon my lover. It’s how you go down to the men’s room sink. Sad we talk of how madmen think. I sink myself in hair upon my lover. I don’t know if I’m another miss. Don’t know you from another. See me run now you’re gone… (Dream on).
Daddy G:
Why you wanna take me to this party and breathe?. I’ll die to leave. Every time we grind you know we severed lines. Where have all those flowers gone. Why you wanna take me to this party and breathe? Long time passing. Why you keep it testing, keep on tasking. I keep on asking.
3D:
Toy-like people make me boy-like. Toy-like people make me boy-like. They’re invisible, when the trip it flips. They get physical, way below my lips. And everything you got is hoi-polloi like. Now you’re lost and you’re lethal. And now’s a fine time. You’ve got to leave all. These good people. (Dream on). Nicer than the bird up in the tree top. Cheaper than the chip inside my laptop. All the variations you could do with me. Nicer than the girl up in a mind you free.
Daddy G:
Automatic system remote control. Come to move your soul.
3D:
You’re gonna fade into the background. Like a better smoke’ll bring you back round. Like a man slide inside you my dear. Your cheap beer’s filled with crocodile tears. See ’em run now you’re gone. (Dream On). Toy-like people make me boy-like. Toy-like people make me boy-like. I found a reason. I found a reason. Dream On. (x3)
The chainsaw wielding gimp coming after Massive Attack in the Riisngson promo video directed by Walter Stern in June 1997.
This is the only performance video in Massive Attack’s promo repertoire. It features several of the musicians Massive Attack have used when touring live. These musicians include Angelo Bruschini (Guitarist), Winston Blissett (Bass Guitarist) and Michael Timothy (Keyboardist). This is also the only video where any of them would appear in.
This is the first video Walter Stern would direct for Massive Attack. His other two which he would direct in the future would beTeardrop and Angel.