marta

Marta Złakowska is a Polish vocalist and songwriter whose career trajectory is inextricably linked to the trip-hop pioneer Tricky. After a chance meeting in 2017, she became his primary touring vocalist and a central collaborator, effectively serving as the modern successor to the 'Tricky muse' archetype established by Martina Topley-Bird.

Her solo work, specifically her 2023 debut 'When It's Going Wrong', formalizes this partnership while establishing her own identity. The sound is a refined evolution of the 90s downtempo aesthetic, stripping away the maximalism of the era in favor of a minimalist, art-pop sensibility. Critically, she is viewed as a torchbearer for the 'Bristol sound', though her Polish roots and modern production choices provide a distinct European chill. Her cultural position is that of a 'musician's musician', favored by crate-diggers and fans of the darker, more experimental fringes of electronic pop. The influence of Archive and The Herbaliser is evident in her rhythmic structures, while her vocal treatment mirrors the intimate, buried-in-the-mix style of early trip-hop recordings.