Another 'Recommend Me' Thread vTripHop

[verbal]

Recommend me some trip hop. The stuff I'm looking for it the more darker/harder trip hop. Stuff like Massive Attack's 'Angel'.

Another track that could show the type of stuff I'm looking for is Linkin Park's 'Session' off Meteora. I know they aren't trip hop, but that track is kinda trip hoppy.

I can't seem to think of any other examples right now.

Thanks!

[Cadevil]

Either Unkle album is in that same dark vein...I think Never Never Land is more trip-hop though. The first DJ Shadow album, and large parts of the first Gorillaz album are also some great trip-hop moments.

Interesting you should mention Linkin Park...I always thought their song "My December" sounded trip-hoppy.

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

These are rather dated, but as good as the day they were released.

Cottenbelly
Sweetback (stage 2 is a mixed bag, their first is spot on) Why they haven't toured is beyond me????
Wax Poetic - Nu-Blu sessions does me better than their first which is still pretty decent.
Single Gun Theory - they kinda lost me on their third release(through machismo faults of my own). First two are essentials. Forgive me if you've run out and bought these. CORRECTION: Releases two & three are essentials. Realized this after revisiting these guys yesterday.

[Drix]

Wow, haven't heard about any of these John.. I'll try to check them out as soon as i can.

[chino]

Listen to Cadevil this time, DJ Shadow old stuff is pretty useful for what I think you're looking for.

[kagenaki koe]

these are mostly old stuff:

Andrea Parker - Kiss My Arp
Baby Fox - A Normal Family (this is their first album, the second one isnt that bad either...more dubby than really dark)
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man - Out of Season ... it's the lead singer of Portishead, sounds more like a really old soul record
Martina Topley-Bird - Anything....Tricky's vocalist/ex gf...okay maybe only a few are really dark like "Sandpaper Kisses" and "Stevie's (Day's of a Gun)"
Silent Hill 3 soundtrack - i got this with the SH3 game for ps2 (majority of the tracks are by Akira Yamaoka)
Outputmessage - Nebulae (mostly electronic, the track Approaching Skyline is the closest to the linkin park you were going after)

and Doubting Thomas - The infidel....one of my alltime fave albums (not trip hop, but dark and sample heavy)

[joethelion]

ok definitely some KEY releases you should pick up

Portishead -> now, I have a hard time distinguishing between their two albums, b/c I always seem to listen to both interchangibly... I will say that my favorite track of theirs is "Only You" which is off the self-titled album... but you could just pick up "PNYC" which is a live show they did... essentially it's a 'best of'

Tricky - Pre Millenium Tension
a very dark, brooding album - but still with some great beats and melodies... I've always thought of this album as like - well... I guess I should phrase it like this; I think that it wouldn't be a big surprise if it turned out that listening to this Tricky album influenced the change in sound of Massive Attack from "protection" to "mezzanine" (does that make any sense?)

actually ...you know what? pretty much all of Tricky's releases (singles & collaborations included) from 1991-1998 (up to the release of "Angels with Dirty Faces") are class.

"Maxinquaye" is the classic album and is the most 'accessable' (not that that's a bad thing in this case) of all of his albums in this time period, it also has a nice, varied selection of music - it's not just all straight hiphop beats throughout... in that album you get elements of dub reggae, hiphop, punk(ish), and electronic stuff. "Angels With Dirty Faces" & "Nearly God" are both solid albums, but much more dense... you kind of have to experience them in a certain time & place... know what I mean?

and as someone mentioned Martina Topley-Bird's album... DON'T BUY THE US VERSION (the one that's titled "Anything") it's really worth tracking down the import called Quixotic. For no apparent reason, they chopped off three tracks for the domestic release!

UNKLE's first album "Psyence Fiction", I'd say is definitely worth picking up... it's one of the few albums that I can listen to straight through without having to skip over any tracks... which is surprising when you think about how much the musical styles kinda switch as the album evolves... their second album "Never Never Land" isn't a bad album by any means, but if you're after that trip-hop sound it may not be the album you're looking for, as it's definitely a more electronic-slanted album (oh and get the x2cd version if you can find it... lots of bonus tracks)

Nigo - Ape Sounds
http://www.discogs.com/release/16854
Unkle are also on this album with the Scratch Perverts on "Ape Shall Never Kill Ape"... it might be just me - but I always thought of this album as kind of a continuation of Psyence Fiction... although it definitely lacks the sense of a narrative that you find in the Unkle album. They are both similar in that there's a definite focus on collaboration with a varied 'cast' of musicians

as far as Dj Shadow... I would say that you can't consider yourself a fan of modern music - or even of having any taste in music unless you own "Endtroducing...". It is absolutely an essential album to own...

Major Force West - Major Force West '93-'97
http://www.discogs.com/release/96122
• this is an album of various tracks constructed by MFW from the early 90's... they were also part of the original version of UNKLE (pre-Dj Shadow... they did like "The Time Has Come" and "Berry Meditation" to name two tracks off the top of my head), and if you notice Tim Goldsworthy (of DFA) also shares some of the credits

Dj Krush - Meiso
• although, this - I'd say is more of like and instrumental hiphop album in its overall vibe... pretty similar to early Dj Shadow (who guests on a track) and the Major Force album

and if you wanted to hear what 3D (of Massive Attack) has even said was a definite influence on "Mezzanine" you might want to check out Public Image Limited's "Second Edition" (aka "Metal Box") although - the influence is definitely more of the aesthetic, the overall 'vibe' and the quality of bass... don't really buy this expecting it to be like a beta version of Mezz... I'd say get this if you've already purchased Tricky's "Nearly God"

other albums of note:
•.Howie B - Folk
•.Passengers - Original Soundtracks Vol. 1 (trust me... just listen to "Corpse" or "Elvis Ate America")
•.Alpha - Without Some Help
• Various Production - The World is Gone
•.Gorillaz - Gorillaz
•.Gorillaz - Gsides (especially if you're kinda tired of their singles)


so yea... there's a few off the top of my head

basically - you really wouldn't have "trip hop" if it weren't for the early Shadow stuff (I'm pretty sure "In/Flux" is even considered to be the first of the genre), the work of Major Force, and Tricky's "Maxinquaye"... well - and of course Massive Attack's "Blue Lines"

[the mongoose]

Luke Vibert (aka Wagon Christ aka Plug) used to do Trip Hop pretty well if I remember correctly.

www.myspace.com/wagonchrist

(although stuff on this myspace isn't a good example really - never cared for "Tally-Ho!" much)

[Leon]

Lunatic Calm's first album (Metropol) is mainly bigbeat, but there are some triphoppy tracks in there that are definately worth it. Dark stuff, really original. Shack (main man of Lunatic Calm) is really talented and made some great melodies. He also uses his own voice, which maybe takes some time to get into (I liked it right away though), but really fits the mood of the tracks.

Check out these tracks from the album:
- Neon Ray (it's in my top 3 of favourite tracks ever)
- It Evolves On Its Own (kinda leans towards bigbeat)
- Long Shadows (Just like in Neon Ray, this track builds so beautifully, and really shows the talent of the producer)
- Meltdown (goes on for too long maybe, but has a nice evolving beat)
- Metropol (great vibe on this track.

Check out the whole album because it rocks, but check out the tracks above in particular for the triphop sound.

[joethelion]

mongoose's recommendation reminded me of the Mo Wax compilations that they'd put out (back when the label used to exist)

you won't be able to find really any of them in the normal shops (now really either in 'collector' or 2nd hand stores) - but a vast majority of them are really worht the time / effort [and hey - you might even be able to download them online]

but specificially -
Headz, HeadzIIA, Ape vs Mo Wav, Royalties Overdue... oh and the Psychonauts "Time Machine" mix cd