Trip-hop isn't completely dead. Old school trip-hop still lives on underground. Even though the 90s English sound has inspired and grown branches of the new genres we listen to today by artists such as the Weeknd, FKA twigs, Tinashe, and trap artists.
Here is a list of the best artists of the genre since it's start in Bristol with the help of Marc Collin. He breaks down for those who don't quite understand, what Trip-Hop is.
"The main sound of trip hop was the mix of hip hop beats with melancholic string arrangements."
1) Tricky
What can be said about Tricky that hasn't already? The motherlovin godfather of Trip-Hop like no other. He and Massive Attack started around the same time. But Massive Attack already had an album out when Tricky was still trying to break on the scene. He often collaborated with singer Martina Topley-Bird (who sings in this song). He also had a love affair with artist Bjork (who also experimented with Trip-hop). Tricky still has continued to be hailed as the one the best Trip-hop artists of all time. His album "Maxinquaye" released in '95 is the go-to for many interested in the genre.
2) Massive Attack
Marc Collin says, "To me, Massive Attack invented the genre and are the kings..."
Massive Attack are credited with opening the door to the genre. Tricky first worked in the genre with them. But imo, Tricky had that urban sound that really combined jazz, hip hop, and soul into Trip-hop. It's what sold him into his status as a trip-hop legend. However, Massive Attack's experimental music and widecast of collaborations with different artists help set them firmly apart. They will always be masters in their own right for their continued genius despite Trip-hop fading from popularity.
One of their best and most underrated songs imo is their third single, "Unfinished Sympathy". It may not have the familiar trip-hop sound most as used to from their other singles "Angel", "Teardrop", and "Paradise Circus". The sweeping strings of the orchestra over the hip hop beat and the House sound accompanied by Shara Nelson's vocals; make it a ground-breaking in setting the mold for years to come.
2) Portishead
Forever haunting, Portishead is a band named after a nearby town in Bristol, the motherland of Trip-Hop. In an interview with FKA twigs and Ebro, Ebro states that Portishead was the type of band hip-hop lovers listened to. He described the beats, production, and moody chords of Portishead that made hip hop fans into Portishead fans. You can listen to that here:
Marc Collin says, "With Ian Utley and Beth Gibbons, they were a real group, recording real guitars and drums and mixing them with samples from '60s film noir soundtracks."
The hardest part about moving onto Portishead was choosing which song to post about. "Scorn" not only just my personal favorite, but perhaps one of their most recognizable pieces because it was in the 90's movie "The Craft". The lyrics really capture that dark melancholy vibe that Portishead is known for.
3) Orange Blossom
A lesser known underground band from France, that not only deals in Trip-hop but also "World" music. They've gone through line-up changes since the 90s, replacing singer Leïla Bounous with singer Hend Elwary. What makes this band amazing in the genre is evident in one of their best songs "Habibi" from the 2005 album "Everything Must Change". The song has the classic trip-hop beat with searing guitars and beautiful African twist. Very Massive Attack influenced in production.
4) Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp debuted in 2000 when Trip-hop began to lose some of the urban sound and ventured more towards experimental pop and an extra heavy dose on the melancholy. Lots more whimsical electronica sounds were becoming mainstream in the genre, while the heavier stuff moved back underground. Imagine a rain drenched person dressed in streetwear bobbin to beats and rhymes under a downpour in English weather. Instead has been replaced by some artiste, perched half-naked on the balcony of their Paris apartment, lazily smoking a cigarette and sipping cheap wine. Goldfrapp debuted just at the right time which makes them an important aspect to the late Trip-hop scene.
5) Mono
I have a soft spot for Mono, perhaps because they rarely get credited for playing a part in the Trip-hop scene unlike Goldfrapp, Tricky, Massive Attack, and Portishead. It could be because they only had one album, Formica Blues, too much of the harpsichord, and one hit song. That one hit was "Life in Mono". A song popularized by the 90's film "Great Expectations". And played over and over and over again by every European wannabe in America with fantasies of a Kate Moss lifestyle.
So as not to torture the 90s kid's who've had to live through that experience growing up, here is a great song by them, "Silicone".
Thanks for your patience mods!
SOURCE
SOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCE
Here is a list of the best artists of the genre since it's start in Bristol with the help of Marc Collin. He breaks down for those who don't quite understand, what Trip-Hop is.
"The main sound of trip hop was the mix of hip hop beats with melancholic string arrangements."
1) Tricky
What can be said about Tricky that hasn't already? The motherlovin godfather of Trip-Hop like no other. He and Massive Attack started around the same time. But Massive Attack already had an album out when Tricky was still trying to break on the scene. He often collaborated with singer Martina Topley-Bird (who sings in this song). He also had a love affair with artist Bjork (who also experimented with Trip-hop). Tricky still has continued to be hailed as the one the best Trip-hop artists of all time. His album "Maxinquaye" released in '95 is the go-to for many interested in the genre.
2) Massive Attack
Marc Collin says, "To me, Massive Attack invented the genre and are the kings..."
Massive Attack are credited with opening the door to the genre. Tricky first worked in the genre with them. But imo, Tricky had that urban sound that really combined jazz, hip hop, and soul into Trip-hop. It's what sold him into his status as a trip-hop legend. However, Massive Attack's experimental music and widecast of collaborations with different artists help set them firmly apart. They will always be masters in their own right for their continued genius despite Trip-hop fading from popularity.
One of their best and most underrated songs imo is their third single, "Unfinished Sympathy". It may not have the familiar trip-hop sound most as used to from their other singles "Angel", "Teardrop", and "Paradise Circus". The sweeping strings of the orchestra over the hip hop beat and the House sound accompanied by Shara Nelson's vocals; make it a ground-breaking in setting the mold for years to come.
2) Portishead
Forever haunting, Portishead is a band named after a nearby town in Bristol, the motherland of Trip-Hop. In an interview with FKA twigs and Ebro, Ebro states that Portishead was the type of band hip-hop lovers listened to. He described the beats, production, and moody chords of Portishead that made hip hop fans into Portishead fans. You can listen to that here:
Marc Collin says, "With Ian Utley and Beth Gibbons, they were a real group, recording real guitars and drums and mixing them with samples from '60s film noir soundtracks."
The hardest part about moving onto Portishead was choosing which song to post about. "Scorn" not only just my personal favorite, but perhaps one of their most recognizable pieces because it was in the 90's movie "The Craft". The lyrics really capture that dark melancholy vibe that Portishead is known for.
3) Orange Blossom
A lesser known underground band from France, that not only deals in Trip-hop but also "World" music. They've gone through line-up changes since the 90s, replacing singer Leïla Bounous with singer Hend Elwary. What makes this band amazing in the genre is evident in one of their best songs "Habibi" from the 2005 album "Everything Must Change". The song has the classic trip-hop beat with searing guitars and beautiful African twist. Very Massive Attack influenced in production.
4) Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp debuted in 2000 when Trip-hop began to lose some of the urban sound and ventured more towards experimental pop and an extra heavy dose on the melancholy. Lots more whimsical electronica sounds were becoming mainstream in the genre, while the heavier stuff moved back underground. Imagine a rain drenched person dressed in streetwear bobbin to beats and rhymes under a downpour in English weather. Instead has been replaced by some artiste, perched half-naked on the balcony of their Paris apartment, lazily smoking a cigarette and sipping cheap wine. Goldfrapp debuted just at the right time which makes them an important aspect to the late Trip-hop scene.
5) Mono
I have a soft spot for Mono, perhaps because they rarely get credited for playing a part in the Trip-hop scene unlike Goldfrapp, Tricky, Massive Attack, and Portishead. It could be because they only had one album, Formica Blues, too much of the harpsichord, and one hit song. That one hit was "Life in Mono". A song popularized by the 90's film "Great Expectations". And played over and over and over again by every European wannabe in America with fantasies of a Kate Moss lifestyle.
So as not to torture the 90s kid's who've had to live through that experience growing up, here is a great song by them, "Silicone".
Thanks for your patience mods!
SOURCE
SOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCESOURCE