Trip hop was a hot trend in England at the beginning of the ‘90s when the rave-culture was all-embracing across Britain. Rave parties were organised in empty storage spaces where thousands of people were dancing to a new music style that DJs played.
When tip hop rose in Britain, hip-hop gained popularity in America. Trip hop was first mentioned in Bristol, a town known for the slave trade in the past, so it had a large and long-established population of African and Caribbean people. Because it was an affordable place to live, it attracted bohemians and students from various cultures who created a multi-ethnic society that became the fertile environment for the trip hop.
What Is Trip Hop?
Similar to rave and hip hop, the main element behind tip hop is the sampling of old records. It’s a genre of atmospheric down-tempo music inspired by movie soundtracks, jazz, and funk. Generally, it can be defined as a style that breaks the beat of a record that is sampled and then reinvented. Most of the times the tempo is reduced and it feels like you are listening to a loop of elements from various genres.
Even if it quickly became a globally popular genre, it remains a largely British style. The most famous labels and artists are based in the United Kingdom.
Chillest Beats
The basslines are simple, melodic and rhythmical because they act as the basic underpinning for other sounds and elements. Often the bass sounds dark and moody, and it reflects low-end presence. You can feel a powerful influence from dub music when you analyse the effects because it uses reverb and echoes. The average song starts with a dub inspired drum rhythm. Some loops include samples of old jazz records and electric piano.
Usually, the vocals are female and easily attributable to other genres like R&B and jazz. However, some bands also collaborate with male vocalists. Trip top is famous for its melancholic sound, inspired by post-punk artists. Top tracks include trumpets, flutes, saxophones, and unconventional instruments like Mellotron and theremin. Even if hip hop and trip hop emerged around the same time, they differ in theme and tone. Trip hop isn’t about gangsta rap, but more about aural atmospherics.
Trip House Music
Tip hop involves numerous genres, and one of them is trip house. You may ask yourself how is it possible to use elements from two completely opposing styles and still sound harmonious. Trip house is defined by the right atmosphere with the sounds, rather than by its patterns. The drum patterns have no common features because trip house is usually boomy and deep and it sounds like the artists cut some frequencies. The snares are crusty and bright or pitched down and dirty.
What it will strike you will be the main aspect of trip hop that has a moody and gritty character. Trip hop influences many artists, no matter what style of music they create. Bjork, Lana del Rey, Kylie Minogue, and Janet Jackson are only some of the artists who find this genre inspirational.
To listen to exclusive beats, you should buy trip hop music from websites that offer royalty free tracks.