A blend of electronica and down-tempo hip-hop, urban and ethereal, street and ambience. Thought provoking, sensual, and deep. Often features string section and/or brass section. Can be either instrumental or with female vocals. Occasionally with rap. Trancy and smooth. Often jazzy. Sometimes features turntablism / scratching. It's head nodding music. "Chill-out music".
Portishead, Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, Goldfrapp, Lamb, Morcheeba, Smith & Mighty, Alpha, Bjork, Earthling, Hooverphonic, Mono, Smoke City, Zero 7, music on record labels Mo Wax and Ninja Tune.
by Brett Hansen December 22, 2003
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What first guy said:

'A blend of electronica and down-tempo hip-hop, urban and ethereal, street and ambience. Thought provoking, sensual, and deep. Often features string section and/or brass section. Can be either instrumental or with female vocals. Occasionally with rap. Trancy and smooth. Often jazzy. Sometimes features turntablism / scratching. It's head nodding music. "Chill-out music".'

Names associated with this genre:
Kid Koala, Dan the Automater, Prince Paul, Del the Funkee Homosapien...etc
If you want a real trip-hop experience, check out Lovage's "Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By"

Absolute musical ecstasy to the ears.
Also check out Gorillaz, Deltron 3030, Handsome Boy Modeling School, and Goldfrapp.
by Rasputin's Last Breath April 24, 2005
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Dude i got completely stoned last night and listened to a ton trip hop like tricky and dj shadow. it was trippy!
by cmurphy8 August 16, 2009
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a genre/style of music that seems like a hip hop instrumental (high bass, has a beat) it is considered a type of electronic style music. It also often takes quotes from older songs/ movies and puts them into the song to add some type of strange effect. Many also have some element of rap in them.
by Wiggity Wack January 11, 2004
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An obnoxious catch-all term that, like so many others, used to mean something. Say what you will about tempos and influences, but the fact remains that the term "trip hop" has been co-opted by under-informed marketers wanting to cash in a on groups and artist with actual talent such as Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack.
Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba, and Hooverphonic are sometimes called trip hop groups.
by brap May 7, 2007
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the musak of electronic musics
wow, that cool newer type music that was playing in the background in the sushi bar last night was really,like, cool. i wonder if i can buy that at tower records....
by kallistikate January 6, 2004
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a loose term used to describe a sub-genre of techno music characterized by smooth electronica down temple with trippy slow beats and sometimes backed by a sexy female voice. It is called trip hop because the music sounds a little like some of the old skool hip hop beats without dominating raps or an mc vocalist. This cool urban lounge music is sometimes associated with old spy movie themes. Stereotypically, Trip hop is also heavily associated and carries an image with youthful post modernism, grafitti, alternative street art, djs, turn table scratching, metrosexuality, trends, computers, futuristic technology and high design culture.
royksopp, zero 7, portishead, thievery corporation, massive attack, trip hop, spy lab, telepop musik
by eazy-x January 31, 2008
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