Tricky's autobiography coming out in October

Big book news: Tricky has just announced his autobiography will be out in October 2019.

More here:

Blink acquires the “fascinating and moving” autobiography of Tricky

Blink acquires the “fascinating and moving” autobiography of music artist, Tricky

Senior Commissioning Editor Kerri Sharp acquired world rights from K7 Music.

Blink, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has acquired the autobiography of music artist, Tricky. Commissioning Editor Kerri Sharp acquired World rights from K7 Music – the independent music company headquartered in Berlin, where Tricky now lives.

Tricky’s layered, down-tempo hip-hop took the UK by storm in the early 1990s and was part of the sound that defined the post-rave generation. His first solo album, ‘Maxinquaye’ went gold, sold 800,000 copies worldwide, was NME’s album of the year in 1995 and nominated for that year’s Mercury prize. Since then he has recorded a further twelve albums.

Before his musical career, however, there was a boy who grew up in one the UK’s most deprived areas – Bristol’s Knowle West – alongside family members that included gangsters and bare-knuckle boxers. His story will be a fascinating and moving slice of social and multi-cultural history packed with hair-raising anecdotes from inside and outside the music business. 

Tricky will also speak candidly about how his mother’s suicide has had a lifelong effect on him, both creatively and psychologically, and how an artist from the West Country went on to find lasting international acclaim.

“Tricky’s sound and lyrics stopped everyone dead in their tracks in the early ’90s with their originality … I’m delighted to be working with such an original artist on such a unique life story.”

Kerri Sharp, Commissioning Editor, Blink

Sharp said: ‘Tricky’s sound and lyrics stopped everyone dead in their tracks in the early ’90s with their originality. Who could ever forget, “Say reduce me, seduce me, dress me up in Stussy”? I’m delighted to be working with such an original artist on such a unique life story.’

The book will be written with music writer Andrew Perry. The idea grew out of an interview for Q Magazine around Tricky’s last album ‘Ununiform’ in 2017. Rachael Patterson, Tricky’s manager at K7 Music said: ’Andrew’s prior work with Kerri, as well the genuine enthusiasm shown by Blink’s wonderful marketing team, meant they were the number one choice.’

Blink will publish the as yet untitled book as a £20 Hardback in October 2019.

Soundtrack: Patrick Watson - 'Melody Noir'

Away, writing...

Soundtrack:

Patrick Watson - 'Melody Noir' 

Tell me where the wind is blowing cause that’s where the music’s going

You are my big dark blue and I want to swim all around you

You are the sweetest melody I never sung

I feel like I know you but you’re just a ghost to me

And when I sit beside your shadow somehow it comforts me

You are the sweetest melody I never sung

You are the island of love my remedy to rescue me

You are a breeze of a song that carries me

You are the sweetest melody I never sung

I’ve got a hole the size of your touch that fits in your arms this much

And when I try to fill it up the hole gets bigger every time You are the sweetest melody I never sung

You are my island of love my remedy to rescue me

You are a breeze of a song that carries me

You are the sweetest melody I never sung

Canta canta mi luna mi luna llena

Esta melodia es el abismo adentro de mi

El abismo adentro de mi

Mi luna mi luna llena 

Corne de l'abondance

Ovide au 1er siècle avant J.C. :

« Je cède, et d'un taureau prends la forme nouvelle.

De deux dards menaçants j'arme mon front rebelle.

Hercule, sans effroi, saisit mon col nerveux,

Résiste, en leur cédant, à mes élans fougueux,

M'entraîne, me subjugue ; et d'une main puissante

Recourbant de mon front la corne menaçante,

Me renverse à ses pieds sur l'arène étendu.

Ce ne fut pas assez : son bras ferme et tendu,

Comme un levier terrible appuyé sur ma tête,

Rompt la corne qu'il tient, gage de sa conquête.

Son usage a depuis consolé mes malheurs :

Par les nymphes remplie et de fruits et de fleurs,

Cette corne devint l'urne de l'abondance. »

Robert Del Naja about AI, technology and making great music

Robert Del Naja, the head and voice of Massive Attack, was invited to give a talk at SONAR D, with his tech chief, Andrew Melchior.

It took place in Barcelona on Wed. 17 July 2019.

Here is an extract:

I head a bit more from the talk on different platforms.

Robert mentioned in this video that he wouldn't go into the details of the scene in Bristol when he started making music in the early 1980s, especially the influence of post-punk...

There is more about that in my book, obviously.

I feel like this book needs a "part II"!!

Extinction Rebellion in Bristol - Summer protests - Day One 15 July 2019

News from Bristol

Extinction Rebellion launched their the event for summer protests to call authorities to protect the climate in 5 British cities. 

Here is a video from Bristol, on Bristol Bridge: 

Project Mushroom - 15 July 2019, Day One 

Short video by myself with:

@XRBristol

@ExtinctionR

@extinctsymbol

Starting 15 July, Extinction Rebellion is blocking roads in Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds and London for the next phase of their rebellion: Summer Uprising.

In the spring, they occupied five sites in London during the International Rebellion, after which the British Parliament declared "A climate emergency".

Yet "national and local governments are acting with neither the seriousness or urgency required by the need for climate justice," the movement said. "Instead, they are making weak commitments, encouraging ecologically damaging projects and taxing sustainable alternatives."

Hence this second phase of their action.

They ask the British government to "ACT NOW to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025."

Each site disrupted in central locations in five cities across the UK will take independent action, for different amounts of time, with the same demand of government and councils: "ACT NOW!"

-

Bristol, in pictures:

Bristol legendary DJ Queen B on the deck for some music for the rebels: 

Activists on Bristol Bridge:

Up towards the city centre: 

Protesters from all age

The events and blockade will last all week.

A few words about MA and Glastonbury...

With all these articles about "black" artists and "black" music at Glastonbury Festival (official), this book would like to remind that Massive Attack performed at the Festival 4 times, the first as early as 1995. 

Later with Jools Holland: Courtney Love, Massive Attack, Everything But The Girl, Marianne Faithful 

They were then invited to the "Dance Tent" because their music was supposedly not fit for the main stage. Yet Portishead, who had just released their first album 'Dummy' (always classified in the same genre as MA but with no black member) were last minute invited to be on the main stage, which they refused...

The introduction of the Dance Tent turned out to be a major success, featuring Massive Attack but also System 7 and Eat Static, and opening the way for new genres and artists at Glastonbury.

Tricky also performed on the Jazz Stage:

MA came back in 1997 with a completely transformed show, which was a reflection of the complete metamorphosis through the maze of 'Mezzanine'.

In 2008, they performed with two unexpected vocalist: Stephanie Dosen and Yolanda Carter, today know as Yola. 

Here is a extract of their fantastic set, in a very rich year for the band.... (Read more about it in the 12th chapter of my book, 'Out of the Comfort Zone': https://www.amazon.co.uk/Massive-Attack-Out-Comfort-Zone/dp/1910089729)

They last performed in 2014 with two other "black" artists, Deborah Miller and the very Bristolian and sublimely talented Martina Topley Bird. And of course, Horace Andy everytime, as well as Daddy G and Mushroom, in 1995.

I guess what they were trying to do all these years was to blur the lines between genres, labels, and references to their "colours". To play as themselves. A task that is becoming incredibly difficult nowadays...

-

You can read more about Stormzy and Skin at Glastonbury here:

"Skunk Anansie frontwoman Skin says she loves Stormzy but that the recent dispute over who the first black British headliner of Glastonbury is not the first time she’s been overlooked."

https://www.nme.com/news/music/skunk-anansies-skin-loves-stormzy-but-says-recent-glastonbury-dispute-is-not-the-first-time-shes-been-overlooked-2523552