Heligoland

Heligoland is the fifth regular studio album from the collaborative British music production duo Massive Attack entitled after the German archipelago of the same name. It had been officially released everywhere except North America by 8 February 2010 (US and Canada on 9 February 2010) – seven years after the release of their previous non-soundtrack, standalone studio album, 100th Window.

The album release was preceded on 4 October 2009 by an EP, Splitting the Atom. During its gestation, the album was often referred to in the media as "LP5" (a reference to this being their fifth studio album — excluding Danny the Dog) or "Weather Underground" (Robert Del Naja's early working title and underdog metaphor for the record).

The artwork, as with every Massive Attack album since No Protection, is a collaboration between Tom Hingston and Del Naja, this time based on Del Naja's paintings. Transport for London insisted the cover image featured on advertising posters displayed on the Tube be altered so as to not resemble "street art", in line with their policy to not encourage graffiti, which they were.

Many other guest vocalists recorded sessions during the duo's post-100th Window era but are not featured on the album, including: Stephanie Dosen, Yolanda (Quartey of Phantom Limb - effectively Robot Club's band) and Jhelisa (Anderson, not in the studio but via supplied backing tracks - had previously studio-recorded in 2002 for, but not included on, 100th Window); and, mostly during the pre-Collected time - Mike Patton, Aku and Akwetey Orraca-Tetteh of Dragons of Zynth, Elizabeth Fraser, Terry Callier, Fredo Viola, Debbie Clare, Beth Orton and Dot Allison. Mos Def and Leslie Feist were named as artists scheduled for recording sessions back in 2004.Backing tracks from Grant Marshall's side of Massive Attack's writing (mainly facilitated by and done with Robot Club) are known to have been sent to Alice Russell, and prepared for Sharon Jones, Patti Smith and David Bowie during the era but collaboration did not come to fruition, nor did talks with Tom Waits or Tricky, in terms of featuring as guest vocalists on the record. Post-punks Mark Stewart and Keith Levene were pictured inside Del Naja's 100 Suns studio in 2009, but played no part on the album. Despite online suggestions to the contrary, no recording sessions with Sia ever took place.

Track list
1. "Pray for Rain" (vocals by Tunde Adebimpe) – 6:44
2. "Babel" (vocals by Martina Topley-Bird) – 5:19
3. "Splitting the Atom" (vocals by Grant Marshall, Horace Andy and Robert Del Naja) – 5:16
4. "Girl I Love You" (vocals by Horace Andy) – 5:26
5. "Psyche" (vocals by Martina Topley-Bird) – 3:24
6. "Flat of the Blade" (vocals by Guy Garvey) – 5:30
7. "Paradise Circus" (vocals by Hope Sandoval) – 4:57
8. "Rush Minute" (vocals by Robert Del Naja) – 4:51
9. "Saturday Come Slow" (vocals by Damon Albarn) – 3:43
10. "Atlas Air" (vocals by Robert Del Naja) – 7:48