trip hop like portishead

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The 40+ Best Trip Hop Artists, Ranked

If you are ready for a journey through one of the most eclectic music forms, consider trip hop. Trip hop music awakens the senses and unlocks a treasure trove of rhythm, style and emotion. This genre is steeped in the roots of British electronica, breakbeat, and hip hop. It's fascinating to wend your way through a collection of the finest trip hop artists whose songs have made a profound impact on music scenes globally. 

The best trip hop groupspaint an enchanting picture of profound musical innovation, blending various styles to create something unique and potent. Their transformative influence on trip hop's evolution becomes apparent with each resonating beat and soulful lyric. The music vibrates with a deep resonance that echoes across the mainstream and indie audiences, highlighting the uniqueness of each artist and their indelible mark on the genre. 

In the illustrious lineup of trip hop artists, certain names stand out. These include top trip hop bands like Portishead , Massive Attack, and Tricky. Portishead's hauntingly beautiful melodies tug at the heartstrings of the listeners, making the band famous. Massive Attack, with their groundbreaking albums, brought a new perspective to the genre, a testament to their status among the best trip hop artists. Tricky melded raw emotion with creative beats resulting in a distinctive sound that resonates with fans to this day. Their achievements, ranging from memorable songs and classic albums to prestigious awards, speak volumes about their stature in the trip hop universe. 

Reflecting on the history of trip hop music and its best artists presents a captivating saga of artistic expression, innovation, and boundary-pushing beats. Distinguished by their individual style and contributions, these trip hop bands have set new standards for the genre with magical tunes that continue to inspire, entertain, and move audiences around the world. 

Portishead, the brainchild of Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons, and Adrian Utley, revolutionized trip hop in the 90s with their groundbreaking albums Dummy  and Portishead . With a hauntingly atmospheric sound that flawlessly combined eerie vocal melodies, innovative sampling techniques, and cinematic soundscapes, Portishead captured the imagination of music lovers everywhere. They managed to push the boundaries of the genre by blending elements of jazz, electronica, and rock, ultimately creating a hypnotic experience that became synonymous with the trip hop movement. To this day, Portishead remains a luminary of the scene, continuously inspiring generations of artists with their emotive and timeless compositions.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Portishead   - "Glory Box"   - "Sour Times"   - "Roads"

Dive Into Portishead's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "It's a Fire"   - "Over"

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Massive Attack

Massive Attack, hailing from Bristol, England, have long been considered pioneers in the realm of trip hop. The trio, consisting of Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall, and Andy Vowles, crafted a unique sound that seamlessly merged elements of dub, reggae, soul, and electronica. Their seminal album Blue Lines  served as a blueprint for trip hop, boasting an array of downtempo beats, ethereal ambience, and thought-provoking lyricism. Massive Attack's innovation and experimentation within the genre have solidified their legacy as one of the most influential trip hop acts of all time.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Massive Attack   - "Teardrop"   - "Unfinished Sympathy"   - "Angel"

Dive Into Massive Attack's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Karmacoma"   - "Black Milk"

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• # 968 of 1,151 on The Greatest Musical Artists of All Time

UK-based artist Tricky, born Adrian Thaws, quickly emerged as a trip hop icon with the release of his debut album, Maxinquaye . His distinct fusion of hip hop, rock, and electronica resonated with listeners seeking something more subversive and experimental within the genre. Drawing heavily on his Jamaican roots and experiences growing up in Bristol, Tricky's music showcased his powerful storytelling abilities and otherworldly production skills. As a result, Tricky has remained an essential figure within the trip hop scene, continuously pushing the envelope with each successive release.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Tricky   - "Hell is Round the Corner"   - "Black Steel"   - "Ponderosa"

Dive Into Tricky's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Vent"   - "Christiansands"

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Morcheeba, a British trio consisting of siblings Paul and Ross Godfrey and vocalist Skye Edwards, captivated listeners with their polished blend of trip hop, electronica, and pop. Their debut album Who Can You Trust?  served as a prime example of their ability to create moody, atmospheric compositions that showcased Edwards' sultry vocal stylings. Morcheeba's ability to navigate the diverse sonic landscape of trip hop while maintaining a strong focus on melody earned them critical acclaim and a devout following. Over time, the band has continued to evolve, solidifying their status as a versatile powerhouse within the genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Morcheeba   - "The Sea"   - "Trigger Hippie"   - "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day"

Dive Into Morcheeba's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Friction"   - "Big Calm"

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Sneaker Pimps

Established in the mid-90s, the British trip hop trio Sneaker Pimps, composed of Chris Corner, Liam Howe, and Kelli Ali, brought a unique spin to the genre with their compelling mix of electronica, alternative rock, and darkly melodic pop. Their debut album Becoming X  showcased innovative production techniques, catchy hooks, and Ali's alluring vocals, which quickly garnered them international attention. Not content to remain static, Sneaker Pimps continued to explore and push the boundaries of trip hop, consistently reinventing their sound and remaining an influential force within the scene.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Sneaker Pimps   - "6 Underground"   - "Spin Spin Sugar"   - "Tesko Suicide"

Dive Into Sneaker Pimps' History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Low Place Like Home"   - "Grazes"

British duo Zero 7, comprised of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker, emerged on the trip hop scene in the late '90s with a mission to blend chilled-out electronica, sophisticated pop sensibilities, and seductive downtempo grooves. Their debut album Simple Things , featuring collaborations with vocalists like Sia and Mozez, showcased the duo's penchant for crafting exquisitely lush and soothing soundscapes. Over the years, Zero 7 has continued to evolve and redefine their sound, often incorporating elements of jazz, soul, and world music, earning them a dedicated fanbase and a lasting impact on the trip hop genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Zero 7   - "Destiny"   - "In the Waiting Line"   - "Home"

Dive Into Zero 7's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Likufanele"   - "I Have Seen"

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Hooverphonic

Belgian outfit Hooverphonic, led by mastermind Alex Callier, made a lasting impact on the trip-hop scene with their evocative, cinematic soundscapes that beautifully melded elements of pop, rock, and electronic music. From their breathtaking debut A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular  to their more recent work, Hooverphonic has demonstrated an uncanny ability to create lush, immersive atmospheres with a keen sense of melody. With a revolving door of talented vocalists, including Liesje Sadonius, Geike Arnaert, and Luka Cruysberghs, the band has consistently defied expectations, solidifying their status as one of trip hop's most captivating acts.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Hooverphonic   - "Mad About You"   - "2Wicky"   - "Eden"

Dive Into Hooverphonic's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Vinegar & Salt"   - "Out of Sight"

French duo Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, better known as Air, brought a distinctly Gallic flair to the world of trip hop with their sublime fusion of electronic experimentation, retro-pop melodies, and dreamy atmospherics. Their seminal album Moon Safari , featuring hit singles like "Sexy Boy" and "Kelly Watch the Stars," captivated audiences with its timeless charm and ethereal beauty. Throughout their career, Air has consistently pushed the boundaries of trip hop by exploring a wide range of sonic palettes and textures, leaving an indelible mark on the genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Air   - "Sexy Boy"   - "La Femme d'Argent"   - "Cherry Blossom Girl"

Dive Into Air's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Le Soleil est près de Moi"   - "Talisman"

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Thievery Corporation

Washington, D.C.-based duo Thievery Corporation, consisting of Eric Hilton and Rob Garza, have been synonymous with trip hop since their formation in the mid-'90s. With a sound that effortlessly fuses elements of dub, reggae, lounge, and electronica, the pair has developed a unique global sonic identity that transcends genre boundaries. Their debut album Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi  laid the groundwork for their signature sound, combining lush electronic soundscapes with hypnotic grooves and worldly influences. Over the years, Thievery Corporation has continuously evolved their eclectic sound, solidifying their status as one of trip hop's most innovative and boundary-pushing acts.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Thievery Corporation   - "Lebanese Blonde"   - "Sweet Tides"   - "The Richest Man in Babylon"

Dive Into Thievery Corporation's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Amerimacka"   - "The Mirror Conspiracy"

Josh Davis, known professionally as DJ Shadow, is an American producer and DJ who has left an indelible mark on the world of trip hop with his undeniable talent for crafting immersive beats and moody soundscapes. His groundbreaking 1996 debut Endtroducing...  is widely regarded as a trip hop classic, showcasing a mastery of sampling techniques, innovative production styles, and a keen ear for haunting, atmospheric sounds. Throughout his career, DJ Shadow has continued to explore and expand the boundaries of the genre, pushing the limits of what can be achieved through the art of sampling and beat making.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From DJ Shadow   - "Midnight in a Perfect World"   - "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt"   - "Six Days"

Dive Into DJ Shadow's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Stem / Long Stem"   - "Organ Donor"

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British duo Goldfrapp, led by the bewitching Alison Goldfrapp and multi-instrumentalist Will Gregory, emerged in the early 2000s as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of trip hop. Their debut album Felt Mountain  showcased a beguiling mix of cinematic orchestration, electronic experimentation, and Alison's enchanting vocals. Goldfrapp's enigmatic sound has continually evolved, encompassing elements of glam rock, synth-pop, and dance music, making them one of the most unpredictable and fascinating acts within the trip hop genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Goldfrapp   - "Ooh La La"   - "Strict Machine"   - "Lovely Head"

Dive Into Goldfrapp's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Utopia"   - "Black Cherry"

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British musical mastermind James Lavelle, the driving force behind Unkle, has been captivating audiences with his dark and cinematic take on trip hop since the late '90s. Unkle's debut album Psyence Fiction , featuring collaborations with notable artists like Thom Yorke and Richard Ashcroft, showcased Lavelle's knack for blending moody electronic production with elements of rock, pop, and hip-hop. Over the years, Unkle's ever-evolving sound and roster of talented collaborators have helped cement the project's place in trip hop history as a daring, innovative force within the genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Unkle   - "Rabbit in Your Headlights"   - "Bloodstain"   - "Burn My Shadow"

Dive Into Unkle's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Celestial Annihilation"   - "Lonely Soul"

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Lamb, the enchanting English duo consisting of producer Andy Barlow and vocalist Lou Rhodes, first made waves in the trip hop scene with their eponymous 1996 debut album. Their unique fusion of electronic experimentation, emotive vocals, and captivating songwriting quickly set them apart, winning them fans across the globe. With a sound that combines elements of jazz, drum and bass, and ambient music, Lamb has continually pushed the envelope, proving themselves to be one of the trip hop genre's most enduring and captivating acts.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Lamb   - "Gorecki"   - "Lusty"   - "Angelica"

Dive Into Lamb's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Cotton Wool"   - "Trans Fatty Acid"

Nightmares on Wax

George Evelyn, the man behind Nightmares on Wax, has been weaving spellbinding webs of sound since the early '90s, blending elements of dub, electronica, and soul to create uniquely evocative trip hop compositions. With a discography that spans decades, Nightmares on Wax has earned a reputation for consistently crafting music that not only embodies the spirit of trip hop but also pushes the boundaries of the genre. From early classics like Smokers Delight  to more recent releases like Shape the Future , Nightmares on Wax has proven time and again that his innovative approach to music-making remains vital and engaging.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Nightmares on Wax   - "You Wish"   - "Les Nuits"   - "Flip Ya Lid"

Dive Into Nightmares on Wax' History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Ethnic Majority"   - "Morse"

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Norwegian duo Röyksopp, comprising Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, emerged in the early 2000s with a distinct brand of trip hop infused with elements of synth-pop, ambient, and electronica. Their chart-topping debut, Melody A.M. , showcased their ability to create lush, atmospheric soundscapes punctuated by catchy hooks and intricate production. Throughout their career, Röyksopp has remained committed to exploring the boundaries of trip hop, collaborating with various artists and incorporating diverse influences into their constantly evolving sound.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Röyksopp   - "Eple"   - "Poor Leno"   - "Happy Up Here"

Dive Into Röyksopp's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "So Easy"   - "A Higher Place"

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French producer Jean-Christophe Le Saoût, known by his stage name Wax Tailor, has been crafting elegant, cinematic trip hop since the early 2000s. With a penchant for lush orchestration, deft sampling, and moody atmospherics, Wax Tailor's music stands as a testament to the genre's enduring appeal and versatility. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with a diverse array of artists, pushing the boundaries of trip hop while remaining true to the genre's core aesthetic.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Wax Tailor   - "Que Sera"   - "Seize the Day"   - "Ungodly Fruit"

Dive Into Wax Tailor's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Positively Inclined"   - "Until Heaven Stops the Rain"

Kruder & Dorfmeister

Austrian duo Kruder & Dorfmeister, composed of Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister, have been at the forefront of the trip hop movement for decades, known for their innovative remix work and original productions. Their landmark compilation The K&D Sessions  featured reimaginings of tracks from a wide range of artists, showcasing their ability to transform songs into immersive, downtempo masterpieces. With their seamless blend of dub, jazz, and electronica, Kruder & Dorfmeister have left an indelible mark on the trip hop scene and inspired countless artists to follow in their footsteps.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Kruder & Dorfmeister   - "K&D Sessions" (This is an album containing various remixes)   - "Black Baby"   - "Deep Shit Pt. 1 & 2"

Dive Into Kruder & Dorfmeister's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Bug Powder Dust"   - "Sofa Rockers"

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Japanese producer Hideaki Ishi, better known as DJ Krush, has been making waves in the trip hop world since the early '90s with his uniquely atmospheric and meditative soundscapes. Known for his groundbreaking use of sampling and turntablism, DJ Krush consistently pushes the boundaries of the genre by incorporating elements of jazz, hip-hop, and traditional Japanese music into his work. With a discography that spans multiple decades, DJ Krush remains an influential figure within the trip hop scene, inspiring future generations of artists with his innovative, genre-defying approach to music production.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From DJ Krush   - "Kemuri"   - "Song 2"   - "Big City Lover"

Dive Into DJ Krush's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Road to Nowhere"   - "Meiso"

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American producer Ramble Jon Krohn, better known as RJD2, burst onto the trip hop scene in the early 2000s with his adventurous, genre-blurring approach to music-making. His debut album Deadringer  showcased a unique blend of hip-hop, electronica, and soulful sampling that garnered widespread acclaim and helped establish him as a pioneer within the trip-hop scene. Throughout his career, RJD2 has continued to push the boundaries of the genre by incorporating a wide range of influences and collaborating with various artists, solidifying his status as an innovative force in the world of trip hop.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From RJD2   - "Ghostwriter"   - "Smoke & Mirrors"   - "The Horror"

Dive Into RJD2's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Dead Ringer"   - "Shot in the Dark"

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The London-based collective Archive has been pushing the boundaries of trip hop since forming in the mid-1990s. With a diverse and ever-evolving roster of musicians, the group has developed a sophisticated sound that incorporates elements of rock, electronica, and orchestral music. Their ambitious concept albums, like the acclaimed Londonium , showcase their ability to create sweeping, cinematic soundscapes full of emotion and depth. Archive’s unique take on trip hop has earned them a dedicated fanbase, solidifying their status as one of the genre’s most daring and innovative acts.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Archive   - "Bullets"   - "You Make Me Feel"   - "Again"

Dive Into Archive's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Conscience"   - "Numb"

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Emancipator

Portland-based producer Doug Appling, known as Emancipator, has been a leading force in the trip-hop scene since the release of his acclaimed debut album Soon It Will Be Cold Enough . With a signature sound that blends lush instrumentation, intricate production, and cinematic soundscapes, Emancipator has consistently captivated listeners with his evocative and meditative compositions. A classically trained musician, Appling's ability to seamlessly weave together elements of electronic, hip-hop, and world music has helped him stand out as a unique and influential figure within the trip-hop genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Emancipator   - "Soon It Will Be Cold Enough"   - "Lionheart"   - "Anthem"

Dive Into Emancipator's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Periscope Up"   - "Nevergreen"

Irish singer Róisín Murphy and English producer Mark Brydon formed Moloko in the mid-'90s, bringing a quirky, innovative, and genre-defying sound to the world of trip hop. With hit singles like "Sing It Back" and "The Time Is Now," the duo crafted a distinct blend of electronic, pop, and dance music that set them apart from their peers. Throughout their career, Moloko's continuously evolving sound and Murphy's beguiling stage presence have earned them a dedicated fanbase and solidified their status as one of trip hop's most inventive acts.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Moloko   - "Sing It Back"   - "Time is Now"   - "Fun for Me"

Dive Into Moloko's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Pure Pleasure Seeker"   - "Dominoid"

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Martina Topley-Bird

British singer-songwriter Martina Topley-Bird first emerged as a prominent figure within the trip hop scene through her collaborations with pioneering artist Tricky. Her distinctive, ethereal voice adds a unique depth to the atmospheric soundscapes that have come to define the genre. With subsequent solo work like her debut album Quixotic , Topley-Bird has demonstrated her ability to craft captivating trip hop compositions that seamlessly blend elements of electronica, pop, and rock. Her continued contributions to the genre have made her an enduring and influential presence within the trip hop community.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Martina Topley  -Bird   - "Sandpaper Kisses"   - "Need One"   - "Anything"

Dive Into Martina Topley  -Bird's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Too Tough to Die"   - "Steal Away"

Brazilian-born composer and producer Amon Tobin has long been heralded as a pioneer within the realm of trip hop and electronic music. His unique ability to fuse diverse influences, ranging from jazz and ambient to drum and bass, has earned him a reputation for pushing the boundaries of the genre and defying categorization. Tobin's atmospheric and immersive compositions, such as those showcased on his groundbreaking album Bricolage , remain influential touchstones within the trip hop scene and continue to inspire future generations of producers and musicians.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Amon Tobin   - "Four Ton Mantis"   - "Easy Muffin"   - "Stoney Street"

Dive Into Amon Tobin's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "The Lighthouse"   - "Bridge"

The eclectic New York duo Cibo Matto, comprised of Japanese expats Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori, brought a quirky, genre-defying approach to trip hop with their 1996 debut album Viva! La Woman . Incorporating elements of hip-hop, pop, and experimental music, Cibo Matto's unconventional sound and whimsical lyricism set them apart from their peers. Their unique blending of styles and penchant for culinary-themed lyrics helped Cibo Matto carve out a distinct niche within the trip hop community, making them one of the genre's most memorable and singular acts.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Cibo Matto   - "Sugar Water"   - "Know Your Chicken"   - "Birthday Cake"

Dive Into Cibo Matto's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "White Pepper Ice Cream"   - "Sci  -Fi Wasabi"

Supreme Beings of Leisure

The Los Angeles-based collective Supreme Beings of Leisure merged trip hop with elements of lounge, world music, and electronica to create a unique and enticing sound in the late '90s. The group's self-titled debut showcased their ability to craft lush, groove-driven compositions that catered to fans of downtempo electronic music. Supreme Beings of Leisure's diverse influences and innovative approach to trip hop earned them a dedicated following and helped cement their place within the pantheon of influential acts in the genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Supreme Beings of Leisure   - "Strangelove Addiction"   - "Golddigger"   - "Never the Same"

Dive Into Supreme Beings of Leisure's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Ain't Got Nothin'"   - "Sublime"

Little Dragon

Swedish band Little Dragon, fronted by the dynamic vocalist Yukimi Nagano, brings a fresh, genre-defying approach to trip hop, blending influences from electronica, R&B, and synth-pop. With acclaimed albums like Ritual Union  under their belt, the band has captivated audiences worldwide with their unique sound and electrifying live performances. As Little Dragon continues to push the boundaries of trip hop and explore new sonic territories, they remain an exciting and essential act within the genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Little Dragon   - "Ritual Union"   - "Twice"   - "High"

Dive Into Little Dragon's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Blinking Pigs"   - "Feather"

French musician and producer Jean-Yves Prieur, known as Kid Loco, has been a fixture in the trip hop scene since the mid-'90s, producing music that blends elements of dub, jazz, and electronica into an intoxicating, downtempo sound. His debut album A Grand Love Story  showcased his deft touch for crafting lush instrumental soundscapes that evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia. With a career spanning multiple decades and numerous collaborations, Kid Loco has solidified his status as an influential figure within the trip hop genre.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Kid Loco   - "A Grand Love Theme"   - "She's My Lover"   - "The Bootleggers"

Dive Into Kid Loco's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Love Me Sweet"   - "Calling Aventura King"

Bitter:Sweet

Los Angeles-based duo Bitter:Sweet, consisting of vocalist Shana Halligan and producer Kiran Shahani, delivered a sultry, sophisticated take on trip hop that captivated listeners in the mid-2000s. Drawing inspiration from jazz, lounge, and electronica, their debut album The Mating Game  showcased their ability to craft intoxicating, melody-driven compositions that resonate with fans of the genre. Though their time as a duo was brief, Bitter:Sweet's unique sound left a lasting impression on the trip hop scene and continues to be celebrated by fans and fellow musicians alike.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Bitter:Sweet   - "Dirty Laundry"   - "Drink You Sober"   - "The Mating Game"

Dive Into Bitter:Sweet's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Heaven"   - "Don't Forget to Breathe"

Canadian singer-songwriter Esthero, born Jen-Bea Englishman, made a powerful entrance to the trip hop scene with her 1998 debut album Breath from Another . Her enchanting blend of jazz, pop, and electronica elements, combined with her candid lyricism and emotive vocals, struck a chord with listeners. While Esthero's sound has evolved over the years to include elements of R&B, hip-hop, and rock, her roots in trip hop remain evident, solidifying her status as one of the genre's most versatile and captivating artists.

Rock Out To Some Of The Most Popular Songs From Esthero   - "Breath from Another"   - "Heaven Sent"   - "That Girl"

Dive Into Esthero's History With Some Unique Deep Cuts   - "Swallow Me"   - "Telephone"

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Local Groove Does Good: The Story Of Trip-Hop's Rise From Bristol

Vivien Goldman

The Wild Bunch — soon-to-be Massive Attack — at the Dug Out Club in Bristol. Photo by Beezer hide caption

The Wild Bunch — soon-to-be Massive Attack — at the Dug Out Club in Bristol.

Sinuous and mysterious as a plume of drifting smoke, a new sort of groove wafted two decades ago from Bristol, a bohemian university town in the west of England. Though its prime movers — Massive Attack , Tricky and Portishead — all loathe the term, the word "trip-hop" has become synonymous with the style created by Bristol bands like Massive Attack and Smith & Mighty. The sensuous groove fulfilled a timeless human need for a bass-heavy sound to touch the secret recesses of the imagination and lure our dreamworld onto the dance floor. Trip-hop was tailor-made for the moment — and it happens every night — when a bopper wants to get tender. Or when domestic listeners seek to wander within themselves.

Not all local grooves take flight, but trip-hop most certainly did. Over the next two decades it was re-imagined as chill-out, downtempo, illbient and lounge music. Its subtle tendrils have woven into music round the world: Washington, D.C.'s Thievery Corporation , with their exotic cosmopolitan edge; drifty Brazilian sounds like Ceu , whose dulcet lilt earned her maximum market penetration (a Starbucks CD); London's Ninja Tunes' artists like Bonobo and Berlin's techno-tinged Sonar Kollektiv. As music writer Simon Reynolds notes, "People like Flying Lotus and Gonjasufi on the West Coast are doing trippy hip-hop. Though it's not quite the same thing, they probably are the inheritors of the spirit of Massive Attack, Tricky, Earthling and DJ Vadim."

To qualify as true trip-hop, music has to share the sense of opiated mystery of Tricky's tantalizing mumbles on the classic album, 20 years old last year, that launched trip-hop worldwide, Massive Attack's Blue Lines. Its magical " Unfinished Sympathy ," cast a spell over the world's clubbers. Produced by Nellee Hooper (later of Soul II Soul and Bjork , among many others) the well-timed sound was just one manifestation of a movement taking place in Bristol at that time.

Scene initiators included Smith & Mighty and the DJ collective The Wild Bunch, from which came Massive Attack and Tricky. The Pop Group's volatile post-punk added another element to the scene, later splitting into the savage free explorations of Float Up C.P. and horn-happy Pigbag.

Bristol fed off its slave port for hundreds of years; now it's one of Britain's blackest cities, culturally and socially. It's long been home to a West Indian community, and shebeens and sound systems were a way of life for all music-loving Bristolian youth. Being a port, Bristol was always awash in hashish and other plant-based mind-benders like marijuana — not to mention more macrobiotically sound, locally-grown life-enhancers like scrumpy cider and hallucinogenic mushrooms (legal back then) grown in the surrounding countryside — that undoubtedly fuelled Bristol's music scene.

Much of this musical experimentation took place at a club called The Dug Out. As Hooper has said, "The Dug Out couldn't have had a better location, at the top of the hill from St Paul's — the heart of the black music scene — and just down the hill from Clifton and the trendy punk/art scene. It was just dangerous enough for trendies to feel edgy, music cool and edgy enough to confuse and enthuse the dreads ... perfect!"

Disclosure: I got a chance to explore Massive Attack's creative process first hand over a few years. What follows is a typically incestous Bristolian saga. The links between town and gown — the students and the locals — plus the charming city's many liberal artsy types, made for a scene with a hectic social, creative and romantic dynamic.

Blue Lines was born in an upstairs bedroom of the terraced West London home of Afro-Swedish hip-hop diva Neneh Cherry and her producer husband, singer Cameron McVey. Before her solo hits began with " Buffalo Stance ," Neneh sang with Float Up C.P., and as her first husband was Bruce Smith (drummer for the Pop Group and The Slits, with whom Neneh also sang), Bristol was yet another home to her. The young Massive Attackers, Daddy G, 3-D, Mushroom and Tricky, became Cherry and McVey's protegés. They took over the small side bedroom, soon cluttered with reel-to-reels and tape machines, and a record deck on which they would earnestly sift through possible samples. A superb chef, my friend Neneh would be in the kitchen concocting feasts in between writing rhymes, with Massive Attack wandering in for cups of tea.

Years later, after the band had released Blue Lines and were preparing the album that became Protection , I visited Bristol to collaborate with them, eventually co-writing the track " Sly ." Sample-based songwriting in those pre-digital days could be laborious. I bought a child's Casio keyboard to help fill the gaps, which came in handy for "Sly," but the process often involved someone getting on their bike and cycling down to the second-hand record shop to try and locate half-remembered grooves that might be just right to fulfill the elusive conception of a song.

Bring back the bike, because the tunes the Massives assembled by hand, between cups of tea, opened a poetic, evocative, emotional vein of music, which is still connecting hearts today.

10 Key Trip-Hop Tracks

Neneh cherry on "lately" by massive attack.

From 'Blue Lines'

By Massive Attack

Sonically, it's the ultimate trip-hop track, really beautiful. When they were working on it in our house in Mortimer Road, West London, I remember lying in bed hearing it floating round the house and the feeling of being a silent witness to something really great happening. It would send me off into a beautiful dream space sleep. What I love about trip-hop is the bottom end, the sexiness of the downbeat which also gives it a blues-y sort of melancholy. It's the English interpretation of hip-hop, bringing the bass and bottom end from reggae into it. Why Bristol? All the people I know from there are hardcore individuals. It breeds some eccentric thinkers.

Singer-songwriter NENEH CHERRY is an anchor of the Bristol scene. She sang with The Slits, Float Up C.P. and is now with the band CirKus. She is working on two new albums.

Ray Mighty on "Anyone" by Smith & Mighty

From 'DJ-Kicks'

By Smith & Mighty

To hell with false modesty!

RAY MIGHTY is half of the production duo Smith & Mighty.

Rob Smith on "King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown" by Augustus Pablo

From 'King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown'

By Augustus Pablo/King Tubby

To be very honest, we all hated the term 'trip-hop'! The phrase was coined, I believe, by a non-Bristolian journalist, Dom Phillips, who in my mind was very underqualified to be making any opinions about the scene at that time. I remember we played with Tricky at Hammersmith. During Tricky's set, he shouted, "Who likes trip-hop?" A few people in the audience shouted, "Yaee!" and he replied, "Well f--- off home then!"

Bristol artists were not afraid to mix and blend styles, thus coming up with fresh sounding tunes. Also Bristol is far enough away from London that there wasn't the same need to compete or chase trends. Bristol had its own pace and tunes were often left to stew longer.

ROB SMITH is half of the production duo Smith & Mighty.

Mark Stewart on "Aftermath" by Tricky

From 'Aftermath EP'

His first single. I made it with him and Martina Topley-Bird. We were desperate for a girl singer. 8 o'clock in the morning, stopped at some traffic lights on the way to the studio. Two school girls in their uniform at a bus stop — me and Tricky shouted across saying, "Can either of you sing?" Martina said yes, and two stars were born: Tricky and her.

The Wild Bunch (as well as 3D, Daddy G, DJ Milo, Willie Wee and Tricky Kid) — my boys. They call me The Godfather, but in fact some of them are older than me, I just started making music when I was 16.

Big up the mad skillz of generation next Bristol bass of Appleblim, Kahn and Joker dropping science — the new kids from Bristol.

MARK STEWART is the singer for The Pop Group and Mark & the Mafia. His new album, The Politics of Envy , will be released in March and includes collaborations with Primal Scream and others.

Bruce Smith on "Glory Box" by Portishead

From 'Mysterious Heads'

By Portishead

"Glory Box" is a GREAT record, very sexy. I associate that track with sex. And Tricky's first album is very good, very creative. I think the genre is interesting as it is a particularly English take on a North American cultural phenomenon. In Bristol the West Indian influence is huge, so the interpretation of hip-hop — an aggressive music — was made from that perspective, with the influence of dub being the key element.

I spent my late teens absorbed by reggae in Bristol. Had an enormous effect on me and still does in the way I play the drums to this day.

BRUCE SMITH is the drummer for The Slits, The Pop Group and Public Image Limited.

Dick O'Dell on "Karmacoma" by Massive Attack

From 'Protection'

Trip-hop happened in Bristol because of the strong West Indian community from slave trade times combined with middle class white boyz getting seriously spliffed up in the Dug Out!

DICK O'DELL was the manager of The Pop Group and now manages Bat for Lashes.

Cameron McVey on "Any Love" by Massive Attack

From 'Singles 90/98'

It was the very first Massive Attack 45, before me and Neneh started working with them. Smith & Mighty produced it, who I was trying to work with at the time, with Chris Parry, the manager of The Cure. I love Portishead too, and I'd also like to pick Horace Andy's "One Love," with Massive Attack .

Trip-hop was born in Bristol because a lot of 6' 5" Masai warriors must have jumped ship during the slave trade! That's why Bristol has street names like Black Boy Hill and White Lady Road. Bristol is where reggae mixed with hip-hop. It's mad. It's so profound.

CAMERON MCVEY is a singer, songwriter and producer for Neneh Cherry, CirKus and more.

Beezer on "Small World" by Smith & Mighty

From 'Big World, Small World'

The Dug Out was a meeting spot for the ghetto and Poshville where black and white would hang out. We were there almost every night, playing disco, funk and punk. It was our Studio 54, and it put Bristol on the map. We were totally into dub and reggae; it was an amalgamation of cultures with no barriers.

We didn't know we were part of something that would be influential later, but even at the time it felt like something special was going on, although it was still just, like, going out on a regular Wednesday night.

BEEZER is a photographer who chronicled trip-hop in the mid-'90s.

Tessa Pollitt on "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack

I choose everything dear ol' Tricky has put out. The Slits were often in Bristol and I have always loved and respected the "Brizzle" scene. So much innovative music and talent has come from there and has influenced following generations musically.

Let's face it, reggae from Jamaica has influenced us all in the U.K. from old steppers to jungle, drum and bass, dubstep, trip-hop, grime etc. The original rapper was U Roy, [J.A].

But Bristol has something special about it. Must be the Ley Lines (lines of energy running beneath the earth) and the huge hills you have to climb like in San Francisco. And probably the amount of Jamaicans that came here way back in the windrush era, 1950s.

TESSA POLLITT is bass player for The Slits.

Martina Topley-Bird on "Aftermath" by Tricky

From 'Maxinquaye'

It's the only Tricky song I recognize as a trip-hop song (still hard to write those words even now), and it was our first single. Mark Stewart was there. I'd just turned 16. Recorded in a squat studio in Bristol.

I arrived in Bristol when I was 13. I like that Bristol is really mixed racially, more so than anywhere else in England, even London, for me at the time. It was smaller and there were no great swathes of land for people to be segregated to.

I think how it's laid out as a city has its own effect on the psyche of its dwellers — and the weather. Back then it was England before shops were open on Sundays. Some parts were melancholy, and some parts were bleak. But the suspension bridge was beautiful and the gorge. It has history as a slaving port too.

It was the generation before me that started making this music though. I heard more than I saw with my own eyes about Blues dances and Sound Systems.

MARTINA TOPLEY-BIRD is a vocalist with Tricky and Massive Attack. She's working on new material now.

• Augustus Pablo
• Massive Attack

Bands like Portishead

Find similar music, groups and artists.

Looking for bands that sound like Portishead? You’ve come to the right place.

The band Portishead was founded in 1991. Before coming to fame, the band got it’s start in Bristol. Generally, music journalists would define Portishead’s style within the genre/s of trip hop, experimental rock, downtempo, alternative rock, electronica, and other rock music.

Our algorythm analyzed all bands in our database and below you find the top results.

Bands that sound like Portishead:

Massive Attack

Massive Attack are an English musical group formed in 1988 in Bristol, consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall and formerly Andy "Mushroom" Vowles ("Mush"), with Shara Nelson, Horace Andy and Adrian "Tricky" Thaws as their first guest voca... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Massive Attack

Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws (born 27 January 1968), better known by his stage name Tricky, is an English record producer, rapper and actor. Born and raised in Bristol, he began his career as an early collaborator & best known as a founding member of the ban... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Tricky

Morcheeba is an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members vocalist Skye Edwards and the brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey. They mix influences from trip hop, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced nine regular studio albums s... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Morcheeba

Martina Topley‐bird

Martina Gillian Topley-Bird (née Topley; born 7 May 1975) is an English vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained fame as the featured female vocalist on trip hop pioneer Tricky's debut album, Maxinquaye (1995). She also worked with him o... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Martina Topley‐bird

Lamb are an English electronic music duo from Manchester, whose music is influenced by trip hop, drum and bass and jazz. The duo consist of producer Andy Barlow and singer-songwriter Lou Rhodes. They achieved commercial success with the hit singles "Górecki" a... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Lamb

Sneaker Pimps

Sneaker Pimps are a British electronic music band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their debut album, Becoming X (1996), and its singles "6 Underground" and "Spin Spin Sugar". The band takes its name from an article the Beastie Bo... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Sneaker Pimps

Unkle (often stylised as U.N.K.L.E. or UNKLE, occasionally known as UNKLE Sounds) are a British musical outfit founded in 1992 by James Lavelle. Originally categorised as trip hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Unkle

Esthero ( es-TER-oh; born Jenny-Bea Englishman on December 23, 1978 in Stratford, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, California. The name Esthero refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of herself and produ... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Esthero

Hooverphonic

Hooverphonic is a Belgian band that formed in October 1995. Though originally categorized as a trip hop group, they quickly expanded their sound to the point where they could no longer be described as a lone genre, but rather encompass alternative, electronica... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Hooverphonic

Soulstice is a downtempo/electronic soul band that is a part of the US based record label OM Records and later to Uno Recordings The band started after a collaboration between Gabriel Rene and Andy Caldwell in 1995. The band was composed of Gina Rene (vocals),... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Soulstice

Beth Gibbons

Beth Gibbons (born 4 January 1965) is an English singer and songwriter. She is the singer and lyricist for the band Portishead.... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Beth Gibbons

Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999. The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals, synthesizer) and Will Gregory (synthesizer).... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Goldfrapp

Bitter:sweet

Bitter:Sweet is a trip hop duo with jazz-like qualities from Los Angeles in the state of California, in the United States. The band is composed of Shana Halligan, who provides vocals and lyrics and composes the songs, and Kiran Shahani, who produces and compos... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Bitter:sweet

Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man

No biography for Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man yet.

Peace Orchestra

Peace Orchestra is a musical solo project from Viennese trip hop-dub producer Peter Kruder, best known as one half of Kruder & Dorfmeister.... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Peace Orchestra

Supreme Beings Of Leisure

Supreme Beings of Leisure (SBL) are an electronic/trip hop band from Los Angeles, California. Current members of SBL are singer/songwriter Geri Soriano-Lightwood and multi-instrumentalist/programmer Ramin Sakurai. SBL was formed from the remains of the band Ov... [wikipedia] Find more bands like Supreme Beings Of Leisure

What Genre is Portishead?

Portishead genre is not easily defined. Music magazines and journalists have different opinions on a clearly defined genre for Portishead. However, many describe the style within the genre/s of trip hop, experimental rock, downtempo, alternative rock, electronica, and other rock music.

Similar music like Portishead includes artists and songs like Massive Attack, Tricky, Morcheeba, Martina Topley‐bird, Lamb, Sneaker Pimps, Unkle, Esthero, Hooverphonic, Soulstice, Beth Gibbons, Goldfrapp, Bitter:sweet, Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man, Peace Orchestra, Supreme Beings Of Leisure,

10 Essential Trip-Hop Albums

Last month, Treble explored the greatest albums in hip-hop released in the 1990s . It was a great exercise in being immersed in the beat-heavy sounds of the era, but it also inspired us to do a post-script of sorts on the outgrowth of hip-hop that happened in the Bristol club scene in the UK. Using hip-hop beats as a foundation for darker, late-night grooves and smoky atmosphere, trip-hop created a fascinating fusion. As the genre celebrates its 25th anniversary (assuming you count Massive Attack’s “ Any Love ” as the first real trip-hop release, which we suppose is debatable), we assembled our list of 10 of the best trip hop albums. Because nobody loves us — not like you do.

Portishead – Dummy

(1994; Go! Discs/London)

This is not the beginning of trip-hop — that arguably started back in 1988 when Massive Attack released their debut single. But it wasn’t until around 1994 that the phrase began to make the rounds outside of its incubating scene in Bristol, UK, and began to circulate in the U.S. and beyond. And it’s thanks in large part to Dummy , the breathtaking debut album by Portishead. Named for a small English town, Portishead took a hazy, dark approach to pop music, blending crackly hip-hop beats with sparse guitar licks, noir film samples and a fetish for John Barry. Dummy became a cult hit on the strength of gorgeous, catchy singles like “Sour Times” and “ Glory Box ,” though between those tracks, the group stuffed in moments of soul balladry, heavy-hitting boom-bap beats and swampy, psychedelic dirges. At the time it was completely alien and strange, but compelling in spite of the weirdness that characterized it. That didn’t last — within a few years, everyone would come to copy the Portishead template, diluting it a little each time until it lost its intrigue. Even Portishead lost interest; in 2008, the release of the fucked-up, paranoid sounding Third represented a huge transition for the band, revealing once again that Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons & Co. are about innovation above all. – JT

Nightmares on Wax – Smoker’s Delight

(1995; Warp)

After releasing an album on then-fledgling label Warp Records in 1991, Nightmares on Wax founder George Evelyn stepped away to run a dance club in Leeds, DJ, and start his own record label.  The context is important because unlike many of the other notable trip-hop releases, Smokers Delight has a distinct DJ feel to it, with an aesthetic that relies on multiple melodies being seamlessly layered on top of each other throughout the course of a song. The transitions between movements are always fluid as new pieces are pulled into the picture by a crossfader that moves at a snail’s pace. Take for instance the opening track, “ Nights Introlude ,” which weaves in a “Summer In The City” sample — the one made popular by Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” — after already establishing a perfectly fine high hat and string-based groove. Evelyn clearly has a fine ear for samples and uses them tastefully but frequently to extremely satisfying ends. Smoker’s Delight has aged surprising well over the years; for all of the styles that Evelyn touches on throughout the record from hip hop to funk to dub, there’s a unifying coherence that’s the true litmus test of a master DJ — a quality that’s difficult to map when done well but easy to spot when botched.- DG

Tricky – Maxinquaye

(1995; Island)

When Tricky left Massive Attack after Blue Lines , there were questions about how he would respond to the challenge of establishing himself as a solo artist. With Maxinquaye , one of the most prodigious debuts of the past three decades, Tricky put those questions to rest with one fell swoop. As enthralling and bold as Blue Lines is, Maxinquaye arguably transcends it with greater scope, ambition, and passion (the album is named after Tricky’s mother, who committed suicide). One can simply play any of the tracks on the album to test this assertion; from the bony rattle of “ Ponderosa ” — which brilliantly samples Shakespeare’s Sister — to “Abbaon Fat Tracks,” a distorted sex ballad, to the languidly gorgeous closer “Feed Me,” Maxinquaye passes every time. Truthfully, its only downside to speak of is that it set the bar too high for Tricky, who hasn’t quite been able to match its brilliance again. Bad for Tricky, good for all of us. – CB

Laika – Sounds of the Satellites

(1997; Sire)

Formed by former Moonshake vocalist Margaret Fiedler and producer/engineer Guy Fixsen, Laika took trip-hop to weird new places. Though the duo used beats and grooves in much the same way that Portishead or Massive Attack did, their manic, polyrhythmic arrangements were far more complex and weird than the club crowd might have been ready for. The lead single from Sound of the Satellites , “ Prairie Dog ,” slinks along a dub-inspired 7/4 rhythm, and the frantic pace of tracks like “Poor Gal” feel more like Rema in In Light -era Talking Heads or Metal Box -era Public Image Limited than anything happening in Bristol. This is intense, but fun stuff, and maybe not the most traditional of trip-hop records, but definitely one of the best.

Air – Moon Safari

(1998; Source/Caroline)

Air may not fit the British, café lounge archetype that’s associated with a majority of popular trip-hop acts, but the French duo’s first full-length expands on all of the genre’s chill-out aims. Guest vocalist Beth Hirsch contributes to what would become one of Air’s all-time most popular songs, “All I Need”, as well as another album highlight, “You Make It Easy.” Believers in warm introductions and kind goodbyes, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel put their two most languid and spacey tracks at the front and back of Moon Safari . Starting things off is “ La Femme D’Argent ,” an instrumental that stays tethered to a thick-stringed, yet subtle bassline, but stretches out with spiraling arpeggios, spunky synth keys and refreshingly human hand claps. Moon Safari isn’t so much an album you stop listening to as it is a kind of dream you wake up from; the exact events from the experience are a hazy memory but the color of the ride leaves a vivid, pleasant impression. – DG

Massive Attack – Mezzanine

(1998; Virgin)

Most groups that emerged during the trip-hop era weren’t terribly prolific, and by 1998, a second wave of tepid coffeehouse trip-hop had become the sleepy norm. Having released their last album Protection in 1994, Bristol’s Massive Attack at this point weren’t front and center in the conversation in the same way that Portishead was before taking an extended break, or with the bright flicker that artists like Esthero and Hooverphonic would briefly enjoy. But in the summer of 1998, Massive Attack not only returned, they did so with their best album yet, a dark, sinister head-trip of an album that crept slowly and hit with lethal force. Mezzanine found Massive Attack entering a dark phase in their career, which hasn’t really ever ended, though this is the moment where it’s most potent. The eerie lurch of “Angel,” the stoned dub-funk of “Risingson,” or the evil pulse of “Inertia Creeps” — it amounts to an album by a group seemingly no longer interested in the more positive aspects of club music, as Blue Lines suggested. This is its sweaty, grimy, scraped-up, paranoid, sleazy and possibly even dead underbelly. – JT

Morcheeba – Big Calm

(1998; Sire)

Some parts of Morcheeba’s sophomore LP, Big Calm , have not aged well. The background DJ scratching on “Blindfold” feels forced and awkward, “The Music That We Hear” is an unnecessary pop rework of a debut album stand-out (“Moog Island”), and I can practically smell the incense when the sitar comes in on “Shoulder Holster.” Those few awkward elements aside, Big Calm is held up on the merits of a few choice tracks, namely lead single “The Sea,” “Let Me See” and “Over and Over.” Singer Skye Edwards’ relaxed coolness gives each song a degree of levity without ever dropping the sultry edge. It’s a fine line to tip-toe and Edwards always stays a few short steps in front, enticing the listener with the promise of satisfying hooks that come when expected. From the loud bounce of “Let Me See” to the sparse “Over and Over” Edwards has the right balance of tranquility and sexuality to keep heart rates low and attention high. – DG

UNKLE – Psyence Fiction

(1998; Mo’ Wax)

For me, as it was with likely most listeners who picked up Psyence Fiction , the big sell was a collaboration between DJ Shadow and Thom Yorke. In the late ’90s, there was no more glorious dream collaboration, Yorke’s vulnerable vocal performance on “ Rabbit In Your Headlights ” matched perfectly by James Lavelle and Josh Davis’ chilly sample arrangement. However, it was just one of many interesting stylistic detours on an album that used trip-hop as a foundation for even bolder experiments. The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft lent his vocals to the epic, string-laden “Lonely Soul,” Mike D and Metallica’s Jason Newstead teamed up on the scrappy hip-hop of “The Knock,” and the then-unknown Badly Drawn Boy helmed the harder rocking “Nursery Rhyme.” Yet the instrumentals dazzled as well, like the gorgeously psychedelic “Unreal,” which was later released in an alternate version with vocals from The Stone Roses’ Ian Brown. It was all very lush and gorgeous, but should anyone get the wrong impression, that UNKLE had no sense of humor, segue “Getting Ahead in the Lucrative Field of Artist Management” dedicated its 54 seconds to a hilarious commercial for a board game called “Ball Buster.” (Snicker…) – JT

Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain

(2000; Mute)

In the 13 years that have lapsed since Goldfrapp first made their debut with Felt Mountain , they’ve taken many a stylistic detour, from trashy electro on Black Cherry , to beat-driven glam-pop on Supernature , psych-folk on Seventh Tree , and inexplicably upbeat new wave on Head First . And generally speaking, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory do a bang-up job each time they switch up the formula. Yet their debut follows a trip-hop aesthetic in much the same way that Portishead laid it out, with sexy, dark soundscapes that blend the string-laden grandeur of John Barry’s Bond themes with the eccentric folk touch of Lee Hazelwood. It’s one of the group’s most stunning albums altogether, from the sultry shuffle of “Lovely Head” to the lush orchestration of “Pilots.” Whether or not you prefer Goldfrapp in sequins, spandex, furs or forests, it’s hard to argue that Felt Mountain isn’t one hell of an album. – JT

Nathaniel Merriweather presents… Lovage – Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By

(2001; 75 Ark)

In 2001, under his “Nathanial Meriweather” moniker, Dan The Automator produced a trip-hop album featuring Jennifer Charles (of Elysian Fields) and Mike Patton (of Faith No More, Tomahawk and Mr. Bungle) on vocals. The mixes on Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By featured Kid Koala on turntables, as well as a couple other Deltron 3030 collaborators. The album paid tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, Serge Gainsbourg, and new wave rockers Berlin. If all that doesn’t convince you to listen to this smooth hour of turntable-heavy trip-hop, I don’t know what will. – AK

No becoming X = fail list

Becoming X was nowhere near good enough to be in any ‘Best of’ list. Kelli Dayton’s voice was never in teh same league as her compatriots.

Where is esbe? He’s in the top ten in my book.

Becomimg x, fuck no lol

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Please support us by disabling your ad blocker on our site., hell is round the corner: an autopsy of trip-hop, let's discuss the record–scratching, tear–jerking, soul–sucking vibes of the '90's greatest export..

Close your eyes. Imagine, if you can, what the '90s were like. Not the literal day–to–day hustle and bustle, but the general mood. It's the middle of the night, and you're walking down a street. Sewer fumes obscure your vision, but it doesn't matter, because you haven't decided where you're walking to yet. Your baggy jeans and Nirvana tee are fashionably grimy, covered in tiny circular burns and beer stains. You take a long, last drag of your dying cigarette before stamping out the embers, extinguishing the final light of the dark alley you just turned down. Your headphones drown out the incessant rumblings of city life: ever so slowly, the hiss and crackle of vinyl pops fade in, washing out your ears like auditory smoke. "Give me a reason to love you," the lead singer croons over a wailing guitar solo.

In the '90s, one sound reigned supreme: the powerfully dark, noir–influenced vibes of trip–hop. I was born in 1999—I missed out on the actual experiences of the '90s—but there's something about trip–hop that allows us to tap into the zeitgeist of decades past in a way that a lot of genres can't do. The music is foreign yet instantly familiar; it's dingy, minimal, slow, gritty, and ever so sexual, yet it exists solely in a different era. Trip–hop sounds like an after–hours event at an after–hours nightclub, when all of the uppers have worn off and the intoxicating aura of lethargic exhaustion clings to the sweat–soaked floors.

Trip–hop started and ended in Bristol, England. In the early 1980s, a sound system , t he Wild Bunch , started making waves in the Bristol underground scene. By fusing together a massive range of genres (especially old punk, R&B, and reggae records) to create tired, washed–out beats, they developed an entirely new style of music: trip–hop. Key members of the Wild Bunch included—among many others— Tricky and Robert Del Naja .

Del Naja, Tricky, and a few other members of the collective eventually formed Massive Attack. Their first album, Blue Lines , came out in 1991 and essentially laid the foundations of the genre in the mainstream. Their most notable album, though, is 1998's Mezzanine . They've released a few other records since then (their last one, Heligoland , came in 2010), but the decline of Massive Attack more or less marked the decline of trip–hop.

Tricky left Massive Attack at some point after its inception, and began releasing his own solo material. His 1995 album, Maxinquaye , was a landmark release for trip–hop. The music on Maxinquaye ranges from industrial rock remixes of Public Enemy tracks to chill–inducing, melodramatic displays of vocal acrobatics. Trip–hop sounds like a lot of things, and Maxinquaye was a reminder that above all else, trip–hop was as secretive and sensual as a midnight hook–up.

The third notable trip–hop pioneer is Portishead. Though they don't have any formal ties to the Wild Bunch, their 1994 album, Dummy , is widely regarded as the definitive trip–hop album, firmly cementing the collection of sounds and influences into a coherent genre. They've released just two other albums since then— Portishead in 1997, and Third in 2008—but are more or less inactive now.

Tricky, then, is the only member of this unholy trinity of trip–hop troublemakers who still consistently releases music. To be frank, his new stuff isn't good. It's still trip–hop, sure, but it hasn't translated well to 2020. His latest album, Fall to Pieces , makes for an especially embarrassing listen. How could one of the progenitors of the style misunderstand it on such a fundamental level, only three decades later? For Tricky, the minimal aesthetics of the genre have given way to unfinished beats, boring melodies, uninspired samples, and lifeless vocals. It seems he's mistaking whispered platitudes of edginess for genuine gloominess and slow, boring drums for feelings of cultural malaise. The one track worth listening to, "Running Off," still offers nothing of note other than a slightly interesting beat.

That's it, then. Trip–hop is officially dead; its creators have either abandoned the sound, given up, or can no longer inspire similar feelings of genuine dread that carried the music through the '90s. There haven't been any significant revivals like other genres have seen, and none of the smaller acts that filled out the Massive Attack/Tricky/Portishead trinity gained large enough followings to survive. It will forever be a relic of the past, a cultural touchstone for an era gone by.

The one artist still maintaining the dark, grimy aesthetics of the genre, while releasing incredibly malaise music, is Sevdaliza . Iranian–born and Amsterdam–residing, Sevdaliza released her sophomore album, Shabrang , the same day Tricky's Fall to Pieces came out. Where Tricky's effort was boring and uninspired, Sevdaliza's album is just as experimental as it is an homage to trip–hop's heyday.

"Rhode," for example, draws directly from Portishead's Third , culminating in a disturbing instrumental break that carries the demented fury of a circular saw slicing through bone. Other songs on Shabrang reference trip–hop in a similarly direct way: "All Rivers At Once" is a slow–burning, moody guitar jam; "Lamp Lady" uses a dusty, downtempo drum sample; "No Way," "Habibi," and "Gole Bi Goldoon" showcase Sevdaliza's versatile soprano vocals in a way that rings eerily similar to Portishead's Beth Gibbons.

Discussing trip–hop in the present tense is a futile task. The genre peaked decades ago, and despite notable newcomers like Sevdaliza still showcasing different, innovative sounds, trip–hop will forever remain a window into the sights and sounds of the 90s. Let it die a dignified death: we can always spin our favorite records again, but we can't as easily repair a tarnished legacy.

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‘Music dug up from under the earth’: how trip-hop never stopped

Fused from jungle, rave and soul, trip-hop filled the coffee tables of the 90s, and is now inspiring Billie Eilish’s generation. So why is the term so despised by many?

N obody really wanted to be trip-hop. The stoner beats of Nightmares on Wax’s 1995 Smokers Delight album were era defining, but it carried the prominent legend: “THIS IS NOT TRIP HOP”. James Lavelle’s Mo’ Wax label flirted with the term after it was coined by Mixmag in 1994, but quickly switched to displaying it ostentatiously crossed out on their sleeves. Ninja Tune did print the phrase “triphoptimism” on a king size rolling paper packet in 1996, but only as a joke about escaping categories.

“I always disliked the term,” says Lou Rhodes of Lamb, “and I would always make a point in interviews of challenging its use in regard to Lamb.” Mark Rae of Rae & Christian similarly says: “I would give a score of 9/10 on the lazy journalist scale to anyone who placed us in the trip-hop camp.” And Geoff Barrow’s ferocious hatred of the term – let alone its application to Portishead – has become the stuff of social media legend.

The distaste is understandable. The template of crawling beats, cinematic strings and dubby basslines, usually with a female vocalist and weed-smoking signifiers, became one of the most ubiquitous sounds of the late 90s. The phrase itself stretched to become a catch-all for any and all downtempo music, from wafty supermarket-checkout budget CD “chillout” to highly crafted UK soul. It very quickly became the object of snobbery, called “coffee table music” by those who found the idea music could be comforting or domesticated an anathema.

But whatever you call it, the specifically 90s downtempo vibe abides. Nightmares on Wax’s new album, Shout Out! To Freedom …, shows producer George Evelyn as committed to cosmic beats, and as inspired, as ever, and Smokers Delight got a deluxe reissue treatment last year. Martina Topley-Bird ’s Forever I Wait (featuring several productions by Robert “3D” Del Naja of Massive Attack), the reformed Sneaker Pimps’ Squaring the Circle, and even Saint Etienne ’s mostly instrumental I’ve Been Trying to Tell You all meander moodily in classic trip-hop style. Jhelisa , whose albums in the 90s easily bridged the gap between trip-hop and acid jazz, is back and on spectacularly trippy form with 7 Keys V.2, too.

And perhaps even more significantly, younger musicians are channelling the sound. Some of the most high-profile acts in the world – Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Lorde – are unabashed in these 90s references. Alicia Keys’ new single, Best of Me, couldn’t be more trip-hop if it was made in a smoky Bristol basement in 1995. In the leftfield, acts such as Young Echo, Tirzah and Space Afrika explore some oddly familiar dark, dubby spaces, the latter citing Tricky as a key precedent. A lot of the new UK soul and jazz, from Jorja Smith through Children of Zeus to Moses Boyd and Sault, is distinctly trip-hoppy; Arlo Parks’ Mercury prize-winning album is steeped in it, as is tattooed, cosmic dub-soul provocateur Greentea Peng. Homebrew “lo fi” remixes of anime and game themes, which could easily pass as trip-hop, regularly clock up tens of millions of streams on YouTube, as do streams of trip-hoppy “beats to study/chill/sleep to”. Even UK drill is demonstrating a connection, in the album False Hope by Tara Mills , with music by drill and road rap producer Carns Hill. “It’s interesting that whole era’s come round again,” says Evelyn, remarking on the extraordinary Afghan-German producer Farhot’s similarity to DJ Shadow. “Then of course you start thinking: am I that old?”

To understand the durability of these sounds, it’s worth looking at some of the objections to the way they were labelled. Evelyn grew up with reggae soundsystem culture and was a hip-hop and electro fanatic, who breakdanced competitively as a teen. He regarded his early rave tunes as hip-hop collage in the tradition of instrumentals by Mantronix, Marley Marl, DJ Red Alert and co. “But,” he says, “in the UK we’re really good at taking something and making it our own, and when I think about that whole 90s period, it was exciting: we were doing that whole downtempo thing, but fused with all that other exciting electronic shit that was happening at the same time. The drum’n’bass thing, the jungle thing, that was all born out of the same set of influences. I do think about the 90s a lot. It was exciting; it felt like a new sound was coming out of the UK every three days.”

Rhodes, too, took inspiration in the breakbeat collage of rave. “Our background was nights at the Haçienda and Manchester pirate stations,” she says, remembering Peter Bouncer’s vocal over Shut Up and Dance’s breakbeats on the 1992 rave track Love Is All We Need. “My mum was a folk singer, and I felt the pull to write songs that danced around those fucked-up beats. That was the impetus for Lamb.” The closeness to techno, rave and electronica was embodied in labels such as Warp, Ninja Tune and Mo’ Wax, where Squarepusher, Autechre, Roni Size and Carl Craig would sit alongside – or remix – downtempo acts. It’s a lineage explored in the 2020 book Bedroom Beats & B-Sides by Laurent Fintoni , which also explores how trip-hop influenced the likes of Flying Lotus (an avowed Portishead fan), and thus the experimental “beat scene” and 21st century hip-hop more broadly.

The other vital precursor was the UK’s unique soul lineage. “Sade, Cymande, Soul II Soul,” remembers Evelyn, “that was the foundation of our whole thing too. Even when we were rocking [reggae] soundsystems, you’d always have that half-hour or so when they’d play street soul or rare grooves. That all influenced all of us; I’m sure someone like [Massive Attack’s] Daddy G would say the same thing.” Through the late 80s and early 90s, acts such as Smith & Mighty, the Sindecut, Young Disciples and, of course, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack made a very distinctly British laid-back breakbeat sound ubiquitous from charts to underground clubs. The acid jazz movement overlapped with this, too: it’s the scene Mo’ Wax emerged from, and Liam Howe of Sneaker Pimps recalls, around 1993, “taking our white labels around the record shops of Soho, where you might bump into [acid jazz movers] Kevin Beadle, Gilles Peterson, James Lavelle and Patrick Forge … we were making peculiar, laid-back dance stuff that at the time we referred to just as ‘head music’.”

Jhelisa Anderson is one of the more obvious connections to the soul/jazz world, but also one of the few musicians who fondly embraces “trip-hop” as a term. Mississippian by birth, she relished British eccentricity and independence, as compared with a US industry that “would’ve had me trying to copy Janet Jackson”. She found, in Portishead , Tricky and Topley-Bird, “a version of modern blues, a depth and darkness” that drew a line from 60s and 70s soul, but also had a connection to “something old and pagan that I heard in Thom Yorke and shoegaze, a different kind of ancient expression of feeling blue, of being dark”.

That conception of a kind of specifically British blues isn’t so far fetched. Tara Mills wasn’t born when Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy came out, but cites it as one of her favourite songs: “I’ve cried to that song, I’ve driven home too fast, upset, in the middle of the night, to that song.” And she found precisely the right darkness in Carns Hill’s drill beats to “make you feel something in that same way”. And the moodiness and melancholy have permeated through to a new generation in many other ways. Rhodes hears “a kind of bloodline running through James Blake and the xx” to Billie Eilish and co. Her son Reuben, who releases downtempo beats as Joseph Efi, connects the “Bristol sound” of Portishead and Massive Attack to the ineffable sadness of Burial. “There’s something about the melancholia of those Bristol tunes,” he says, “that could’ve only come from the depths of a small British city. Music dug up from under the earth or heard in the pouring rain on your walk home at night.”

This mood has gradually spread around the world. As well as through electronic and hip-hop artists such as Flying Lotus, and ubiquity of tracks such as Rob Dougan’s Mo’ Wax hit Clubbed to Death in Hollywood soundtracks, the British moodiness found its way into big pop exports. Mark Rae notes that “our production and writing of the track The Hush by Texas-influenced Dido, and the domino effect is created when that language is taken to the mainstream successfully”. It’s not a big leap to hear trip-hop echoes in Mark Ronson’s work with Amy Winehouse and Adele – and there are direct connections, too: Howe, for example, has passed on the trip-hop gene as a writer and producer for the likes of FKA twigs, Lana Del Rey and, indeed, Adele.

It seems like the further we get from its origins, the less toxic the phrase seems. Even Topley-Bird, who never accepted it at the time “because I thought we felt pretty unique”, says “in America people talk about trip-hop without any sense of shame or embarrassment, which is endearing … And a few friends are telling me that artists like Billie Eilish sound like me – which can’t be a bad thing. I came back with new music at the right time!”

Nightmares on Wax’s album Shout Out! To Freedom … is out now on Warp. Mark Rae’s novel and soundtrack The Caterpillar Club is out now on Mark’s Music. Sneaker Pimps’ album Squaring the Circle is out now on Unfall. Jhelisa’s album 7 Keys V.2 is out now on Dorado. Martina Topley-Bird’s self-released album Forever I Wait is out now. Tara Mills’ album False Hope is out now on CL Management. Joseph Efi’s EP Candour is out now on Lowlife.

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The British band comprised of Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons, and Adrian Utley have made some of the most influential music of the last 30 years.

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The English band who take their name from the nearby to Bristol town of Portishead are rightly credited with fusing electronica and experimental rock into a style that has been tagged trip-hop. To be honest that is not a shorthand term they have endorsed and as with soul mates Tricky and Massive Attack , those using it are apt to receive a frosty response. Utilising breakbeats, acid house, soul, funk and jazz the music they create has an ethereal quality with a visceral punch. The combination of Beth Gibbons haunting vocals – she cites Nina Simone , Edith Piaf, Sugarcubes and the Cocteau Twins idiosyncratic singer Liz Fraser as influences – allied to the production and instrumental skills of Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley add up to a remarkable sound.

The emphasis on sonic clarity is bolstered by engineer Dave McDonald who worked with the trio on their debut disc Dummy , a gothic and noir collection that would sweep the board at the fourth Mercury Music Prize in 1995. The spacey jazz melodies and emotional density of “Sour Times” and “Glory Box” did it for the judges. The competition was intense: the Oasis album Definitely Maybe and the Supergrass classic I Should Coco were also in contention. Previous winners were Primal Scream, Suede and M People. Dummy  has since featured in many a select list of great albums of the 20th century and it has lost none of its appeal in the following years. The self-titled Portishead charted high in the US and made #2 in Britain.

Third (2008) expanded their palette with elements of soundtrack, psych surf and a dark take on atmospheric krautrock with the results conjuring shadowy images of the scores to Blade Runner and The Terminator . Despite those denser Sci-Fi textures, Third  became a big seller. Another 2nd place in the UK and a top ten #7 on the Billboard chart heralded a return to live work after a hiatus of nine to ten years. Portishead curated the 2007 All Tomorrow’s Parties fest, embarked on a 2008 European tour and headlined the prestigious Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April that year. The Last.fm free stream of Third  was a groundbreaker in that medium with over 300,000 logging on in the first 24 hours. More awards and kudos ensured gold sales but all their works continue to find their way into discerning collections: the debut has long since gone double platinum. These are high quality, timeless albums that pretty much demand discovery and repay close investigation

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Barrow and Gibbons were born in the West Country and coincidentally both had parents who divorced. Adrian Utley, the oldest member, hails from Northampton and he brought along a love of vintage guitars and effects, jazz training and the bouncy grooves of hip-hop. A mutual love for drum loops, sampled breaks, James Brown and Blue Note golden era sounds became the background over which Gibbons’ husky contralto conjured up visions of smoky jazz lounges. Then again one detects layers of ska and swing and the riff from Isaac Hayes ’ “Ike’s Rap 11” on the monumental “Glory Box”. In that sense, Portishead are comparable to the best French house scene makers, always prone to locate the funk button. “Sour Times” samples Lalo Schifrin’s “The Danube Incident”, “Wandering Star” beds in War’s “Magic Mountain” and “Biscuit”, weirdest of all, goes to the root of Johnny Ray’s “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”.

The sensuous cabaret mood is everywhere on Dummy  and it remains a highpoint of 1994 while the singles “Numb”, “Sour Times” and “Glory Box” are classics in any genre.

The Portishead album showed that brilliant start to be no flash in the pan. The singles “All Mine”, “Over” and “Only You” graced the airwaves with additional horns, Clive Deamer’s click drumming, extra violin, and keyboards simmering perfectly. The outstanding opening track “Cowboys” is one of Gibbons’ most intriguing lyrics: ‘Did you feed us tales of deceit/ Conceal the tongues who need to speak/ Subtle lies and a soiled coin/ The truth is sold, the deal is done….’ Spooky in the extreme, this could be music made by androids.

With extra attention to sonic detail and smart cinematic videos to backdrop their tunes, Portishead’s scratch deck approach translated well in America where they played an epic concert at the Roseland In 1997 accompanied by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and a five-piece horn ensemble. Go Beat released a DVD of that event in 2002 and it’s one of the most stupendous things you will witness.

After three years of touring and various external issues, Barrow put Portishead on hold because he’d grown disillusioned with music in general. In 2002 Gibbons made her solo debut with former Talk Talk bassist Paul Webb using the pseudonym Rustin Man. Out of Season was a quiet success but is an essential purchase for her fans and it also went silver. Meanwhile, Barrow and Utley remained locked in their studios but emerged to produce The Coral’s’ psychedelic gem The Invisible Invasion and enthused by the young Merseysiders energy decided to reactive their own band.

Third eventually dropped in Spring 2008. Using a battery of analogue synths, ancient drum machine FX and even a hurdy-gurdy on “Magic Doors” which would be cleverly remixed later by DJ Green Lantern, the songs are perfectly Portisheadian. Other key tracks are “The Rip”, something Radiohead covered, and the pulsating “Machine Gun”, a number that became huge on the hip-hop and club circuit and would have had Portishead feted as superstars in America, had they been the types to do the social whirl. Given that Third has attained top ten placings in 18 territories it’s apparent that the band remain in demand though they haven’t released anything officially since 2009’s “Chase the Tear”, a fundraiser for Amnesty International UK.

They have enjoyed playing the festival circuits and were rapturously received at Latitude and Benicassim where their set included “Mysterons”, the crowd slaying “Sour Times” and “We Carry On”. Barrow has promised new music is bubbling away but no dates are specified. Don’t worry though because it will be worth the wait. With Portishead it always is.

Words: Max Bell

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Adrian Utley (Portishead‪)‬ Life on the Fretboard with Michael Watts

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Adrian Utley is one of the most versatile and creative musicians the UK has produced. His work with artists such as Jeff Beck, Patti Smith and Glenn Branca is testament to this.  Shooting to prominence in the mid 1990s with Portishead, Adrian’s beautifully judged, nuanced playing - with its unique jazz and soul sensibilities - set the band apart from their contemporaries in what would become known as the trip-hop scene.  Dummy, Portishead’s debut album, would go multi-platinum. The band continues to have a lasting influence in terms of production values, musicianship and sheer style.   Adrian accepted an invitation to join me for this episode of Life on the Fretboard after an online conversation about our shared love of the work of Fred Frith - a pioneer in the improvised and exploratory music scene.  Shortly after, I was invited to film an original 1958 Gibson Flying V. Those of you familiar with my work will understand my trepidation to go it alone with a guitar that was so far out of my comfort zone, so I asked Adrian if he’d like to join me in exploring one of the rarest and pointiest electric guitars known to humanity. I was a little taken aback at the speed with which he accepted. I made a video of us exploring that Flying V: https://youtu.be/VM95mN7eDC0 Once we had finished with the pointy beast, we sat down to record this conversation. Adrian shares his memories of working with Jeff Beck and Glenn Branca and we talk about Adrian’s love of all guitars, from vintage L-5s to dumpster-find acoustics. We also chat about learning to love limitations, the Fender Jazzmaster, the best footwear for wah-wah pedal usage, and that solo from the song "Glory Box."  Here's a reminder if you need one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnMTK8EdsOc I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Be advised there is adult language throughout.  This episode of Life on the Fretboard was brought to you by the kind sponsorship of Elixir Strings https://www.elixirstrings.com. I use Phosphor Bronze 12-53s on all my acoustic guitars We are also brought to you by Microtech Gefell Microphones https://www.microtechgefell.de  I used a pair of their M300 small diaphragm models to record this interview and you’re hearing my voice on the M930 model. To support this podcast please use this Tip Jar link https://michaelwattsguitar.com/tip-jars/4745 Your Host,  Michael Watts https://www.michaelwattsguitar.com https://www.youtube.com/user/michaelwattsguitar https://www.instagram.com/michael.watts.guitar/  Learn more about the Fretboard Journal and our new, 53rd issue here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com  

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