Hometown: Bristol, England
Debut: 1993

Members:
Tricky, Martina Topley-Bird, Alison Goldfrapp, Raga -vocals
Pete Briquette -bass guitar
Mark Saunders -keyboards
James Stevenson, FTV -Guitar
FTV -drums
Tony Wrafter -flute

Bands in the family :
Portishead, Massive Attack, The Wild Bunch, Neneh Cherry, Smith and Mighty, Björk

Notes:
Tricky began his career as a part of the Bristol-based hip-hop ensemble, the Wild Bunch, which developed into Massive Attack. Their 1991 debut, Blue Lines, gave birth to trip hop, and soon Tricky went solo, releasing his first single, "Aftermath," in 1993, and his debut album, Maxinquaye, which made him the face of the genre. Tricky continued to reinvent himself through remixes and collaborations with artists such as Björk, RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, and Luscious Jackson. Tricky has since made three official full-length albums, Pre-Millennium and Nearly God in 1996 and Angels with Dirty Faces in 1998, in addition to various singles and Eps. He now prefers to make music and lead a clandestine lifestyle in New York.

Links:
Tricky Mothership
Tricky Photo Gallery
We Love Tricky

Tricky can be pretty misleading; he is able to camouflage his paranoia, confusion, and anger with a dense wall of sound and low, mumbled vocals. To the casual listener, a track like "Overcome" is just eerie trip hop: hypnotic beats with Martina's icily sweet vocals gliding over the top. But as you pay closer attention and hear: "Don't want to be on top of your list/ Monopoly and properly kissed," Tricky grabs you. What's this all about? What exactly does he want? It's this guessing game that makes Maxinquaye such a bewitching record.

"Ponderosa" is layers of macabre tribal rhythms and shrill piano, with Tricky's barely audible repetition of paranoid phrases coupled with Martine's amused vocals. "Hell is Around the Corner" has the same Isaac Hayes sample as Portishead's "Glory Box," but Tricky uses it for a disturbing and threatening venture into his mind. Slow guitars and enchanting melodies occasionally distract you, but Tricky's disdain for love and relationships brings the menace back into focus (e.g., "I keep her warm but we never kiss"). "Strugglin" is slow collage of sounds that feels like its fighting to happen. Tricky half laughs as he utters, "Tell me why I'm here...They label me insane...I think I'm more normal than most."

Tricky casts these spells with ease, and just as quickly snaps you out of them. He completely tears apart Public Enemy's "Black Steel" and turns it into a driving, aggressive attack of guitars while Martine bitterly spits out the lyrics. "Brand New You're Retro" is a full force, blaring hip-hop assault on gangsta rappers who dare to think they can take on Tricky, and despite its reggae vibe, "You Don't" still feels like a military call to arms.

The intensity of this album, fueled by Tricky's frustration and anxiety, can be suffocating. With Martine delivering the majority of Tricky's lyrics, it's as though even he doesn't want to deal with his emotions. As haunting as it is, the shadow that envelops Maxinquaye is strangely irresistible.