Trip hop
Trip hop (sometimes also called Bristol Sound) emerged in the early 1990s in the Bristol area in UK, combining elements of hip hop and electronica as well as other genres like jazz, dub, soul and r&b. The term was coined by music journalist Andy Pemberton due to the slow, hip hop-influenced beats and the overall sound reminding of a psychedelic trip.
Trip hop is characterized by a tempo usually between 80 and 100 bpm, an atmospheric sound and a (rather) melancholic mood. The grooves are hip hop- inspired or sometimes slowed-down breakbeats. Vinyl scratching, lo-fi sounds or samples from movies are also found. Despite its electronica roots, (electro-)acoustic instruments are frequently used in trip hop, like Rhodes, pianos, jazz guitars, flutes, trumpets, saxophones or strings. Vocal trip hop tracks often feature female singers, instrumental trip hop is sometimes called »downtempo« (or »Downbeat« in Germany) – although this term can refer to a genre on its own, including not only trip hop but also chillout or even some relaxed r&b or nu jazz.
The earliest traces of trip hop can be found in Bristol's subculture of the 1980s with The Wild Bunch – a sound system and collective of djs and musicians playing allnighters with a mix of styles from hip hop over punk and r&b to reggae. They became known for their love of slower grooves and ambient electronic atmospheres. In 1988, The Wild Bunch members Robert »3D« Del Naja, Grant »Daddy G« Marshall, Andrew »Mushroom« Vowles and Adrian »Tricky« Thaws formed the band Massive Attack which should become one of the genre's pioneers. Their debut album »Blue Lines« from 1991 is considered the first trip hop album and included their now classic track »Unfinished Sympathy« (featuring Shara Nelson). In 1998, they released their commercially highly successful third album »Mezzanine«, including their probably most-known hit »Teardrop« (featuring Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins).
The other pioneers of trip hop are Portishead with lead singer Beth Gibbons, founded in 1991. Member Geoff Barrow worked as a studio assistant in a studio in Bristol where Massive Attack recorded their first album. In 1994, Portishead released their highly acclaimed and successful debut album »Dummy« including the hit »Sour Times«. »Dummy« and the following second album »Portishead« (1997) are considered genre milestones which defined trip hop. As stated before, the term »trip hop« was coined by music journalist Andy Pemberton – when he described the single »In/Flux« by US-American producer DJ Shadow and UK act RPM in 1994. Actually, neither Portishead nor Adrian »Tricky« Thaws were happy with the genre's name.
Further notable genre artists include Smith & Mighty, Lamb, DJ Krush, Howie B and Morcheeba. Other artists who incorporate(d) trip hop elements into their works are Björk, Nightmares on Wax, Faithless, Moloko and Kruder & Dorfmeister. James Lavelle's 1992-founded label »Mo'Wax« became one of the most important genre labels, along with Ninja Tune (founded by British electronica duo Coldcut in 1990).
After its hey-day in the (mid-)1990s, trip hop still continued to leave traces, influencing artists like Archive, Sneaker Pimps, Gorillaz, Travis, The xx, Madonna, Radiohead and Lana Del Rey .
