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Inertia Creeps
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| "Inertia Creeps" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Massive Attack | ||||
| from the album Mezzanine | ||||
| B-side | "Reflection" | |||
| Released | 19 October 1998[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | |||
| Studio | Massive Attack, Christchurch (Bristol, England) | |||
| Genre | Electronica[2] | |||
| Length | 5:56 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Neil Davidge | |||
| Massive Attack singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Inertia Creeps" on YouTube | ||||
"Inertia Creeps" is a song by English electronic music band Massive Attack, released on 19 October 1998. It was the fourth and final single released off their third album, Mezzanine (1998). It is the least commercially successful of the four singles released from Mezzanine, charting only on the New Zealand Singles Chart at No. 16, but it has been noted as one of the best singles from the album.
Background and composition
[edit]The song describes a relationship that Robert del Naja had, which at the time had just ended:
I already had a lot of the lyrics written before. It was just about a relationship I had been going through. It's about being in a situation but knowing you should be out of it but you're too fucking lazy or weak to leave. And you're dishonest to yourself and dishonest to the other person. You're betraying them everyday [sic] and the whole scene feels like it's closing in on you, d'ya-know-what-I-mean? The idea is a combination of movements propelling yourself forward and pulling yourself back at the same time. That's what the track's about—a fucked up relationship basically and there it is.[3]
The rhythm of "Inertia Creeps" has a strong çiftetelli influence, inspired by nights out in Istanbul. Robert del Naja acquired some tapes of such music, which were used as a basis for the song.[3] The song is composed in the key of D-sharp minor[2] and it runs at a tempo of 84 beats per minute.[4] It samples the song "ROckWrok" by new wave band Ultravox.[5]
Other featured songs
[edit]The single contains four remixes of the original song, the first from Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, the second from British DJ State of Bengal, the third from fellow Bristol trip hop group Alpha, and the fourth titled "Back She Comes" from dub producer Mad Professor, along with another track called "Reflection".[6]
Music video
[edit]The music video for "Inertia Creeps" features Robert del Naja sitting on a sofa. He is watching an explicit clip of his partner having sex with who appears to be Mushroom. The clip is directed and recorded by Daddy G, who is in the same room as the extramarital couple. Del Naja is shown to be frequently shocked by the clip (especially a scene where she performs fellatio on Mushroom whilst sitting in a lounge chair); he breathes heavily while watching it, turns away a lot from the camcorder, fast-forwards a lot of the video, and at one point he ends up hiding behind a blanket. The video has received over 10 million views on YouTube.[7]
The lounge chair featured in the videoclip is a knock off of the iconic 1956 Charles and Ray Eames lounge chair as authorised copies of the chair do not feature any kind of lever or wheels.[8][9] [10]
Reception
[edit]In the album review of Mezzanine, John Bush of AllMusic gave "Inertia Creeps" critical acclaim, describing the song as the highlight of the album: "Inertia Creeps" could well be the highlight, another feature for just the core threesome. With eerie atmospherics, fuzz-tone guitars, and a wealth of effects, the song could well be the best production from the best team of producers the electronic world had ever seen."[11]
A separate review for the single, also carried out on AllMusic but by Matt Whalley, gave the single 4 stars out of 5,[12] praising the song itself, saying "Between 1990-1998, Massive Attack has never made a single that was more interesting and unmatched in style."[12] The three remixes also received positive attention, with Whalley stating that they took the track into "two unique directions which ensure replay value."[12]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Inertia Creeps" | 5:56 |
| 2. | "Inertia Creeps" (Radio edit) | 4:09 |
| 3. | "Inertia Creeps" (Manic Street Preachers version) | 5:02 |
| 4. | "Inertia Creeps" (State of Bengal remix) | 6:23 |
| 5. | "Inertia Creeps" (Alpha mix) | 5:54 |
| 6. | "Back She Comes" | 6:07 |
| 7. | "Reflection" (Written by Robert del Naja and Neil Davidge only) | 4:52 |
| Total length: | 37:59[13] | |
Personnel
[edit]Massive Attack
- Robert Del Naja – vocals, producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples, art direction, design
- Grantley Marshall – producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
- Andrew Vowles – producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples, drums
Additional personnel
- Neil Davidge – producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
- Angelo Bruschini – guitars
- Jon Harris, Bob Locke, Winston Blisset – bass guitars
- Andy Gangadeen – additional drums, percussion
- Dave Jenkins, Michael Timothy – additional keyboards
Recording personnel
- Jan Kybert – Pro Tools
- Lee Shepherd – engineer (Massive Attack and Christchurch Studios)
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (Olympic Studios)
- Jan Kybert, Paul "P-Dub" Walton – assistant mixing
- Tim Young – editing, engineer (Metropolis Studios)
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] | 16 |
References
[edit]- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 17 October 1998. p. 29. Misprinted as 19 September.
- ^ a b Tompkins, Dave. "Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps". www.cs.ubc.ca. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ a b Prasad, Anil. "Massive Attack - Massive aggressive". Innerviews. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
The music came from nights out in Istanbul. There's some mad music there at some belly dancing shows which are pretty embarrassingly tourist-orientated. But the music was fucking really cool. I got some tapes and I was in the studio when we were working on this music. Mush came in and I was fucking really bitching and beat as shit and I said "I got this fucking wicked beat I heard from this fucking tape" and we started writing this new beat from it and so it was really cool, d'ya-know-what-I-mean? It was one of those good fucking days in the studio when everyone was on the same fucking vibe.
- ^ "BPM Database - Browse". BPMDatabase.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ Patrin, Nate (8 January 2017). "Massive Attack - Mezzanine". Pitchfork Media. Condé Nast. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^ "INFO → INERTIA CREEPS". massiveattack.ie. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^ "Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps". YouTube. 8 March 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "How to Authenticate an Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman". 28 January 2021.
- ^ "Manager discussing assembly of chairs Herman Miller".
- ^ "Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman - Herman Miller".
- ^ Bush, John. "Mezzanine - Massive Attack". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ a b c Whalley, Matt. "Inertia Creeps - Massive Attack". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^ Matt Whalley (17 November 1998). "Inertia Creeps - Massive Attack | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
- ^ "Massive Attack – Inertia Creeps". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
Inertia Creeps
View on GrokipediaBackground
Writing and inspiration
"Inertia Creeps" was primarily written by Robert del Naja, known as 3D, who drew inspiration from a toxic personal relationship that had recently ended.[4] The song explores themes of inertia, dishonesty, and emotional stagnation, capturing the sense of being trapped in a deteriorating dynamic without a clear path out. Del Naja explained, "It’s about a fucked up relationship I had been going through. It's about being in a situation but knowing you should be out of it, but you're too fucking lazy or weak to leave. And you're dishonest to yourself and dishonest to the other person. You're betraying them everyday and the whole scene feels like it's closing in on you. The idea is a combination of movements propelling yourself forward and pulling yourself back at the same time."[9] These elements underscore the song's portrayal of dishonesty and stagnation, aligning with del Naja's experiences of emotional limbo. The lyrics contribute to the broader narrative of dysfunction prevalent in Massive Attack's work during this era. The track connects to the dark, introspective tone of the Mezzanine album, developed amid intense creative tensions and personal struggles from 1997 to 1998.[10] This period saw the band grappling with internal conflicts, including drug use and relational breakdowns, which infused the album with a brooding atmosphere of isolation and unease.[11] "Inertia Creeps" embodies this mood through its themes of entrapment, mirroring the album's overall shift toward heavier, more claustrophobic soundscapes. Del Naja's inspiration for the rhythm stemmed from nights out in Istanbul's nightlife in July 1997, where he acquired tapes of Turkish çiftetelli music that influenced the song's percussive drive.[12] This incorporation added an exotic, pulsating undercurrent to the track's exploration of emotional inertia. The writing process unfolded at Massive Attack's Christchurch Studios in Bristol, where initial ideas were shaped into the final form.[12]Recording
The recording of "Inertia Creeps" took place between 1997 and 1998 at Massive Attack's Christchurch Studios in Bristol, UK, as part of the broader production sessions for the band's third studio album, Mezzanine.[13][14] Core members Robert del Naja, Grantley Marshall (Daddy G), and Andrew Vowles (Mushroom) managed the vocals, production, and programming for the track, drawing on their established collaborative approach to electronic music creation.[14] Engineering duties included Pro Tools editing by Jan Kybert, recording by Lee Shepherd at the Bristol studios, and final mixing by Mark "Spike" Stent at Olympic Studios in London.[14][15] "Inertia Creeps" emerged as one of the last tracks finalized during these sessions, contributing to the album's cohesive dark, atmospheric sound ahead of its April 1998 release.[11][16]Composition
Musical structure
"Inertia Creeps" blends trip-hop with electronica, incorporating dub and rock elements through its layered production and instrumentation.[17] The track is composed in D-sharp minor at a tempo of 167 beats per minute (with a half-time feel of 84 beats per minute) in 4/4 time, creating a deliberate, mid-tempo pace that underscores its creeping momentum.[18][19] Its arrangement centers on dual male vocals from Robert del Naja and Grant Marshall, delivered in a hushed call-and-response style that evokes tension and intimacy.[17] A prominent, looping bassline by Jon Harris provides the rhythmic anchor, complemented by angular guitar riffs from Angelo Bruschini and atmospheric keyboards from Neil Davidge, Robert del Naja, and Grant Marshall, which add depth and a sense of unease.[20] The rhythm foundation draws from the çiftetelli, a traditional Balkan and Turkish 9/8 pattern encountered during the band's travels in Istanbul, adapted here into a 4/4 framework to produce an inertial, propulsive groove that mimics slow, inexorable movement.[6] The album version runs for 5:56, allowing the elements to build gradually over its duration.[1]Samples and influences
"Inertia Creeps" incorporates two primary audio samples that shape its rhythmic foundation and textural depth. The track draws from "Rockwrok" by Ultravox (1977), utilizing its nervy synth lines and percussive elements to infuse a sense of urgency and electronic pulse into the song's groove.[21] Similarly, it samples "İstanbul" from Balık Ayhan's 1995 album Yaşayan Ruhlar, incorporating fragments of ethnic percussion that evoke a half-speed, hypnotic sway, adding an exotic layer to the beat. These samples reflect broader influences rooted in Massive Attack's evolution within the Bristol trip-hop scene, which blended dub reggae's echoing delays and hip-hop's looped breaks with global sounds.[22] The incorporation of Turkish rhythms, inspired by Robert del Naja's experiences in Istanbul nightclubs where he recorded local music, introduces world music elements that expand the track's atmospheric scope.[4] This rhythmic influence includes a subtle nod to the çiftetelli pattern, a traditional Turkish dance rhythm that underscores the song's propulsive yet restrained motion.[23] By layering these sourced elements—Ultravox's synthetic tension over Ayhan's percussive exoticism—the samples create the track's signature "creeping" inertia, building a dense, unresolved sonic tension that mirrors themes of relational stagnation without providing easy release.[24]Release
Commercial release
"Inertia Creeps" was released on 21 September 1998 as the fourth and final single from Massive Attack's third studio album, Mezzanine, through Circa and Virgin Records.[1][25] The single was issued in multiple formats, including CD single, 12-inch vinyl, and later digital downloads, with a radio edit version running 4:09.[2] Accompanying B-sides included "Reflection", an instrumental track written and produced by Robert "3D" del Naja and Neil Davidge (4:52), and "Back She Comes", a remix by Mad Professor (6:07).[26][27] Notable remixes featured on the single were the Manic Street Preachers version (5:02), the State of Bengal remix (6:23), and the Alpha mix (5:54).[2] A remastered version of the full album track (5:56) was included in the 2019 deluxe reissue of Mezzanine, distinct from the edited single version (5:31).[28]Track listing
The "Inertia Creeps" single was released in multiple formats, with the UK CD editions featuring distinct track listings that combined the album version with exclusive B-sides and remixes.[2]UK CD1 (Circa WBRDF 11, 1998)
- "Inertia Creeps" (album version) – 5:31[29]
- "Reflection" – 4:52[29]
- "Inertia Creeps" (Manic Street Preachers version) – 5:01[29]
- "Inertia Creeps" (Alpha mix) – 5:56[29]
UK CD2 (Circa WBRDDX11, 1998)
- "Inertia Creeps" (album version) – 5:31[30]
- "Back She Comes" – 6:08[30]
- "Inertia Creeps" (State of Bengal mix) – 6:23[30]
- "Inertia Creeps" (album version) – 5:32
- "Inertia Creeps" (radio edit) – 4:09
- "Inertia Creeps" (Manic Street Preachers version) – 5:02
- "Inertia Creeps" (State of Bengal mix) – 6:23
- "Inertia Creeps" (Alpha mix) – 5:54
- "Back She Comes" – 6:07
- "Reflection" – 4:52
