Downtempo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back electronic music style. Often the name chill out music is used to refer to songs demonstrative of the genre, but those names also refer to other styles of music, and downtempo encompasses a wider variety of styles than those terms alone would indicate.
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[edit] History
1990s brought on a wave of slower paced music which was played throughout chillout rooms - the relaxation sections of the clubs or dedicated sections within electronic music events. Downtempo music started to surface around in Ibiza, when DJs and Promoters would bring down the vibe with slower rhythm and gentler electronic music upon approaching sunrise. In 1994, Trip Hop emerged from Bristol, which combined elements of hip hop beats, drum and bass breaks, and ambient atmospheres at a lower tempo. At the end of 1990s a more melodic instrumental electronica incorporating acoustic sounds with electronic styles emerged under its own umbrella name of downtempo. [1]
In the late 90's, the Austrian duo Kruder & Dorfmeister popularized the style with their downtempo remixes of pop, hip-hop, and drum and bass tracks with influences of the 70's soul jazz. The British Steve Cobby and Dave McSherry, producing under the name Fila Brazillia, released a handful of downtempo, electronica and ambient techno albums that propelled the style further. While the Washington, D.C. locals Eric Hilton and Rob Garza, better known as Thievery Corporation, have introduced the Brazilian sound into the style after discussing the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, and enriched it further by combining elements of Jamaican dub and reggae.[2]
[edit] Stylistic origins
The downtempo genre draws heavily on dub, hip hop, jazz, funk, soul, drum 'n' bass, ambient, bossa nova and pop and is often confused and/or mated with closely-related styles like IDM, trip hop, and acid jazz.
[edit] Notable labels
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[edit] Notable artists
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[edit] References
- ^ Dalling, John (2006). Chillout and Downtempo Electronic Music, a History. Retrieved on March 26, 2007.
- ^ Johnson, Martin. "Downtempo: A Genre With Plenty in Reserve", The Washington Post, 2002-02-17, p. G4. Retrieved on March 26, 2007. (in English)
| Electronica |
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| Big beat • Bitpop • Chip • Downtempo • Folktronica • Glitch • Indietronica • IDM • Leftfield • Nu jazz • Post-rock • Trip hop • Uptempo |
| Other electronic music genres |
| Ambient | Breakbeat | Drum and bass | Electronica | Electronic Art Music | Hard Dance | Hardcore | House | Industrial | Synthpop | Techno | Trance |
