Massive Attack is back with Eutopia, their first music since 2016’s Ritual.
The three-track record was inspired by Thomas More’s 16th-century text Utopia. Aside from the historical inspiration, Massive Attack brought on the talents of Algiers, Saul Williams, and Young Fathers as well as three political speakers — Christiana Figueres, who penned the UN Paris Climate Agreement; Guy Standing, who’s behind universal basic income theory; and Gabriel Zucman, the economics professor from UC Berkley behind the “wealth tax” policy in the U.S.
Massive Attack talk about the new music in statement:
“Lockdown exposed the best aspects and worst flaws of humanity. That period of uncertainty and anxiety forced us to meditate on the obvious need to change the damaging systems we live by. By working with three experts, we’ve created a sonic and visual dialogue around these global, structural issues; taking the form of climate emergency, tax haven extraction and Universal Basic Income.
The spirit of this EP, its elements and ideas have nothing to do with naïve notions of an ideal, perfect world, and everything to do with the urgent & practical need to build something better. In this sense, Eutopia is the opposite of spelling mistake.”
Massive Attack went on their Mezzanine anniversary tour with Liz Fraser last year, and MA member Robert “3D” Del Naja sold some of his art to raise funds for the Bristol Food Union.
Watch the visuals of Massive Attack’s new material createe by AI artist Mario Klingemann below.
