Massive Attack are marking the 20th anniversary of ‘Mezzanine’ by re-releasing it in a very bizarre format

Bristol trip-hop duo recently left Facebook following Cambridge Analytica scandal

Massive Attack have announced bizarre plans to re-release their 1998 album ‘Mezzanine’ in the form of DNA.

Today (April 20) marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark LP from the Bristol trip-hop duo and the band have decided to mark the occasion by encoding the record into DNA.

Massive Attack have set about this feat by using technology developed by STEM University ETH Zurich, in Switzerland.

Advertisement

The album’s digital audio files will be converted into 920,000 short DNA strands, which will then be stored in 5,000 tiny (nanometre-sized) glass spheres.

‘Mezzanine’ is apparently the second-largest file ever stored using DNA.

Last year, it was announced Miles Davis’ track ‘Tutu’ would be one of the first songs to be encoded in DNA.

Meanwhile, Massive Attack recently announced they were leaving Facebook following the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Last month, it emerged the political data firm that was hired by Donald Trump‘s 2016 election campaign collected private information from 50 million Facebook users without their knowledge.

Advertisement

Following the scandal, the Bristol deleted their official Facebook page. In a statement on their Twitter page, they wrote: “In light of FB’s continued disregard for your privacy, their lack of transparency and disregard for accountability – Massive Attack will be temporarily withdrawing from FB.”

Last year, Massive Attack hit out at Pete Tong for covering their seminal single ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ for his ‘Ibiza Classics’ album without their permission.

The record and accompanying tour saw the DJ reimagine huge tracks by the likes of Daft Punk, Moby, Rob Dogan, Basement Jaxx and more, with the assistance of the Heritage Orchestra and conductor Jules Buckley.

However, the trip-hop duo slammed the project as a “nostalgia nightmare roadshow”, and urged him to donate proceeds to aid the refugee crisis. “I don’t recollect you getting in touch to see if we would mind,” 3D wrote in an open letter to Tong regarding the cover. “But for your information: When we play that song we display photos of displaced people in refugee camps by the photographer Giles Duley on the screen to raise awareness for their plight and collect money for UNHCR.”

You May Also Like

Advertisement

TRENDING

Advertisement

More Stories