The term “trip hop” turns 30 this month – but what does it mean exactly?
30 years ago Mixmag writer Andy Pemberton wrote an article on the growing phenomenon of hiphop-influenced dance music mushrooming up from the global underground.
The original criteria of this new sound or style was that it was slow and (mostly) instrumental, with a hiphop groove and a psychedelic edge.
According to Pemberton, it was “like taking acid at a hip hop gig.”
“It’s insane, scary, trippy, very dope and the most exciting thing to happen to hip hop for years.”
Andy Pemberton, Mixmag June 1994
So he christened this new style “trip hop” and, for better or worse, the term stuck.
30 years later, however, confusion abounds as to what trip hop actually is. The purpose of this article is therefore to answer the perennial question…
WTF is Trip Hop Anyway?
Let’s start with what trip hop isn’t. The tracks featured below are not lofi beats to study to. Sure, they can be played as chilled background music, but you’ll find the music more rewarding if you actively listen to it and let it take control.
So, first things first, throw away that calculus book you damn nerd and grab yourself something more medicinal. Because trip hop is recreational, not educational.
Second, trip hop has nothing to do with Bristol.
Normally whenever someone says, “that’s trip hop”, they invariably point at Massive Attack.
And that’s when I have one of those abnormally adverse reactions, the type one might associate with fat obnoxious Star Wars fans on the internet.
Not only is my reaction way out of proportion, it also makes me a hypocrite. I’m always the guy who says that genres don’t matter. But call Blue Lines trip hop and watch in terror as my face turns crimson and the veins on my temple start pulsing and writhing like horny blue anacondas.
Massive Attack was doing this sort of thing long before Pemberton coined the term trip hop. Instead, the original Wild Bunch, plus Massive Attack, Tricky and others like Smith and Mighty and Portishead, all belong under the “Bristol sound” umbrella.
I say this in the knowledge that Portishead aren’t technically from Bristol and the term “Bristol sound” is fundamentally asinine, but it’s more accurate than trip hop and less likely to trigger my musical OCD.
Similarly, groups who built on the success of acts like Massive Attack, like Archive, Sneaker Pimps or Morcheeba, they’re not trip hop either.
That’s not to say that there’s no similarities, in the same way as there are similarities between trip hop and acid jazz and the various other lo-fi, downtempo styles which clearly influence this nebulous thing we now call trip hop.
Another style which often got conflated with trip hop was big beat, that big crunchy breakbeat variant popularised in the mid to late 90s by the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim.
This is despite the fact that the Chemicals (then known as the Dust Brothers) were prominently featured on that first ever Mixmag article about trip hop.
One clear distinction Pemberton made was that trip hop was slower in pace and more introspective than the majority of dance music.
Whereas the Chemical Brothers, and those who followed in their footsteps, veered more towards faster BPMs and unbridled dancefloor euphoria where the only moments of introspection involved questions like, “should I drop that second half now or wait?”
And we all know the answer to that one.
But one doesn’t tend to ask those kinds of questions when listening to DJ Shadow.
The Originators of Trip Hop
According to Pemberton, DJ Shadow’s In Flux is the first true trip hop record.
This timeless 12+ minute opus remains one of the finest examples of the genre ever recorded, launching the career of one of the 90s most innovative producers while also helping to put Mo Wax Records on the map.
This wonderous collage of sounds and styles encompassed everything from ambient to jazz, liberally peppered with spaced out psychedelia, and all branching off from a thick trunk of underground hiphop.
The result was an unprecedented piece which took you on a bone fide musical journey. Its inclusion of various samples and snippets of civil rights-related dialogue also lent it far more poignancy than the vast majority of music released that year, dance music or otherwise.
If you want the definitive hiphop record, 30 years on this is still it.
Another group which featured prominently on the original Mixmag article was fellow Mo Wax labelmates RPM. This one’s also similarly jazzy and ideal for those lazy Sunday afternoons. It’s the titular track from their first ever release, the 1993 Food Of My De-Rhythm EP on Mo Wax.
From California to the UK and now to France with La Funk Mob, rounding out the original trio of Mo Wax releases cited in the original article.
La Funk Mob’s Tribulations Extra Sensorielles came out in 1994, the standout track for me was always Ravers Suck Our Sound, which later got a rather interesting remix by Carl Craig, but I digress…
Top 10 Trip Hop Albums
So those three Mo Wax releases can be considered the original holy trinity of trip hop.
Other names included in the article are Andrew Weatherall and Kruder & Dorfmiester – more on them in a moment.
And we’ve also previously discussed the Chemical Brothers and why they shouldn’t be classified as trip hop, despite being both hip-hoppy and trippy as fuck, because they’re far too up-tempo.
So instead, here’s my own selection of genre-defining trip hop releases, mostly from the mid 90s, when trip hop in general, and Mo Wax in particular, was on the up and up.
#10: Throbbing Pouch – Wagon Christ – 1995, Rising High Records
Wagon Christ is one of the earliest aliases of Luke Vibert, one of the most prolific and idiosyncratic producers in dance music today.
His first release was the album Weirs, co-produced with Jeremy Simmonds, which came out on Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label back in 1993.
Then in 1994 his first solo album, Phat Lab Nightmare, came out on Rising High Records. Although this downtempo classic had some proto-trip hop elements, things didn’t really click into place until the following year with Throbbing Pouch.
Not only is Throbbing Pouch the quintessential trip hop album (jazzy, funky, spaced out and hiphop to the core) it’s also the release where Luke Vibert truly hit his stride as a producer, crystalising his unique sound.
#9: Remedies – The Herbaliser – 1995, Ninja Tune
One can’t have a conversation about triphop without mentioning Coldcut, whose experimental turntablism helped lay the groundwork for future triphop producers to follow.
Their label, Ninja Tune, is still going strong today. Founded all the way back in 1990, it rapidly became home to a wide range of influential artists, many of whom warrant the term trip hop.
Among these was The Herbaliser, who released their first five albums on Ninja Tune, including their 1995 debut Remedies.
This is a fantastic debut album with lots of great tracks but I’ve always been partial to the Real Killer track, which includes samples from Lalo Schifrin’s soundtrack to Dirty Harry, along with dialogue from the movie, mixed in with some Tarantino and Scorcese… “that’s what the fuckin’ world’s comin’ to, how do you like that?”
#8: Smoker’s Delight – Nightmares On Wax – 1995, Warp Records
For my number 8 pick I’m going with the debut from Nightmares On Wax, Smoker’s Delight, released on Warp Records back in 1995.
So many great tunes on this one, like Mission Venice, Dreddoverboard or the classic, Quincy Jones-sampling Night’s Introlude. But for my next pick I’m gonna go with my personal favourite track from the album, the deliciously downtempo chill of Stars.
#7: Nine Deadly Venoms – Depth Charge – 1994, Vinyl Solution Records
Depth Charge is the alias of British DJ/producer J Saul Kane, another hugely influential figure in the trip hop scene. I first came across him via his remix for Sabres Of Paradise’s Tow Truck and then later, became enthralled by his 1994 debut Nine Deadly Venoms.
Unlike some of the other albums on this list, this isn’t an electronica album with hiphop style beats. Instead Nine Deadly Venoms puts the hiphop front and centre, with big crunchy beats and booming sub bass designed to obliterate sound systems.
The album is also notable for its heavy use of kung fu movie samples, along with a broad range of other sources including classic rave tracks, dub reggae, Ennio Morricone and The Evil Dead – all chopped up in Kane’s incredibly funky beat blender and the result is pure distilled dopeness.
#6: Kiss My Arp – Andrea Parker, 1999 Mo Wax Records
We’re back to Mo Wax again and the criminally underrated singer/songwriter, cello player, producer, DJ and all-round badass, Andrea Parker.
Alas we were kept waiting far too long before her first album finally came out on Mo Wax, a delay attributed to the label’s mercurial founder, James Lavelle.
That Lavelle had a great ear for talent is irrefutable. Alas he was always much better at spotting talent than he was managing and retaining it. Which is why Parker only released on album on Mo Wax before departing.
But what a stunning debut it was, ambitious in scope and flawless in execution. Assisting on production and engineering duties was David Morley, who had just released his own debut album on R&S the previous year.
But for my pick I’m going back to Parker’s first ever single from the album, 1996’s Melodious Thunk, a track which, even in 2024, still sounds as fresh as ever.
#5: Music For Babies – Howie B – 1996 Polydor
For my next pick I’m going with the 1996 debut from Scottish DJ/producer and Pussyfoot Records label boss, Howie B.
Howie B is another producer who helped to popularise the trip hop sound, though in production terms that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
He’s remixed everyone from Juan Atkins to New Order to Tricky, while his production credits include Bjork’s 1995 album Post and U2’s 1997 dance/rock fusion album, Pop.
In 1996 he collaborated with visual artist Run Wake (who also created the music video for “We Have Explosive” by Future Sound Of London) on a tie-in short film/music video for Music For Babies.
The project consists of various pieces from the album spliced together to match Wake’s distinctive animation style.
I mention this because, growing up in Ireland in the 90s, we had a TV show called No Disco which used to show this video a lot. One of my best mates managed to record it on VHS and so this music video was on constant late-night rotation back in the day, to the point where I know every single frame of it by heart.
I bought the album on the strength of that video and I’m so glad I did.
#4: Strictly Turntablized – DJ Krush – 1994, Mo Wax Records
Fuck Sasha and Digweed, back in the mid 90s DJ Krush and DJ Shadow were the real dynamic DJ duo and I couldn’t get enough of them.
Apparently Krush was so obsessed with music he told his family it was either become a successful DJ or become a gangster. It’s fair to say the Yakusa’s loss was our gain, resulting in a string of classic albums, remixes and collaborations with artists such as Toshinori Kondo, Ronny Jordan and Bill Laswell.
Krush’s 1994 debut on Mo Wax remains one of the dopest albums ever recorded, cementing his reputation as a global superstar.
So many fantastic tracks on this debut but I’m going with track four, Kemuri, which apparently means smoke in Japanese. It fits, given how this track evokes images of smoky backroom clubs and mist-shrouded streets.
It’s also one of my favourite hiphop beats of all time.
#3: Haunted Dancehall – Sabres Of Paradise – 1995, Warp Records
Ok, so I’ve already done a review for Haunted Dancehall by Sabres Of Paradise, and if you’ve read it you’ll know it’s one of my absolute favourite albums.
Also, while a lot of the music on here ticks the trip hop boxes, I wouldn’t strictly call it a trip hop album, but since Pemberton cites both the Sabres and Weatherall several times in that original Mixmag article, it’s as good an excuse as any to sing this album’s praises.
I also can’t resist the opportunity to contradict myself further with my next track pick. Yes, earlier I said that Portishead isn’t technically trip hop, but track five, Geoff Barrow’s Portishead remix of Planet D most certainly is.
And, along with Kemuri, it’s another one of my all-time favourite hiphop beats of all time.
#2: Endtroducing….. – DJ Shadow – 1996, Mo Wax Records
DJ Shadow’s 1996 debut is one of the most pivotal albums in both dance music and hiphop history.
Despite the trip hop scene being well underway on its release, this record still sounded unlike anything before it. And nothing since has ever managed to match it.
It belongs up there with A Kind Of Blue or Sgt. Peppers as one of THE defining albums of the 20th century – turntablism and sampling elevated to the apex of high art.
Every song had a unique tone and message, sometimes melancholic, other times playful, but always with a clear narrative. But instead of lyrics, Shadow employed snippets of sounds, samples, scratches and obscure recordings of dialogue, all spliced together to form a spellbinding sonic tapestry.
Sometimes he spells it out directly (like why he thinks hiphop sucks in 96) while other times he allows us to fill in the blanks with our own imagination (like Maurice and his five, fine-ass sisters. We all imagine them differently.)
Then there’s the intricate drum programming with its distinctive crunch and wild stutters. I know every single beat on this album off by heart and, full disclosure, I’ve just been “drumming” along on the table, staring out the window while playing my next pick, track two from the album, Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt.
It’s the perfect choice really. Not only is it a beautiful piece of music in its own right, it’s also the track which perfectly sums the philosophy behind this exquisite album and encapsulates everything DJ Shadow’s early output was all about.
#1: Headz (A Soundtrack Of Experimental Beathead Jams) – Various Artists – 1994, Mo Wax Records
So, having seen such a massively influential album as my second pick you were no doubt wondering, “what can top Shadow?”
Well, the obvious answer is more Shadow, along with many of the other names already mentioned above. Headz features two early DJ Shadow tracks not featured on Endtroducing, including THE defining trip hop track, In Flux.
It also features UNKLE, La Funk Mob, RPM, Howie B, DJ Krush, Nightmares On Wax, Palm Skin Productions and Autchere, to name just a few.
This, to me, is the seminal trip hop release and has been an integral part of my record collection for 30 years now. It’s one of my favourite albums of all time, possibly my favourite compilation album of all time, and in all the years since, its dopeness hasn’t decreased by a single molecule.
As proof, check out my pick from the album, Olde Scottish’s version of the theme to Wildstyle, as remixed by DJ Krush, and be prepared to unplug your funkometer in case it explodes.
Honourable Mentions
In addition to the top ten above, I also want to give a few honourable mentions to albums which don’t quite make my top ten but which I feel are important trip hop releases none the less. Here they are in no particular order.
Headz 2A/2B – Various – 1996, Mo Wax Recordings
First off, there’s Mo Wax’s 1996 follow-up to Headz, which consisted of two huge double albums with four records each. That was one hell of an investment back in the day, though, which is why I still don’t own these on vinyl.
CD versions are far more affordable though and well worth checking out because there’s some gold on here and not just trip hop either. There’s also plenty of other stuff on here ranging from experimental jazz funk to drum n bass.
For my pick of the crop, though, I’m going back to Luke Vibert and the sublime piano and string simplicity that is Sharp A2. There’s something about it that always gives me a lump in the throat.
This is another track I associate with Irish DJ Donal Dineen and the TV he presented in the 90s called No Disco. He used to play this one a lot on the show, “wait for the piano”, he’d always say. And he was right.
Dope On Plastic – Various – 1995, React Records
And while we’re on the subject of compilations, let’s not forget the kings of compilations, React Records, and their own trip hop compilation series, Dope On Plastic.
As with so many of their compilation series, every entry in that series was top quality but I think it’s fitting I start with the 1995 original.
So my next pick is the opener from that album, Men With Sticks and Ode To A Blunt
Give Em Enough Dope – Various – 1994, Wall Of Sound
And so, in the interests of balance and fairness, let’s look at volume one of a competing compilation series, Give Em Enough Dope. This record was the inaugural release of the UK’s Wall Of Sound records, home to groups like Kruder & Dorfmieter and the Propellerheads.
Wall Of Sound existed in that midpoint between trip hop labels like Mo Wax albeit veering more towards the big beat sound of imprints like Skint.
That said, Give Em Enough Dope boasts plenty of trip hop fodder such as my next pick, Real Vibes from The Wise Guys,
A Taste Of Pork – A Collection Of Pork Recordings – Various – 1995, Pork Recordings
Another label which I need to mention on here is Pork Recordings.
Although much of their output’s not strictly trip hop, but rather trip hop adjacent, they nonetheless warrant mention alongside labels like Mo Wax and Ninja Tune as pioneers of downtempo 90s electronica.
Their output includes releases from Heights Of Abraham, Baby Mammoth, Bullinuts, Tetris and Solid Doctor, but the main event for me was always Fila Brazilia.
Fila Brazilia feature prominently on A Taste Of Pork, Pork Recording’s first compilation album, including this light and breezy number…
The Rebirth Of Cool Phive – Various – 1995, 4th And Broadway
Deviating from the trip hop template a bit with this one but I’m adding it as it’s a personal favourite and another cherished and regularly played piece in my vinyl collection.
I bought this compilation for one reason and one reason only, The Prodigy remix of Release Yo’Delf by Method Man.
It also had plenty of “Brizzol” stuff, namely Massive Attack and Tricky, plus some jungle, some acid jazz and classic tracks from the Beastie Boys and MC Solaar.
There’s also a version of Bug Powder Dust from Bomb The Bass, as well as a track from Kruder & Dorfmiester, which would be the perfect segue into my next album, except first I want to include some Coldcut…
K&D Sessions – Kruder & Dorfmiester – 1998, !K7 Records
I guess technically speaking this one’s a compilation too, since it’s really a two-disc compilation of remixes, though we all tend to consider it more of a studio album.
I did say we would get to Kruder & Dorfmiester eventually – you can’t do an article about trip hop and not include them – and so it makes sense to include what is, without a doubt, their defining release.
And no prizes for guessing which track I’m picking, the classic 303-tinged remix of Bomb The Bass’ Bug Powder Dust…
Journey To The Planet Of Birds (Or Beats To Blaze To Volume 3) – DJ Frane – 2008, Beats To Blaze To
It’s fair to say that trip hop had pretty much fizzled out by the end of the 90s, just one among many fascinating genres that decade gave us.
By the turn of the millennium new sounds had taken hold, though that’s not to say there wasn’t some interesting trippy hiphop-style music released in the new millennium.
DJ Frane released the first volume in his Beats To Blaze To series (Frane’s Fantastic Boatride) back in 1999. He then followed that up with Electric Garden Of Delights in 2003 and then my final pick, Journey To The Planet Of The Birds in 2008.
Much like trip hop’s founding father, DJ Frane also hails from California. Comparing his sound to DJ Shadow would be an oversimplification however. It would be more accurate to say that, in addition to a flair for scratching, sampling and crafting hiphop tempo sound collages, DJ Frane is an expert in using obscure sounds to create compelling narratives.
Each of the three Beats To Blaze to releases was based on a specific theme and focussed on a specific element, the first being water, the second earth and the third being air or sky.
The common element in all three releases, however, is 🔥.
Check out this dreamy slice of avian g funk mastery to see what I mean.
…A Trip, A Trop, A Trip Trop Trippy
So there we have it – thirty years of trip hop.
Even though I only focussed on a time range of 12 years for the article.
Bit of a cop out, a trip hop cop out, a trip cop, a trip out?
Call it what you want, either way it’s as silly a term as trip hop was to begin with.
A term which was poorly defined to begin with and later misrepresented, co-opted and bastardised for use in TV ads and pop songs, that it doesn’t really matter anymore.
Once upon a time instrumental hiphop was the most interesting thing to hit the scene in years. Then over the next ten years we watched Mo Wax explode and then promptly implode, while the trip hop market become over saturated.
And so, following the triphop crash, we went from DJ Frane’s Beats To Blaze To YouTube’s Lofi Beats To Study To – ewwww!
But there’s a reason for this. Music changed.
Firstly, trip hop was a short-lived phenomenon, an inevitable musical fork which was eventually overshadowed (no pun intended) by emerging genres such as drum n bass.
Second, sampling was already falling out of favour by the end of the 90s, by which point hip hop was no longer considered a US-only style of music.
The original Mixmag trip hop article laments the state of UK hiphop with the Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rolands quoted as saying, “it’s very difficult to find someone who can rap convincingly in the UK.”
Of all the things mentioned in that article, in the post-grime world of 2024, that’s the line that’s aged the worst. Once upon a time UK rappers tried to sound American, now it seems more and more Americans are jacking British beats while attempting to sound convincing in London patois. The results are, predictably, horrible.
But as for those 90s trip hop records, they’ve aged like fine wine.
If you remember these releases the first time around, might I suggest digging them up. They’re the perfect sunny Sunday afternoon soundtrack, ideal for barbeques and get-togethers. The perfect way for aging ravers to relive those club daze without putting too much strain on the ole knees.
Or, if you’re one of those younger whelps weaned on shitty, emaciated lofi YouTube beats, now’s the time to get some proper boomer-bap phatness in your life, click on some of the videos above and remember to thank me later.
Enjoy this trip.
