Heligoland (album)
Heligoland | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 8 February 2010 | |||
Recorded | 2005–2009 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 53:05 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | ||||
Massive Attack chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Heligoland | ||||
|
Heligoland is the fifth studio album by English electronic music duo Massive Attack, released on 8 February 2010 by Virgin Records. Named after a German archipelago, it was their first studio album in seven years, following 100th Window (2003).[1] It has been certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[2]
Personnel
The record features vocals of Horace Andy, as well as guest vocalists: Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio, Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Hope Sandoval of Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions and Mazzy Star, Guy Garvey of Elbow and Martina Topley-Bird,[3] as well as guitar playing by Adrian Utley of Portishead (on "Saturday Come Slow"), keys from Portishead collaborator John Baggott (most notably on "Atlas Air"), keys and synth bass from Damon Albarn ("Splitting the Atom" and "Flat of the Blade" respectively), guitar (various tracks) and bass ("Girl I Love You") by Neil Davidge and bass by Billy Fuller of Beak on various tracks.
The record features drumming from the late Jerry Fuchs and regular session and touring drummer Damon Reece. Dan Brown and Stew Jackson (Robot Club) co-wrote "Paradise Circus", played guitar on and co-wrote "Saturday Come Slow", and part-programmed and engineered those tracks. Tim Goldsworthy contributed additional production (specific tracks unstated). Most tracks were mixed with Mark "Spike" Stent and then all were mastered with Tim Young at Metropolis Studios, as with previous records. Unlike previous records, there are no personal acknowledgements on the inlay. Neil Davidge co-produced all tracks with Robert Del Naja only[4] (except tracks 3, 7 and 9 where Grant Marshall was also involved), though Marshall has a co-write credit on every track. The album is dedicated to the memory of Blue Lines co-producer, Jonny Dollar.
Background
The album release was preceded on 4 October 2009 by an EP, Splitting the Atom. During its gestation, the album was often referred to in the media as "LP5" (a reference to this being their fifth studio album – excluding Danny the Dog) or "Weather Underground" (Robert Del Naja's early working title and underdog metaphor for the record).[5]
The artwork, as with every Massive Attack album since Protection, is a collaboration between Tom Hingston and Del Naja, this time based on Del Naja's paintings. Transport for London, in line with their policy to not encourage graffiti, insisted the cover image featured on advertising posters displayed on the Tube be altered so as to not resemble "street art", obliging the artists to remove drips and fuzz from the original image.[6]
Many other guest vocalists recorded sessions during the duo's post-100th Window era but are not featured on the album, including: Stephanie Dosen, Yolanda Quartey of Phantom Limb – effectively Robot Club's band) and Jhelisa (Anderson, who had previously recorded in 2002 in the studio for material that was not included on 100th Window); and, mostly during the pre-Collected time – Mike Patton, Aku and Akwetey Orraca-Tetteh and Devang Shah of Dragons of Zynth, Elizabeth Fraser, Terry Callier, Fredo Viola, Debbie Clare, Beth Orton and Dot Allison. Mos Def and Leslie Feist were named as artists scheduled for recording sessions back in 2004.[7] Backing tracks from Grant Marshall's side of Massive Attack's writing (mainly facilitated by and done with Robot Club) are known to have been sent to Alice Russell, and prepared for Sharon Jones,[8] Patti Smith and David Bowie during the era but collaboration did not come to fruition, nor did talks with Tom Waits or Tricky, in terms of featuring as guest vocalists on the record.[citation needed] Post-punks Mark Stewart and Keith Levene were pictured inside Del Naja's 100 Suns studio in 2009, but played no part on the album.[citation needed]
"I think it's got definitely a more organic feel",[9] Del Naja said of Heligoland. "100th Window was very much about this amalgamation of everything joining, and eventually the process was so extreme that you couldn't tell if there was a string part if it was electronic or natural. [There were] lots of organic parts that ended up sounding very electronic. It became a whole world of different processes, and we wanted to do something a bit different because we've had that experience so we wanted to do something else."
The track "Girl I Love You", one of multiple tracks featuring Horace Andy, is a drastically reworked version of a song originally written by Andy during his solo career.
Promotion
Eight low-budget films were officially released online in promotion of Heligoland:
- "Splitting the Atom" (Promo 1) [the bull fight video], directed by Baillie Walsh (2009).
- "Paradise Circus", directed by Toby Dye (2009) features clips from an old pornographic film, interspersed with an interview with the film's now-aged female star Georgina Spelvin, who describes each stage of a film-oriented sex act and emphasises the added erotic excitement of the camera.[10]
- "Splitting the Atom" (Promo 2), directed by Edouard Salier (2009). Video on YouTube
- "Flat of the Blade", directed by Ewan Spencer (2009)
- "Saturday Come Slow", directed by Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin (2010), features a former Guantanamo Bay detainee at a laboratory in Cambridge, where he and a professor work in tandem to discuss the use of loud sounds as a means of torture.
- "Psyche", directed by John Downer (2010)
- "Atlas Air", directed by Eduard Salier, was downloadable with the digital Version of the Atlas Air EP. The video is in fact a prequel to Salier's version of "Splitting The Atom"
- "Pray for Rain", directed by Jake Scott (2011)
Furthermore, a "United Snakes" video by UnitedVisualArtists, along with a previous alternate promo for "Psyche" [the ghosts' video] directed by Dougal Wilson were also released.
"Paradise Circus" was licensed to be the theme tune for the BBC drama series Luther.[11] "Paradise Circus" can also be heard in Gossip Girl,[12] "Misfits" (S2, Ep4), Revenge (S2, Ep6) and "9 Crimes", the fourth episode of the third season of True Blood,[13] as well as in the 2011 advert "Dominoes" for Citroën C5. A remixed version of "Paradise Circus" by Gui Boratto, can also be heard on the Lincoln MKX commercials featuring Mad Men's John Slattery.
Release
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.0/10[14] |
Metacritic | 72/100[15] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [16] |
Entertainment Weekly | B−[17] |
The Guardian | [18] |
The Irish Times | [19] |
Los Angeles Times | [20] |
NME | 6/10[21] |
Pitchfork | 5.0/10[22] |
Rolling Stone | [23] |
Spin | 7/10[24] |
Uncut | [25] |
The deluxe edition of Heligoland available digitally features bonus tracks (remixes and "False Flags" B-side, "United Snakes"). There is also a deluxe vinyl edition release.[26] Heligoland Remixed (amounting to the same as the Deluxe Edition's bonus tracks, except for "United Snakes" being replaced by a second Gui Boratto dub remix) has been uploaded for listening on the duo's Facebook page. The standard edition is available in a number of different coloured covers.
Burial remix album
In late 2009, Marshall suggested in an interview with Clash that there would be an equivalent remix album of Heligoland by Burial, though various comments made afterwards cast major doubt on the prospect ever being more than an idle whim in reality.[27]
In May 2010, Del Naja told Q magazine: "It's happening, but we can't talk about it. [Burial]'s very private and paranoid about it."[28]
"Four Walls"/"Paradise Circus", a single containing Burial's "Paradise Circus" remix, along with a remix of a previously unreleased track, "Four Walls" was released in 2011.
Atlas Air EP
Massive Attack had stated in interviews their intention to release a post-Heligoland EP in May or June 2010. The record was expected to feature unreleased leftover tracks, such as "Invade Me" and "Red Light", both featuring Martina Topley-Bird.[29]
Subsequently, Massive Attack announced plans for the limited vinyl release of 1,000 units and digital release of an Atlas Air EP on 1 November 2010, in aid of Warchild. The EP would feature an edit of the titular song; a Tim Goldsworthy remix; a Guy Garvey-penned and previously unfinished Heligoland leftover track, "Redlight", featuring Guy Garvey on vocals; and its respective remix by Warp artist, Clark.[30]
These plans were later changed so that the release date became 22 November 2010. Also, the original version of "Redlight" was later removed from the track listing and replaced on the EP by the Jneiro Jarel remix of Atlas Air, meaning that the EP would represent no new Massive Attack production. Additionally, the remix of "Redlight" would end up featuring female vocals and not those of its songwriter, Guy Garvey, as first suggested.[31]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Pray for Rain" | Adebimpe | 6:44 | |
2. | "Babel" |
| Topley-Bird | 5:20 |
3. | "Splitting the Atom" |
| 5:17 | |
4. | "Girl I Love You" |
| Andy | 5:27 |
5. | "Psyche" |
| Topley-Bird | 3:25 |
6. | "Flat of the Blade" |
| Garvey | 5:30 |
7. | "Paradise Circus" |
| Sandoval | 4:58 |
8. | "Rush Minute" |
| 3D | 4:51 |
9. | "Saturday Come Slow" |
| Albarn | 3:44 |
10. | "Atlas Air" |
| 3D | 7:49 |
Total length: | 53:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Fatalism" (Ryuichi Sakamoto & Yukihiro Takahashi remix) |
| 4:54 |
Total length: | 57:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Paradise Circus" (Gui Boratto remix) |
| 8:07 |
12. | "Fatalism" (Ryuichi Sakamoto & Yukihiro Takahashi remix) |
| 4:54 |
13. | "Girl I Love You" (She Is Danger remix) |
| 5:00 |
14. | "Paradise Circus" (Breakage's Tight Rope remix) |
| 4:44 |
Total length: | 75:83 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "United Snakes" |
| 9:44 |
16. | "Pray for Rain" (Tim Goldsworthy remix) |
| 7:24 |
Total length: | 92:97 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Heligoland.[34]
Massive Attack
- Robert Del Naja – vocals, keyboards, programming
- Grant Marshall – vocals
Additional musicians
- Horace Andy – vocals
- Tunde Adebimpe – vocals
- Martina Topley-Bird – vocals
- Guy Garvey – vocals
- Hope Sandoval – vocals
- Damon Albarn – vocals, bass, keyboards
- Damon Reece – drums
- Jerry Fuchs – drums
- Billy Fuller – bass
- Neil Davidge – bass, keyboards, guitar, programming
- John Baggott – keyboards
- Tim Goldsworthy – keyboards, programming
- Dan Austin – keyboards, programming
- Euan Dickinson – keyboards, programming
- Adrian Utley – guitar
- Stew Jackson – guitar, programming
- Dan Brown – guitar, programming
- Dave Sitek – guitar
- Harry Brown – brass
- Noel Langley – brass
- Chris Storr – brass
- Andy Grappy – brass
- Stuart Gordon – string arrangements (track 7)
Technical
- Robert Del Naja – production
- Neil Davidge – production (all tracks); mixing (tracks 2, 7)
- Grant Marshall – production (tracks 3, 7, 9)
- Tim Goldsworthy – additional production
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (tracks 1, 3–6, 8–10)
- Matty Green – mixing assistance (tracks 1, 3–6, 8–10)
- Euan Dickinson – mixing assistance (tracks 2, 7); engineering (all tracks)
- Eric Broucek – engineering
- Lee Shephard – engineering
- Leo Sidran – engineering
- Jason Cox – engineering
- Graham Archer – engineering
- Robot Club – engineering
- Tim Young – mastering at Metropolis Mastering (London)
Artwork
- Robert Del Naja – art, design, art direction
- Tom Hingston Studio – design, art direction
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
France (SNEP)[75] | Gold | 50,000* |
Italy (FIMI)[76] | Gold | 25,000* |
Poland (ZPAV)[77] | Gold | 10,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[2] | Gold | 216,607[78] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ "Heligoland". massiveattack.com. 23 November 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
- ^ a b "British album certifications – Massive Attack – Heligoland". British Phonographic Industry. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Massive Attack recruit Martina". BBC 6 Music. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ "Tripping into Heligoland – Inside The Production of Massive Attack's Latest Album". Emusician. 19 February 2009. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
- ^ "Damon Albarn records with Massive Attack". NME Magazine. 8 February 2007. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ Andy Dangerfield (18 February 2010). "Street art posters latest adverts to be censored by TfL". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "P Archives". forums.massiveattack.com. 7 September 2005. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2005.
- ^ Phil Medley (17 March 2006). "Massive Attack: Calm and collected". The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
- ^ "Interview w/ Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja re. Heligoland". suicidegirls.com. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ "Paradise Circus - Massive Attack" (Video). Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ "BBC One Programmes – Luther, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
- ^ Gossip Girl Music From "Ex-Husbands and Wives" tvfanatic.com. 2010-05-11. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
- ^ True Blood 9 Crimes Songs tvfanatic.com. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
- ^ "Heligoland by Massive Attack reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "Reviews for Heligoland by Massive Attack". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
- ^ Bush, John. "Heligoland – Massive Attack". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
- ^ Maerz, Melissa (5 February 2010). "Heligoland". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (4 February 2010). "Massive Attack: Heligoland". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Boyd, Brian (5 February 2010). "Massive Attack: Heligoland (Virgin)". The Irish Times. Dublin. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ^ Brown, August (8 February 2010). "Album review: Massive Attack's 'Heligoland'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ Pattison, Louis (8 February 2010). "Album review: Massive Attack – 'Heligoland' (Virgin)". NME. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Patrin, Nate (9 February 2010). "Massive Attack: Heligoland". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Ganz, Caryn (22 February 2010). "Heligoland: Massive Attack". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (9 February 2010). "Massive Attack, 'Heligoland' (Virgin)". Spin. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ Martin, Piers (8 February 2010). "Massive Attack – Heligoland". Uncut. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.thevinylfactory.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^
"Massive Attack: Two Man Army". The Skinny. 2 February 2010.
"I think I might have had too many drinks the night I made that statement. I started a fire, didn't I? It was our total admiration for Burial, that's what it was; it sort of spilled into enthusiasm about him doing something for us." – Daddy G. [The Skinny – February 2010]
- ^ "Massive Attack". Q. 9 May 2010.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "Massive Attack: Two Man Army". The Skinny. 2 February 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
- ^ "Massive Attack blog on MySpace". 6 November 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010 – via Myspace.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "Atlas Air – EP by Massive Attack – Preorder Atlas Air – EP on iTunes". 6 November 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ "Heligoland (Extended) [+digital booklet]: Massive Attack: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. United States. Archived from the original on 27 April 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "Heligoland (Deluxe Version) by Massive Attack". iTunes Store. United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ Heligoland (liner notes). Massive Attack. Virgin Records. 2010. CDV3070.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Australiancharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Dance – Week Commencing 15th February 2010" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. 1042. 15 February 2010. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Massive Attack – Heligoland" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Massive Attack – Heligoland" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Massive Attack – Heligoland" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- ^ "Massive Attack Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 06.Týden 2010 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Massive Attack – Heligoland" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ Sexton, Paul (25 February 2010). "Sade's 'Soldier Of Love' Rules Euro Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Massive Attack: Heligoland" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Massive Attack – Heligoland" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Greekcharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2010. 7. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Massive Attack". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ ヘリゴランド | マッシヴ・アタック [Heligoland | Massive Attack] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ "Mexicancharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Massive Attack – Heligoland". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Massive Attack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Massive Attack Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Massive Attack Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Dance Albums 2010". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2010 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Rapports annuels 2010 – Albums" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Year End Charts – European Top 100 Albums". Billboard.biz. 2010. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Classement Albums – année 2010" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2010". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "UK Year-End Charts 2010" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 8. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "French album certifications – Massive Attack – Heligoland" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 30 November 2021. Select MASSIVE ATTACK and click OK.
- ^ "Italian album certifications – Massive Attack – Heligoland" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 18 April 2014. Select "2014" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Heligoland" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
- ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2010 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. 14 April 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ "Key Releases: 11.12.10". Music Week. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2018 – via HighBeam Business.