Tricky Brings Some Darkness to El Rey Theatre

Joseph Baura

Tricky, known for his obscure, experimental trip hop, brought the worldwide tour of his new album to LA’s El Rey Theatre on Oct. 20 with a mix of old and new.

Hailing from Bristol, England, Tricky began to build a name for himself with DJ Milo, his partner in Massive Attack. Tricky then found success as a solo artist with the release of his debut album, “Maxinquaye,” an amalgamation of the many genres that had influenced him early in his life, such as hip-hop, soul, reggae, and tinges of British rock. The album defined the trajectory of his career due to its compelling take on an array of genres.

Now comes 2016’s “Skilled Mechanics,” which sees Tricky touching on his roots by creating the album with his previous musical partner, Milo.

Taking to the El Rey stage in jeans and a tank top, Tricky was dressed for comfort that allowed him to provide maximum tear-down-the-house energy. An eerie blue spotlight set the mood for his dark musical tones, with the focus mainly on his latest album. But he was fair to the fans and performed favorites from throughout his career.

Opening with the song “Vybes,” he then went into one of his early 2000s singles, “You Don’t Wanna,” off of his album “Blowback.” The grooving bass lines and hard hitting percussion swayed the crowd as they danced along to Tricky’s signature ominous tones. The set list included “Here My Dear,” “Hero” and “I’m Not Going” from “Skilled Mechanics,” and closed with “Sun Down” from the album “Adrian Thaws,” a fitting end to a heartfelt performance for his longtime fans.

Rituals of Mine (formerly Sister Crayon) opened with a solid performance.

Tricky played the El Rey Theatre on Oct. 20.