Six years removed from the release of Massive Attack's Heligoland, the UK trip-hop veterans have issued new music via the launch of a smartphone app. Titled Fantom, it's available in app stores now.
The iPhone app was developed by Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja, and it's being described as a "sensory remixer." With Fantom, you can create "personal remixes" of new Massive Attack material, based on the movement of your phone or Apple Watch.
"The remixes reflect your movement and balance, the time of day or night, your location and your surroundings as captured by your device's camera," it's further explained on the Fantom website.
The Apple Watch version, for instance, monitors users' heartbeat, and uses this info, obtained via Apple's Health Kit settings, to alter the "harmonic and rhythmic cadences of the songs." Movement also triggers various effects in the mix.
The credits reveal that Fantom includes four new songs from Massive Attack: "Dead Editors," "Ritual Spirit," "Voodoo in My Blood" and "Take It There." In addition to being produced by Del Naja and musical partner Grant Marshall, "Voodoo in My Blood" is a collaboration with UK unit Young Fathers.
Additionally, as Pitchfork points out, "Take It There" features vocals from "thaws," which may or may not be a credit for Tricky, whose real name is Adrian Thaws. Tricky has not appeared on a Massive Attack project since 1994's Protection.
Fantom is an iPhone exclusive, and can only be run using an iPhone 5S or higher. You can find out more about the project and here a few samples of new music over here.
While Massive Attack have not issued a proper LP since 2010's Heligoland, Del Naja had also recently produced a score to "The Standing March," a multimedia piece prepped for last fall's UN Climate Change Conference with director Darren Aronofsky and French visual artist JR.
The iPhone app was developed by Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja, and it's being described as a "sensory remixer." With Fantom, you can create "personal remixes" of new Massive Attack material, based on the movement of your phone or Apple Watch.
"The remixes reflect your movement and balance, the time of day or night, your location and your surroundings as captured by your device's camera," it's further explained on the Fantom website.
The Apple Watch version, for instance, monitors users' heartbeat, and uses this info, obtained via Apple's Health Kit settings, to alter the "harmonic and rhythmic cadences of the songs." Movement also triggers various effects in the mix.
The credits reveal that Fantom includes four new songs from Massive Attack: "Dead Editors," "Ritual Spirit," "Voodoo in My Blood" and "Take It There." In addition to being produced by Del Naja and musical partner Grant Marshall, "Voodoo in My Blood" is a collaboration with UK unit Young Fathers.
Additionally, as Pitchfork points out, "Take It There" features vocals from "thaws," which may or may not be a credit for Tricky, whose real name is Adrian Thaws. Tricky has not appeared on a Massive Attack project since 1994's Protection.
Fantom is an iPhone exclusive, and can only be run using an iPhone 5S or higher. You can find out more about the project and here a few samples of new music over here.
While Massive Attack have not issued a proper LP since 2010's Heligoland, Del Naja had also recently produced a score to "The Standing March," a multimedia piece prepped for last fall's UN Climate Change Conference with director Darren Aronofsky and French visual artist JR.