Since relocating to Berlin earlier this year, trip-hop pioneer Tricky has been busy with a new project called Skilled Mechanics. It sees him working with a different cast of contributors from project to project, and on the first one, Tricky joined forces with longtime friend and collaborator DJ Milo and his tour drummer Luke Harris. The fruit of this collaboration arrives early next year in the form of a self-titled full-length album.
The album also features guest contributions from Chinese rapper Ivy 艾菲, London based singer Renata Platon, Danish singer songwriter Oh Land, and his current vocalist Francesca Belmonte.

‘Diving Away’, a cover  of ‘Porpoise Head’ by Porno For Pyros, is the first single taken from the album. Here’s what Tricky said about it:

“I toured with them in Australia in 1996. My daughter Mazy, who was about four years of age, was with us and she had frontman Perry Farrell wrapped round her little finger. He took all of us to Sealand in Australia. So there was me and Porno For Pyros all trying to get her pram onto the Australian metro. But how many big artists would do something beautiful like that? I think it speaks volumes about him. So I’ve got a lot of love for Perry Farrell and I’ve always wanted to cover one of his songs.”

Now listen to ‘Diving Away’.

Skilled Mechanics is out on January 22nd via Tricky’s own label False Idols.