trip-hop

A musical genre originating in Bristol, UK in the 1990s. It was originally informally known by the British music press as "the Bristol sound". The music is characterized by downtempo beats, smooth synths and ethereal (usually female) vocals. The style combines elements of hip-hop and jazz with rock and shoegaze/dream pop. To a lesser extent, the sound also borrows from house and reggae. Although these days there are few new trip-hop acts, the genre has been very influential upon countless hip-hop and electronica acts, such as DJ Shadow, Gorillaz, Air and pretty much all dubstep artists.