Trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack have announced plans to drop a cache of recently created tracks starting in 2026, available physically and digitally through a new label. The releases will notably skip Spotify amid an ongoing dispute with the platform. Fans can stay updated via the band's new WhatsApp channel for announcements on music and performances.
Announcement Details
On November 13, 2025, Massive Attack shared the news via social media, stating, “From next year we will release a cache of work created in the recent past. Tracks will be available physically and digitally via a new label. With a Spotify exception.” This marks a significant update for the Bristol-based band, known for their infrequent but impactful releases.
The group has directed followers to join their official WhatsApp channel for direct updates on the 2026 releases and special performances. This follows hints from band member Robert Del Naja in a 2024 NME interview, where he revealed they had “some new music which we’ve been sitting on for four years,” expressing hope to release it soon and play gigs.
Release Background
Massive Attack's last new material was the self-released Eutopia EP in 2020, following singles like “The Spoils” and “Come Near Me” in 2016, and the Ritual Spirit EP that same year. Their most recent full studio album, Heligoland, arrived in 2010 via Virgin Records. Del Naja noted in the interview that a “dispute at the label” delayed progress, but the upcoming work will come through a new label, separate from past affiliations with Virgin and Circa (acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012). He added enthusiasm for the material: “It’s good – I’m looking forward to it!”
Spotify Dispute Context
The exclusion from Spotify stems from a principled stand earlier in 2025. The band requested Universal Music Group to remove their catalog after reports emerged of Spotify CEO Daniel Ek leading a €600 million investment in Helsing, a company developing military drones and AI for fighter aircraft. In a statement, Massive Attack explained: “In light of the (reported) significant investments by [Spotify’s] CEO in a company producing military munition drones & AI technology integrated into fighter aircraft, Massive Attack have made a separate request to our label that our music be removed from the Spotify streaming service in all territories.” They highlighted the moral burden on artists whose earnings indirectly fund “lethal, dystopian technologies.”
Other acts, including King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, Wu Lyf, Xiu Xiu, and The Sabres Of Paradise, have similarly pulled music from Spotify this year. Notably, Ek announced in September 2025 that he would step down as CEO on January 1, 2026, with co-presidents Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström taking over.
Elsewhere, Massive Attack are set to perform at Primavera Sound in June 2026 and Primavera Porto, continuing their selective live appearances.