Since their groundbreaking debut album, Blue Lines, Massive Attack have always been the most cinematic of dance collectives. The question is, why has it taken so long for them to score an original soundtrack?

It’s clear to see why the producer of Danny the Dog, Luc Besson (Nikita, The Fifth Element), requested that they work on this project; given the oppressive, bass-heavy mood of last year’s 100th Window album, the remaining founder member Robert del Naja (with his current foil, the producer Neil Davidge) has already nailed the sound to match the film’s twilight locales and the lead character’s inner turmoil. The plot sounds faintly ludicrous: Danny, a martial arts “slave” who is forced to fight in gladiatorial fight clubs, finds salvation in an elderly blind piano tuner. But at least it gives del Naja scope to mix up the pulsing breakbeats (I Am Home and Collar Stays On) and classic swarthy trip-hop (Polaroid Girl) with some delicate, eerie ambience (Red Light Means Go). This is an old-fashioned soundtrack, with not even a hint of a hummable theme tune, but it’s all the better for it.

Martin Aston

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