{{Infobox album | name = Ritual Spirit | type = ep | artist = Massive Attack | cover = Ritual spirit.png | alt = | released = {{Start date|2016|1|28|df=yes}} | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = {{hlist|Trip hop|electronica}} | length = {{Duration|m=17|s=13}} | label = Virgin | producer = {{hlist|Robert Del Naja|Adrian Thaws|Grant Marshall|Euan Dickinson}} | prev_title = Heligoland | prev_year = 2010 | next_title =Eutopia | next_year =2020 }} '''''Ritual Spirit''''' is an EP by British trip hop collective Massive Attack, released on 28 January 2016.<ref name="factmag">{{cite web | url=http://www.factmag.com/2016/01/28/massive-attack-ritual-spirit-ep/ | title=Massive Attack unveil Ritual Spirit EP featuring Tricky, Roots Manuva | work=Fact | date=28 January 2016 | accessdate=28 January 2016}}</ref> It features trip hop artist Tricky for the first time since the release of ''Protection'' in 1994, and also features Scottish hip-hop group Young Fathers, London rapper Roots Manuva and singer Azekel.<ref name="consquenceofsound_2016">{{cite web | url=https://consequence.net/2016/01/stream-massive-attacks-new-ep-ritual-spirit/ | title=Stream: Massive Attack's new EP Ritual Spirit | work=Consequence of Sound | date=28 January 2016 | access-date=28 January 2016 | author=Young, Alex}}</ref>
==Background== A week before the release of the EP, the group released an iPhone application called "The Fantom", which remixed songs using heartbeat, location and time of day. The app contained snippets of the songs featured on the EP, and promised full functionality "soon".<ref name="theverge">{{cite web | url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/21/10807690/massive-attack-fantom-sensory-music-iphone-app | title=Massive Attack's new music is hidden inside a spooky iPhone app | work=The Verge | date=21 January 2016 | accessdate=28 January 2016 | author=Cox, Jamieson}}</ref>
==Critical reception== {{Album ratings | MC = 81/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/ritual-spirit-ep/massive-attack|title=Ritual Spirit [EP] – Massive Attack |publisher=Metacritic. CBS Interactive |accessdate=April 6, 2016}}</ref> | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=AMG>{{cite web|last=Kellman|first=Andy|date=28 January 2016|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/ritual-spirit-mw0002913822|title=Ritual Spirit - Massive Attack|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=6 May 2016}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Drowned in Sound'' | rev2Score = 9/10<ref name=DIS>{{cite web|last=Adcock|first=Lee|date=4 February 2016|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/19247/reviews/4149781|title=Ep Review: Massive Attack - Ritual Spirit|publisher=Drowned in Sound. Silentway|accessdate=5 February 2016|archive-date=5 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205095025/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/19247/reviews/4149781|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev3 = ''The Music'' | rev3score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://themusic.com.au/reviews/massive-attack-ritual-spirit-james-dapice/AFwTEhUUFxY/08-02-16|title=Album Review: Massive Attack - Ritual Spirit|website=The Music|last=d'Apice|first=James|date=February 8, 2016|access-date=March 10, 2025}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev4Score = 7.0/10<ref name=p4k>{{cite web|last=St. Asaph|first=Katherine|date=5 February 2016|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21553-ritual-spirit-ep/|title=Massive Attack: Ritual Spirit EP|publisher=Pitchfork Media|accessdate=5 February 2016}}</ref> | rev5 = ''PopMatters'' | rev5score = 8/10<ref name=popmatters>{{cite web|last=Garratt|first=John|date=24 February 2016|url=https://www.popmatters.com/massive-attack-ritual-spirit-2495451482.html |title=Massive Attack: Ritual Spirit |publisher=PopMatters|accessdate=24 November 2022}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Pretty Much Amazing'' | rev6score = B+<ref name="PMA">{{cite web|last=Tabb|first=Brian|date=18 March 2016|url=http://prettymuchamazing.com/reviews/macklemore-massive-attack-pinegrove-hinds|title=Reviews: Macklemore, Massive Attack, Pinegrove, Hinds]|publisher=Pretty Much Amazing|accessdate=6 April 2016}}</ref> | rev7 = ''Renowned for Sound'' | rev7Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Benfield|first=Haydon|date=4 February 2016|url=http://renownedforsound.com/index.php/ep-review-massive-attack-ritual-spirit/|title=EP Review: Massive Attack - Ritual Spirit|publisher=Renowned For Sound|accessdate=6 February 2016}}</ref> | rev8 = ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' | rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/spectrum-reviews-massive-attack-kurt-elling-and-elton-john-20160201-gmitfx.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226172714/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/spectrum-reviews-massive-attack-kurt-elling-and-elton-john-20160201-gmitfx.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-12-26|title=Spectrum reviews: Massive Attack, Kurt Elling and Elton John|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|last=Zuel|first=Bernard|date=February 5, 2016|access-date=March 10, 2025}}</ref> }} ''Ritual Spirit'' received widespread critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 4 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".<ref name="MC"/>
John Garratt of PopMatters praised the EP, stating, "Pretty much everything that helped the band make a name for itself is on display for these four songs—the simmering tension of title track, the sample-happy soundtrack for urban decay on the opener 'Dead Editors', the hot and steady boil of 'Voodoo in My Blood', and the morose single 'Take It There' featuring the return of Tricky."<ref name=popmatters/> Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork Media gave the EP a favorable review, stating, "Massive Attack were always equally as good producers as they were curators; it's promising that, as much of their old sound as they've retained, they've kept this as well."<ref name=p4k/>
==Track listing== {{track listing | title1 = Dead Editors | writer1 = {{hlist|Euan Dickinson|Robert Del Naja|Rodney Hylton Smith|Herbie Hancock}} | length1 = 4:46 | note1 = featuring Roots Manuva
| title2 = Ritual Spirit | writer2 = {{hlist|Dickinson|Del Naja|Azekel Adesuyi}} | length2 = 3:55 | note2 = featuring Azekel
| title3 = Voodoo in My Blood | writer3 = {{hlist|Dickinson|Del Naja|Alloysious Massaquoi|Kayus Bankole|Graham Hastings}} | length3 = 4:01 | note3 = featuring Young Fathers
| title4 = Take It There | writer4 = {{hlist|Dickinson|Del Naja|Adrian Thaws}} | length4 = 4:31 | note4 = featuring Tricky
| total_length = 17:13 }}
'''Notes''' *"Dead Editors" contains a sample from "Watermelon Man" (1962) by Herbie Hancock.
==Personnel== '''Massive Attack''' *Robert "3D" Del Naja – vocals, keyboards, guitar, programming, arranging, mixing, producer *Adrian "Tricky" Thaws – keyboards, bass, vocals, programming, mixing, arranging, producer *Grant "Daddy G" Marshall – keyboards, guitar, programming, arranging, mixing, producer
'''Additional musicians''' *Euan Dickinson – sound engineer, programming, keyboard, guitar, arranging, mixing, producer *Neil Davidge – keyboard, piano, drums, guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals, programming, mixing *Young Fathers **Kayus Bankole **'G' Hastings **Alloysious Massaquoi *Roots Manuva – vocals (1) *Azekel – vocals (2) *Jeff Wootton – Guitar <ref name="audiokat">{{cite news |url = https://www.audiokat.com/discos/Ritual_Spirit-Massive_Attack/4677 |title = Massive Attack - Ritual Spirit|website=audiokat.com |accessdate =31 January 2016 |date = 28 January 2016}}</ref>
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2016) ! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position |- {{singlechart|Wallonia Tip|34|artist=Massive Attack & Azekel|song=Ritual Spirit|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2016}} |- {{singlechart|France|30|artist=Massive Attack & Azekel|song=Ritual Spirit|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2016}} |- {{singlechart|Germany|96|artist=Massive Attack & Azekel|song=Ritual Spirit|songid=1521025|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2016}} |- !scope="row"|Italian Vinyl Records (FIMI)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fimi.it/classifiche#/category:vinili/id:2215|title=Vinili - Classifica settimanale WK 10 (dal 2016-03-04 al 2016-03-10)|publisher=Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|language=Italian|accessdate=March 14, 2016}}</ref> | 5 |- {{album chart|BillboardDanceElectronic|4|artist=Massive Attack|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2016}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Massive Attack}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Massive Attack EPs Category:2016 EPs Category:Virgin Records EPs