Adrian Thaws aka Tricky was always the obstinate and rebellious side of the trip hop on his own. That is why the 1995 debut Maxinquaye by this ghetto boy from Bristol was just as successful in the rock as in the dance scene. On this he effortlessly mixed blunt rock riffs with raised hip-hop rhythms and stoned dub effects, topped off with powerful female vocals and his own vicious lisping raps.
Eighteen years later there is still nothing wrong with his obstinacy. For example, he mentions to those who want to hear that his two previous albums for Domino were not to his liking afterwards because he did not feel at home with this authoritative British indie label. No, he had saved his best work for False Idols, his first for the Berlin electronic music label! K7. False Idols would also be a return to Maxinquaye. It is indeed unmistakably Tricky that we hear on this, with refined quotes from rock, hip-hop and dub, kneaded together into a unique, dark and brooding sound. (MR)more
