Since the late 1970s, the city has been home to bands combining punk, funk, dub and political consciousness, the most celebrated being The Pop Group.
In 1980, both white and black youths were involved in a protest against heavy-handed policing There did seem to be a racial element as black youths felt that they were particularly singled out for unwarranted police attention.
The riots in St Pauls brought the area to national attention and were the first in a series of riots in large cities across the country. Contrary to popular belief, the riots in St Pauls were not strictly race riots.
This tense, multi-cultural environment would in time spawn a type of English hip-hop music called trip hop or the "Bristol Sound", youths from all races began to come together and form groups. Innovative artists such as Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack would become very influential on the world music scene.
Bristol Calling in music:
In 1980, both white and black youths were involved in a protest against heavy-handed policing There did seem to be a racial element as black youths felt that they were particularly singled out for unwarranted police attention.
The riots in St Pauls brought the area to national attention and were the first in a series of riots in large cities across the country. Contrary to popular belief, the riots in St Pauls were not strictly race riots.
This tense, multi-cultural environment would in time spawn a type of English hip-hop music called trip hop or the "Bristol Sound", youths from all races began to come together and form groups. Innovative artists such as Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack would become very influential on the world music scene.
Bristol Calling in music:
Massive Attack: Blue Lines
The influence of Bristol, U.K.'s Massive crew on bringing trippy beats to the foreground is immeasurable. Not only were they the early test ground for other alterna-hop stars (ex-clansman Tricky, former songstresses Nicolette and Martina, and the lesser known productionists Smith & Mighty), they've spread their influence to everyone from fellow Bristol residents Portishead to Björk. Blue Lines is Massive's debut record and is the second musical union of Bristol's renowned collective, Wildbunch. The emotional purging and beat-driven orchestral movement of "Unfinished Sympathy" was among the first signs of life in contemporary English trip-hop culture. Blue Lines marks the beginning of a musical legacy that is ever expanding.
Portishead: Third
Portishead's Third has been a long time coming, the result of a lengthy creative torpor following 1997's dark, distinctly underrated album Portishead. Importantly, though, they've shaken it. While the core trio of Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, and Adrian Utley remains, this is quite a different band to Portishead's 90s incarnation: gone is the slo-mo turntable scratching and smoky jazz feel, replaced by heavy, brooding rhythms, vintage-sounding electronics, and spindly guitar. Still present, though, is that sense of emotional fracture and deep gloom. "Silence" opens with a dense drum loop which suddenly falls away to reveal Gibbons' voice, cold but magnificent: At times, it's a harsh and foreboding listen. But Third is a brave and forward-thinking return, and one great enough to justify its lengthy gestation.
The influence of Bristol, U.K.'s Massive crew on bringing trippy beats to the foreground is immeasurable. Not only were they the early test ground for other alterna-hop stars (ex-clansman Tricky, former songstresses Nicolette and Martina, and the lesser known productionists Smith & Mighty), they've spread their influence to everyone from fellow Bristol residents Portishead to Björk. Blue Lines is Massive's debut record and is the second musical union of Bristol's renowned collective, Wildbunch. The emotional purging and beat-driven orchestral movement of "Unfinished Sympathy" was among the first signs of life in contemporary English trip-hop culture. Blue Lines marks the beginning of a musical legacy that is ever expanding.
Portishead: Third
Portishead's Third has been a long time coming, the result of a lengthy creative torpor following 1997's dark, distinctly underrated album Portishead. Importantly, though, they've shaken it. While the core trio of Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, and Adrian Utley remains, this is quite a different band to Portishead's 90s incarnation: gone is the slo-mo turntable scratching and smoky jazz feel, replaced by heavy, brooding rhythms, vintage-sounding electronics, and spindly guitar. Still present, though, is that sense of emotional fracture and deep gloom. "Silence" opens with a dense drum loop which suddenly falls away to reveal Gibbons' voice, cold but magnificent: At times, it's a harsh and foreboding listen. But Third is a brave and forward-thinking return, and one great enough to justify its lengthy gestation.
Tricky: BlowBack
Since the release of his debut, Maxinquaye, Tricky fans have wondered when he would or could match the nightmarish splendor of that trip-hop masterpiece. Blowback may not entirely appease the Tricky faithful, but it is the Bristol innovator's most satisfying album in a while. With Maxinquaye's surreal sonics lurking around its edges, Blowback is wonderfully schizophrenic, cavorting through robotically muted ragga, surging funk rock, nauseous, sample-mangled ballads, and bizarre versions of songs like the 1930s standard "Your Name" and Nirvana's "Something in the Way." In fact, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morrisette, Cyndi Lauper, and Live's Ed Kowalcyzk along for the ride, Blowback is Tricky's Tommy, delivered through the mouths and muscles of the stars.
Bristol Calling in words:
The city of Bristol has emerged as one of the most innovative music scenes in Britain. Tracing the musical and cultural roots from the 1980 St Paul's riot and the creation of a home-made music scene, this account looks at how the "Bristol sound" has evolved, from Rip, Rig & Panic to Massive Attack.
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