Massive Attack may work slowly, but at least they keep it interesting. On 100th Window, the follow-up to 1998's Mezzanine, the British duo has enlisted Sinead O'Connor for three tracks, including the first single, "Special Cases." She also sings on "What Your Soul Sings" and "A Prayer for England." Then, on Massive Attack's next album, Tom Waits and Mos Def are slated to make cameos.

The nine-track, hour-long 100th Window is due in February. The title is taken from a book of the same title by Charles Jennings and Lori Fena about the lack of privacy on the Internet. "No matter how careful you are, no matter how many security devices you have on your windows, you will leave just one of them unprotected," Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja posts on the band's Web site. The album also features an untitled thirteen-minute bonus track that Del Naja describes as a "bassline to do dinner to/sleep at the wheel/or fuck your brains out to."

Del Naja is continuing work on a Massive Attack DVD and a scrapbook about the band's history, featuring pictures, sketches, unused lyrics and previously unseen photos. Neither project has a firm release date.

Following the departure of co-founding DJ Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles after the release of Mezzanine, the group is down to Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. The two will mount a world tour beginning in March.

The 100th Window track listing:

Future Proof
What Your Soul Sings
Everywhen
Special Cases
Butterfly Caught
A Prayer for England
Small Time Shot Away
Name Taken
Antistar

GIL KAUFMAN
(November 25, 2002)