The story of how Bristol found its musical identity and tracing the creation of the city's most famous band. The documentary looks at the emergence of the 'Bristol Sound' in the 1980s culminating in the release of Massive Attack's first album. Narrated by actor Paul McGann - who was a part of Bristol's creative scene throughout this period - it traces the history of the scene. From the sound system culture that arrived in the city with the immigrants from the Caribbean, and how that mixed with the existing punk and new wave scene in Bristol, to hip-hop which arrived in Bristol from New York before any other city in Britain was aware of it. It explores how this clash of cultures and musical styles gave the city a musical identity which to that point it lacked, unlike other industrial cities in Britain such as Liverpool and Manchester.

TV documentary series originally aired in 1996, entitled "Sounds Of The West", which examined the music being produced in the West of England. This particular episode named "Straight Outa Bristol" focused on the eponymous "Bristol Sound" and features interviews with DJ Milo (formerly of The Wild Bunch), Massive Attack, Tricky and Portishead. Music journalist, Phil Johnson, who would go on to write a book on this same subject, also weighs in on his feelings regarding the impact that Bristol had on the rest of dance music at the time.