About this time last year, word surfaced that trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack were fast at work on their long-anticipated follow-up to 2003's 100th Window, but back then the band weren't giving us a whole lot to go on. Well, today that's changed, thanks to main Massive Attack guy Robert "3D" Del Naja. In a new Billboard interview, Del Naja confirmed the band's new album will be out in October, with a massive world tour kicking off in September.
While Del Naja gave no firm title for the upcoming release, he hinted the album may be called Weather Underground. He also confirmed Virgin/EMI would be releasing the record and that it would come sporting its fair share of guest stars. According to Billboard, the record will feature head Blur/Gorillaz man Damon Albarn, Guy Garvey of Elbow and Stephanie Dosen, but didn't say whether TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Mazzy Star vocalist Hope Sandoval and Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser would also appear on the album, as previously reported.
"The album is out in October and we're touring in September, so there will be a two-week discrepancy where we'll politely request the audience's attention while they hear some new songs that have been remastered," Del Naja said.
He added that Massive Attack have already played some new tracks live, including "Red Light" and "All I Want." "I think things are changing, I don't think people expect to hear an album they know and then go and hear it live, I think people are much more intelligent than that," he said.
On the tour front, Del Naja said there would be about 150 shows in support of the new record, with some taking place in the U.S. and Mexico (sorry, no mention yet of any Canadian dates). "We'll do the UK, Europe, then take Christmas off, and then go to Asia, into America and then we'll roll out to the festivals," he said. "When you get on a roll it's such a laugh. For Meltdown [Festival] last year we ended up doing about 40 shows all around eastern and southern Europe, it was really good fun. So I can imagine for this we'll end up doing maybe 150 gigs."
Massive Attack have already begun booking shows in the UK and Europe, but no North American dates have been announced.
While Del Naja gave no firm title for the upcoming release, he hinted the album may be called Weather Underground. He also confirmed Virgin/EMI would be releasing the record and that it would come sporting its fair share of guest stars. According to Billboard, the record will feature head Blur/Gorillaz man Damon Albarn, Guy Garvey of Elbow and Stephanie Dosen, but didn't say whether TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Mazzy Star vocalist Hope Sandoval and Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser would also appear on the album, as previously reported.
"The album is out in October and we're touring in September, so there will be a two-week discrepancy where we'll politely request the audience's attention while they hear some new songs that have been remastered," Del Naja said.
He added that Massive Attack have already played some new tracks live, including "Red Light" and "All I Want." "I think things are changing, I don't think people expect to hear an album they know and then go and hear it live, I think people are much more intelligent than that," he said.
On the tour front, Del Naja said there would be about 150 shows in support of the new record, with some taking place in the U.S. and Mexico (sorry, no mention yet of any Canadian dates). "We'll do the UK, Europe, then take Christmas off, and then go to Asia, into America and then we'll roll out to the festivals," he said. "When you get on a roll it's such a laugh. For Meltdown [Festival] last year we ended up doing about 40 shows all around eastern and southern Europe, it was really good fun. So I can imagine for this we'll end up doing maybe 150 gigs."
Massive Attack have already begun booking shows in the UK and Europe, but no North American dates have been announced.
