Perpetually in the mood of trippy music, arenโt we?
Today, we are discovering a genre that will be everyoneโs cup of tea, or any beverage you prefer. Really, knowing trip-hop is going to be one of the best decisions you make in your life! It may sound exaggerated right now but trust us, once you go trip-hoppinโ, there isnโt no coming back!
Letโs Go Trip-Hopping!
Trip hop is a subgenre of electronic music that is a blend of electronic music with hip-hop, and ambient music. It originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. This music is sensual, electrifying and thought-provoking. The true characteristic of trip-hop is that it cannot be explained as it encompasses ย a wide range of emotions and sounds.
Know Your Trip-Hop
The term was first used by the British music media to describe the experimental music of Bristol, which contained influences of soul, hip-hop and jazz. It has been described as “Europe’s alternative choice in the second half of the ’90sโ. It has drum-based breakdowns and is very experimental.
The trip-hop sound relies on jazz samples, usually taken from old vinyl jazz records. In addition, Trip-hop tracks often include music from pianos, saxophones, trumpets, and more.
Trip-hop can sound extremely mellow, with sultry female vocals at a low volume. Sometimes itย is loud, thumping bass lines and rapping. In short, true Trip-hop lies at the penumbral shadows of both these extreme genres.
The Trip-Hop Musicians
The earliest triphop groups are Smith & Mighty who portrayed the electronic end of trip-hop music, Dj Shadow who makes the music even trippier, Portishead with their jazz-infused trippy sound and Massive Attack combining hip-hop and electronica.
The Best Trip-Hop Album Ever?
In 1994, Portishead, a trio which shared the ambient,ย jazz-sample-based aesthetic Massive Attack, comprising singer Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, and Adrian Utley, released their debut album Dummy. The unparalleled vocals of Bethย Gibbons brought the trio, and the genre of Trip-Hop, wide acclaim. Portishead’s music has this surreal film-noir and emotional approach that might just move you to tears or just dance away the night.
Modern Trip-Hop
Artists likeย Janet Jackson,ย Bjรถrk,ย Radiohead have been influenced by the genre. One of the best trip-hop tracks in the recent times has been DJ Shadow‘s The Less You Know, the Better was released in 2011.
Lana Del Rey‘sย Born to Dieย album fromย 2012 whichย topped the charts in eleven countries and was one of the most successful albums of 2012, contains many trip-hop ballads.
British trip hop trio London Grammarย with their debut album If You Waitย was platinum certified in 2013 and another Britishย artist FKA twigs has been nominated many times for prestigious award for her trip-hop music.
Happy trippin’ to this ethereal music, y’all!