Nearly two decades removed from their most recent studio album arriving, Massive Attack have hinted that new material could see the light of day in 2025.
The reveal was made by the group's Robert "3D" Del Naja in conversation with NME. He shared, "We do have some new music which we've been sitting on for four years… dispute at the label – that's a different article altogether. Hopefully we're going to be able to release it next year and do some gigs."
Del Naja added, "I hate sitting on stuff for too long because I'm the first person to get bored of it. I deliberately don't play it for months so that I can maintain some enthusiasm for it. It's good — I'm looking forward to it!"
In the time since sharing 2010's Heligoland, Massive Attack have worked in the shorter EP format, sharing Ritual Spirit in 2016 and Eutopia in 2020.
This past August, Massive Attack performed a concert in Bristol, UK, named Act 1.5, with the goal of blazing a "trail for new standards of decarbonization of live music" through offering ticket holders included transit fare, powering the venue with renewable energy only and minimizing waste.
The group performed a string of similar-minded shows in Liverpool last month alongside IDLES and Nile Rodgers, and the interview revealed that climate-conscious stars like Billie Eilish are taking notice of the effort.
As collaborator Mark Donne revealed, "The UN announced this at New York Climate Week, we weren't there. Maggie [Baird, Billie Eilish's mother] got hold of Mark Watson at C40 Cities and said 'How do I Act 1.5 Billie's European dates?'
"I think where we're going to get the breakthrough with Billie's European tour [July 2025] is on rail . We're working out a deal at the moment with [British rail company] Trainline., where all across Europe we say, 'How about a nice hum-dinging discount?' Billie can say, 'If you've got a ticket to my gig you get this discount code and you travel by rail.'"