Trip-Hop

A.R. Kane – 69

Style: Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia

Vibe: Ethereal, Sensual, Moody, Nocturnal, Messy, Abstract, Dreamy, Eclectic, Hedonistic, Psychedelic, Surreal

Musical Qualities: Washy, Catchy, Raw, Dub FX, Noisy

Portishead – Roseland NYC Live

Style: Trip-Hop

Vibe: Noir, Brooding, Sensual, Passionate, Melancholy, Angsty, Sombre, Mysterious, Cinematic, Anxious, Sad, Dark

Musical Qualities: Orchestral, Live, Lush, Dense, Rhythmic, Sampling

Leslie Winer – When I Hit You You’ll Feel It

Style: Trip-Hop, Dub Poetry, Post-Industrial

Vibe: Brooding, Surreal, Mechanical, Feminist, Surreal, Evocative, Muscular, Dreamy, Witchy, Aggressive, Urban, Storytelling, Conversational

Musical Qualities: Spoken Word, Loops, Beats, Dub

Boards of Canada – Geogaddi

Style: Trip-Hop, Psychedelic Electronic, IDM, Downtempo, Ambient Techno

Vibe: Mysterious, Hallucinogenic, Woozy, Occult, Cryptic, Nature, Eerie, Warm, Surreal, Hypnotic, Mellow, Haunting

Musical Qualities: Atmospheric, Beats, Sampling, Vignettes, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Rhythmic

Björk – Medulla

Style: Art Pop, Experimental Electronic, Trip-Hop

Vibe: Somatic, Primal, Sensual, Passionate, Winter, Ancestral, Complex, Imaginative, Surreal, Heartfelt

Musical Qualities: A’Cappella, Choral Vocals, Experimental Vocals (Throat Singing, Beat Boxing, Manipulated Vocal Production), Studio-as-an-Instrument

The Kni?e – Shaking the Habitual

Style: Experimental Electronic, Post-Industrial

Vibe/Mood: Ominous, Disorienting, Mechanical, Brooding, Chaotic, Colorful, Anti-Capitalist, Feminist, Complex, Cryptic, Dance, Futuristic, Surreal, Messy

Musical Qualities: Manipulated Vocals, Dissonant, Polyrhythmic, Dense, Percussive, Polyphonic, Noisy, Repetitive

Lonnie Holley & Matthew E. White – Broken Mirror

Style: Abstract Groove, Psychedelic Funk, Cosmic Blues, Trip-Hop

Vibe: Stream-of-Consciousness, Reflective, Futuristic, Mechanical, Jagged, Groovy, Psychedelic, Spacey, Poetic, Driving, Anxious

Musical Qualities: Rhythmic, Dub, Cut Up, Vocal Improvisation, Dense, Percussive

King Krule – Man Alive!

Style: Art-Rock, Progressive Songwriter, Trip-Hop, Post-Punk

Vibe: Brooding, Woozy, Grimey, Nocturnal, Angsty, Introspective, Surreal, Shadowy

Loma – Loma

Style: Art Pop, Ambient Pop

Influences: Chamber-Folk, Trip-Hop, Slowcore, Post-Rock

Vibe: Existential, Introspective, Brooding, Gossamer, Dreamy, Melancholy, Reflective, Moody, Eclectic

Musical Qualities: Lush, Atmospheric, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Lyrical

Mourning [A] BLKstar – The Cycle

Style: Avant-Soul, Psychedelic Funk, Trip-Hop

Vibe: Heartfelt, Passionate, Raw, Reflective, Communal, Intimate, Afrofuturism, Nocturnal, Political, Mournful, Eclectic, Powerful

Musical Qualities: Progressive, Groovy, Dynamic, Beats

King Krule – The Ooz

Style: Art Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Trip-Hop, Neo-Psychedelia

Influences: Lounge, Jazz, Post-Punk

Vibe: Brooding, Angsty, Woozy, Lonely, Nocturnal, Alienation, Depressive, Eclectic, Rainy, Urban

Laika – Silver Apples of the Moon

Style: Trip-Hop, Post-Rock, Experimental Rock

Vibe: Busy, Chaotic, Nocturnal, Psychedelic, Energetic

Musical Attributes: Odd Time Signatures, Polyrhythmic, Studio-as-an-instrument, Dense, Sampling, Percussive

Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love

Style: Art Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Trip-Hop, Experimental Electronic

Vibe: Nocturnal, Surreal, Introspective, Longing, Alienation, Abstract, Anxious, Dark, Depressive, Eclectic, Love, psychedelic

Tricky – Maxinquaye

Style: Trip-Hop, U.K. Hip-Hop
Vibe: Dark, Nocturnal, Sexual, Surreal, Eclectic, Introspective, Love
Musical Attributes: Sampling, Beats, Rhythmic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Lyrical

Unkle – Psyence Fiction

Style: Trip-Hop

Vibe: Moody, Urban, Dystopian, Eclectic, Nocturnal, Dark, Melancholy, Groovy 

Musical Attributes: Sampling, Dynamic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Polished

Portishead – Portishead

Style: Trip-Hop

Vibe: Noir, Nocturnal, Sad, Dark, Witchy, Sinister, Depressive, Angsty, Anxious, Sombre, Introspective

Instrumentation: Vocals, Turntables, Sampling, Guitar, Keyboards, Synth, Drums

Big Sir – Before Gardens After Gardens

Released in 2012 on Sargent House Format: LP, White Vinyl Style: Trip-Hop, Downtempo, Synth Pop Instrumentation: Fretless Bass, Vocals, Drum Machine, Synthesizers Vibe: Warm, Heartfelt, Mellow, Groovy Attributes: Melodic, Rhythmic

Poliça – United Crushers

The brooding, atmospheric synth-pop of Poliça’s third LP finds Channy Leaneagh’s passionate vocals once again supported by prominent bass grooves, driving dual drummers, and occasional string and horn arrangements, all mapped into intricate, quantized webs of programmed beats and synthesizers by co-leader/producer Ryan Olsen. Lyrically, the album centers around themes of isolation, fading love, and as well as more political topics such as police violence.

For fans of Portishead, The Knife

Björk – Vulnicura

Style: Art Pop, Trip-Hop, Experimental Electronic

Vibe: Breakup, Passionate, Heartfelt, Personal, Intense, Futuristic

Musical Qualities: Orchestral, Glitchy, Lush, Digital Beats

[Click for full review]