Massive Attack reissue Mezzanine album as DNA-encoded spray paint
Massive Attack have announced that they are releasing a remastered version of their 1998 album ‘Mezzanine’ as a can of spray paint. This isn’t one of those QR code deals though – the album is actually inside the paint itself as audio encoded DNA.
Yeah, that all sounds quite complicated and confusing, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it is. Earlier this year, the band announced that they’d encoded the album into DNA. You can try to get your head around that process in this academic paper here.
With that DNA now mixed into the black paint that fills these spray cans, they reckon that each can contains one million copies of the album. Not sure if they’re all chart eligible though.
As well as being a mind-bending way to release a record, the unusual piece of merch is also a nod to the frequent rumours that anonymous street artist Banksy is actually Massive Attack’s 3D, who says of the new release: “It’s a creative way to store your back catalogue, although DNA-encoded spray paint is unlikely to be adopted by street artists seeking anonymity”.
The remastered version of ‘Mezzanine’ is also available in other more traditional, easier to listen to formats.
[from CMU Daily]Collecting more tangible vinyl records, CDs, Posters and more by Massive Attack? Here are the recently added items or click here for our full stock:
- Massive Attack - Massive Attack E.P. - UK - 12" vinyl - £18.00, $23.94, €20.88 (New Item) (arrived 17-Feb-2026 17:00)
MASSIVE ATTACK Massive Attack E.P. (1992 UK 4-track 12" vinyl EP including Hymn Of The Big Wheel [Nellee Hooper Mix], Home Of The Whale, Be Thankful [Paul Oakenfold Mix] & Any Love [Larry Heard Mix], spot lacquered picture sleeve. The sleeve shows sunfading to the edges and the vinyl appears barely played - a great Excellent copy! WBRT4)
- Massive Attack - Massive Attack E.P. - UK - 12" vinyl - £18.00, $23.94, €20.88 (New Item) (arrived 17-Feb-2026 11:37)
MASSIVE ATTACK Massive Attack E.P. (1992 UK 4-track 12" vinyl EP including Hymn Of The Big Wheel [Nellee Hooper Mix], Home Of The Whale, Be Thankful [Paul Oakenfold Mix] & Any Love [Larry Heard Mix], spot lacquered picture sleeve. The sleeve shows sunfading to the edges and the vinyl appears barely played - a great Excellent copy! WBRT4)
- Massive Attack - Mezzanine - 180 Gram - Sealed - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £34.99, $46.54, €40.59 (New Item) (arrived 04-Feb-2026 17:00)
MASSIVE ATTACK Mezzanine (UK/EU 11-track double album 2-LP pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, a welcome reissue of their classic third studio album originally released in 1998. By the time Mezzanine arrived, Bristol's original trip-hop architects had decisively shifted their sound. Where Blue Lines and Protection fused turntable culture with warmth and soul, this third album moved into darker territory, drawing on oppressive basslines, fractured rhythms and an unmistakable sense of internal tension. The result was a record that redefined not only the band, but the genre itself. Inter-band friction proved creatively fertile. Inertia Creeps is steeped in unease, while Angel builds from near-silence to overwhelming intensity, anchored by Horace Andy's unmistakable vocal presence. Teardrop, featuring the ethereal voice of Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, remains one of the most distinctive and emotionally resonant tracks of the era. Bleak, immersive and meticulously produced, Mezzanine stands apart as Massive Attack's most uncompromising work. Housed inside a single pocket picture sleeve, factory sealed. Essential) #Top 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
- Massive Attack - Mezzanine - 180 Gram - Sealed - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £34.99, $46.54, €40.59 (New Item) (arrived 04-Feb-2026 16:45)
MASSIVE ATTACK Mezzanine (UK/EU 11-track double album 2-LP pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, a welcome reissue of their classic third studio album originally released in 1998. By the time Mezzanine arrived, Bristol's original trip-hop architects had decisively shifted their sound. Where Blue Lines and Protection fused turntable culture with warmth and soul, this third album moved into darker territory, drawing on oppressive basslines, fractured rhythms and an unmistakable sense of internal tension. The result was a record that redefined not only the band, but the genre itself. Inter-band friction proved creatively fertile. Inertia Creeps is steeped in unease, while Angel builds from near-silence to overwhelming intensity, anchored by Horace Andy's unmistakable vocal presence. Teardrop, featuring the ethereal voice of Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, remains one of the most distinctive and emotionally resonant tracks of the era. Bleak, immersive and meticulously produced, Mezzanine stands apart as Massive Attack's most uncompromising work. Housed inside a single pocket picture sleeve, factory sealed. Essential) #Top 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
- Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps - Double Pack - UK - 12" vinyl - £30.00, $39.90, €34.80 (New Item) (arrived 06-Nov-2025 17:00)
MASSIVE ATTACK Inertia Creeps (1998 UK limited edition 7-track 12" vinyl double pack including State Of Bengal, Alpha and Manic Street Preachers Remixes, orange title sleeve. The sleeve shows a small area of paper loss on the front where a sticker was removed, but otherwise remains in all round excellent condition WBRTD11)
- Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps - Double Pack - UK - 12" vinyl - £30.00, $39.90, €34.80 (New Item) (arrived 06-Nov-2025 12:29)
MASSIVE ATTACK Inertia Creeps (1998 UK limited edition 7-track 12" vinyl double pack including State Of Bengal, Alpha and Manic Street Preachers Remixes, orange title sleeve. The sleeve shows a small area of paper loss on the front where a sticker was removed, but otherwise remains in all round excellent condition WBRTD11)
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I’d like to order the spray paint if they are releasing it. How can I get a copy?
Hi Ian, I’m not sure how … follow the link to the news article and explore from there.