Massive Attack was one of the architects of a Trip-Hop scene that was a rare bright spot in ’90s music. !K7/Rapster Records has just released a compilation called Protected: Massive Samples, which highlights the sample sources that Massive Attack used to create some of their best-known work.

Even though there might be some obscurantists who would object to the idea of a compilation that does the “crate digging” for a wider audience, I’m a real fan of the concept. Massive Samples (and compilations like it) emphasize an under-appreciated benefit of artists using sampled music — what I like to think of as the “Trail of Breadcrumbs” effect. Now more than ever, interested music lovers can follow a clear path back to the sources and influences that undergird the songs and artists they like.

While you contemplate that little nugget, get your groove going with one of the tracks featured in this collection:
Be Thankful For What You Got (William De Vaughn)