Exploring Tricky & Maxinquaye: The 90s Bowie?
Tricky, the Bristol-born renegade, hated the “trip-hop” tag but practically invented it alongside Massive Attack—melding soul, dub reggae and downtempo hip-hop under Martina Topley-Bird’s hypnotic vocals into something dark, claustrophobic and paranoid. Their 1995 debut Maxinquaye, forged from Tricky’s own trauma, addiction and melancholy, felt like the 90s’ Bowie moment: genre-shredding, defiantly un-radio-friendly and dripping with raw emotion.
Yet once critics and radio caught wind of its magic, Maxinquaye’s edge got bleached for mainstream ears. This New British Canon episode tracks Tricky’s Bristol roots, his creative bond with Martina, the birth of Maxinquaye and the uphill battle to keep his sound unspoiled by fame.
Watch on YouTube
