2. Massive Attack: Inertia Creeps
Massive Attack's 1991 debut album Blue Lines helped define the genre, and was an electronica milestone itself. The sounds on the album bore a direct influence on Portishead, the Sneaker Pimps, and Massive Attack member Tricky, who left the group after its debut to launch a very successful and influential career of his own. Mezzanine, from 1998, marked the commercial high point of Massive Attack, reaching a solid #60 in America. On it, they re-define the genre they helped define with their debut. The first four tunes on this album in particular are noteworthy, with "Inertia creeps" being something of a masterpiece. Eastern flavored, slow and menacing, hypnotic, and featuring some tasty guitar as well, it is a very ambitious recording, and spellbinding. Appearing on the album is dream pop heroine Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins, who shares vocals with reggae singer Horace Andy.
3. Beth Orton: She Cries Your Name
Beth Orton first appeared as a member of the duo Spill, with William Orbit, and then did some work with the Chemical Brothers. Her solo debut was She Cries Your Name, an EP in 1996; the song, "She Cries Your Name" also appeared on her 1996 album, Trailer Park. Orton fused standard singer/songwriter conventions with the cool jazz of trip hop to come up with an easily accessible sound, she could also be categorized as adult alternative pop/rock. However, she is also an innovator; her brand of trip hop has an organic feel that gives it somewhat more warmth than one usually finds in the genre. She has slowly become a household name in America as well. While her debut didn't chart, her most recent release, Daybreaker, edged into the top-40 album chart.
4. Moloko: Fun For Me
From Sheffield, Moloko is a duo of Irish singer Roisin Murphy and mixer/producer Mark Brydon, who were also romantically linked. Brydon was a music veteran, having worked with Cloud 9, House Arrest, Eric B & Rakim, and Psychic TV. "Fun For Me" was featured on the soundtrack to Batman and Robin in 1997 and was one of the standouts on that dense and varied collection; it had originally appeared on their 1995 debut album, Do You Like My Tight Sweater? (also the come-on line Murphy used on Brydon at the party where they met). Musically, they favor bottom heavy fat basslines and dramatic, somewhat androgynous vocals from Murphy. Danceable and tranceable.
Article comments
1 - Scott Butki
Another great list.