Massive Attack and Tom Waits release a new collaboration “Boots on the Ground” on Play It Again Sam, with an exclusive to vinyl B-side provided by Waits – a droll and sardonic spoken word piece entitled “The Fly”.
An accompanying film created by Massive Attack (working with enigmatic US photo artist thefinaleye) has premiered today via the band’s digital platforms. This evocative, high-intensity montage portrays a momentous American epoch that is yet to be named, and comes in the aftermath of the largest public protests in American history – focused on opposition to ICE raids, the militarisation of domestic forces, and state authoritarianism.
Alongside the film and track release, on Friday the 17th, Massive Attack will publish an exclusive spoken word reflection on the themes of the work from novelist Omar El Akkad, author of the novels “American War” and “What Strange Paradise”, and nonfiction masterpiece “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This.”
“Boots on the Ground” is the first Massive Attack music distributed under a Spotify exemption policy. Further releases are scheduled prior and subsequent to the band’s run of live performances, including their forthcoming European tour and summer festival headlines.
Massive Attack:
“It’s a career honour to collaborate with an artist of the magnitude, originality and integrity of Tom, but this track is arriving in an atmosphere of chaos. Across the western hemisphere, state authoritarianism and the militarisation of police forces are fusing again with neo-fascist politics. Seen within the American emergency, at home and overseas, this track contains pulses of callous impulse & abandoned mind.”
Tom Waits:
“One day many years ago I accepted an invitation from Massive Attack to collaborate,” Waits explains. “Way back then, we sent them “Boots on the Ground”. Their long release delay never worried me. Today, as in all of mankind’s yesterdays, guarantees this song will never go out of style. Man’s fiasco folly is a feast for the flies. Hence, the B side of Massive Attack’s upcoming 12 inch “The Fly” features my appreciation for the winged nuisance.”
In keeping with their ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions across both live activity and recorded output, Massive Attack have partnered with Good Neighbor to produce an ‘EcoSonic’ pressing. Manufactured using 100% recycled PET (rPET) rather than traditional PVC, the record is fully recyclable and produced via an energy-efficient injection moulding process – a significant shift in record manufacturing. Packaging follows the same approach, with sleeves made from 100% recycled, FSC®-certified paper stock and outer slipcases produced from recycled polyethylene.
Visit the Official Massive Attack Store or local indie stores to pre-order the vinyl: a limited edition 180g ‘EcoSonic’ record, mixed at random in red, white and blue, housed in a full colour sleeve, with additional screen printing.
Massive Attack will be donating all profits from the sale of the vinyl edition to the American Civil Liberties Union and the US Immigrant Defense Project.
“Boots on the Ground” is accompanied by a film directed by Massive Attack in collaboration with US photo artist thefinaleye. The film quotes statistics and research by the following sources: American Immigration Council, American Civil Liberties Union, Inside Higher Ed,National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, US National Library of Medicine, US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Privacy International and FactCheck.org. Viewers seeking further information or wishing to take action are encouraged to visit aclu.org, veterans-aid.net, immigrantdefenseproject.org, and freedomforimmigrants.org.
“Boots on the Ground” is Tom Waits’s first new recording since the 2011 album ‘Bad As Me’ and features additional vocals from his son Casey.
1. Massive Attack & Tom Waits – “Boots on the Ground” (A-side)
2. Tom Waits – “The Fly” (B-side)
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