[antiant]

saul williams is not trip hop at all...he's a spoken word poetry/artist/hip hop etc but def. not trip hop and zero 7 is more on the lounge/chillout side of things, but can be categorized as trip hop in a watered down sense...also i like to post this, when ppl ask for recommendations http://www.triphop-music.com/ enjoy

 

[blip]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viator122 What's the problem with Zero 7? I have their last two albums - they put out relaxing, catchy music with interesting arrangements. Maybe it's just "cool" to dislike a band in this genre that is so accessible?

Like I say, I've only listened to one of their albums extensively (Simple Things, I believe, I have heard the a few tracks from the other two but didn't hear anything that changed my initial impressions)... Furtherm music is amongst the most subjective of subjectives, so what I say need not have any meaning to anyone but myself. (Though I think it might...)

But since you ask, let me start with my feelings on what makes good trip-hop (and often good electronica, pop etc.). Good trip-hop represents a melding of a variety of influences and sounds that feels effortless and creates something new. Take MA-Mezzanine to my ears there are dozens of diverse influences to some of those tracks yet it all merges together seamlessly. Old sounds become new. New sounds gain the depth of the old. That is where the real magic of the genre is.

When I listen to Zero 7, the melding does not feel smooth to me. Certainly there are many common trip-hop influences in it, but they stand out against each other jaringly (and not in a good way). It sounds contrived and forced. At times I think that they are trying to sound "cool" because they want to be "cool", not because the sound really engages them. This is particularly striking in their lackluster collection of vocalists, all of whom sound somewhat uncomfortable in their roles.

It is also somewhat tired. I may be jaded having been a fan of trip-hop for quite some time, but I'm not really clear what, if anything, is new or interesting about their music. Not that music has to continually change (I listen to Verdi afterall), but if innovation isn't present then superb performance and implementation become the key qualities... And I just don't see it in Zero 7.

But don't misread me, they are not exactly bad. Just rather middling and I think better groups could be put forward in a recommendation thread. Take Alpha, for example, which pursues a similar agenda but does so, IMHO, with far more genuine fevor and musical talent.

And remember that is all IMHO based upon my own subjective engagement with their work.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled programing.... suprised no one has mentioned Everything But The Girl - Walking Wounded... Very decent album though it does stray a field a bit from its trip-hop roots. And of course there is Smith & Mighty (who may or may not have invented trip-hop.... even though they themselves may or may not have produced trip-hop... paradoxical, no?)

 

[denl82]

HEY

I'm a bit confused...by what's trip hop and downtempo. O.K. I think I know what's downtempo when I hear it in what I think is it's "purest." A Very slow, dark beat that has hip hop influences, but still isn't really a hip hop beat.

But what exactly is trip hop? I sometimes THINK i'm listening to a trip hop song, but then I think it's like slow drum & bass, or trippy downtempo. Grr. And my favorite "trip hop" album now seems to be a drum & bass album above all, after reading through the links you guys posted here, haha. One thing that you trip hop fans confirmed that I believed all along, is that trip hop(and all related stuff) really draws influences from all sorts of other music.

You guys know any songs I can download for *free*, a song that would show me exactly what trip hop is? Oh, and just to toss it in there--and breakbeat?

Thank you!!

*edit* O.k., I read about trip hop on wikipedia, and I think I understand it a bit more, lol=]

*edit* O.K., I've just learned that I mixmatched downtempo with trip hop, from reading here
http://tripofagia.sites.uol.com.br/geral/faq03-en.htm
lol=]

 

[utarch00]

I certainly agree that Zero 7 is not trip-hop. They have a little of the influence though.

For those that do not like them, all I have to say is don't knock it until you try it. I agree that tastes in music is completely subjective, but you need to give all of there stuff a chance.

 

[Enverxis]

Moon Seven Times

 

[kwitel]

Laika-Sounds of the Satellites

 

[wower]

I haven't seen Herbaliser or Amon Tobin (anything from Ninja Tune really) mentioned yet. Their a good direction to go if you don't get side tracked by semantics.

 

[Purgatos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by utarch00 I certainly agree that Zero 7 is not trip-hop. They have a little of the influence though.

How do you guys know this stuff?

People just tell me what genre something is and I usually believe them. I don't know how to tell the difference between genres unless they're completely different. Maybe I'm just stupid?

 

[philodox]

I stand by the recommendations I made in this thread.

To the two that "don't get" Zero 7... they most definately do not suck. Yes, you are missing something.

As to if they are trip hop or not, who the hell cares? Massive Attack and Portishead both detest the idea of a 'trip hop' genre. Like most genres, trip hop was just a name that the media latched on to and it took off.

If we say that both Massive Attack and Zero 7 are downtempo, I don't think anyone will get their panties in a bunch.

The problem with recommending downtempo to someone is that what might be great to me will not work for them because they either have more or less experience with the genre than I. For instance, I thought Nightmares on Wax [not trip hop, maybe acid jazz, certainly downtempo] was garbage the first time I heard it... but now I love them and am trying to hunt down all their albums.

New "trip hop fans" are always CRAZY about Mezzanine and often don't even know that Blue Lines exists... a travesty in my mind.

Anyways, my point is that it really depends on what you have heard and whether you liked it or not.

To the original poster, what Tricky albums are your favourite? Have you heard Nearly God? [a dark trippy project he did with a bunch of female vocalists] What Massive Attack albums have you heard? I'm not too familiar with Saul Williams, though I do own a very cool 'Not in my name' EP by him which I bought since it has a DJ Spooky version of the chant. [I ♥ DJ Spooky] Can you tell me anything else about his style? Any downtempo you have heard which you didn't like?

 

[Purgatos]

Y'know, I swear that talking about Massive Attack on this board is like your bat signal. It's the only time I ever see you here.

 

[philodox]

lol, I'm all over the place on here... I guess we just don't cross paths too often.

You are sort of right though, that is one of my bat signals.

PS. I saw them on Friday and they were incredible. Del Naja can't dance to save his life though.

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwitel Laika-Sounds of the Satellites

Now you're talking! The first one too, equally as good

 

[kwitel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox lol, I'm all over the place on here... I guess we just don't cross paths too often. You are sort of right though, that is one of my bat signals. PS. I saw them on Friday and they were incredible. Del Naja can't dance to save his life though.

I saw them last Tuesday at Roseland in New York.
Del Naja looked like an idiot boogie-ing around the stage like a 70 year old man at a Wedding-but the the rest of the show was quite good.
I felt like they started real rusty and became more comfortable as the show went on.
Or maybe it was just me getting used to hearing them live?
Massive is not made for live shows-way too much sampling/sound effects that IMO do not translate well live.

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwitel Del Naja looked like an idiot boogie-ing around the stage like a 70 year old man at a Wedding-but the the rest of the show was quite good.

Don't forget his 'face away from the audience and beat the crap out of an imaginary opponent' dance! That was my personal favourite.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwitel I felt like they started real rusty and became more comfortable as the show went on. Or maybe it was just me getting used to hearing them live? Massive is not made for live shows-way too much sampling/sound effects that IMO do not translate well live.

Hmmm, I thought they were spot on... I guess they must have worked up some impetus before they got to TO. I was surprised at how good they were live given the type of music they put out.

 

[aufeuer]

Formica Blues by Mono. Kinda like Portishead.